Audiophilia’s Henry Wilkenson adds his thoughts to Martin Appel’s review of this Audiophilia Star Component winning isolation device.

by Henry Wilkenson

Over the years I have used many different isolation devices, everything from ceramic to soft jell to brass. Simply stated, the Redpoint Blakholes are the most effective isolation devices that I have used.

These deceptively simple devices are made up of a metal cone with a ball made from a material that Redpoint’s Peter Clark is silent about. If you drop the ball, it does not bounce; it just sits there; very unusual indeed.

I placed a set of three Blakholes under my VAC preamp. Since you place them with the ball facing upward, it is very easy to balance components on them. For heavier components, you simply use more of them.

Once in place, I noticed an increase in focus and articulation. I could hear slightly more low level detail. While the difference wasn’t night and day, it was audible.

Since I only had two sets of Blakholes, I couldn’t place them under my SONY 777ES because it weighs in the neighborhood of fifty pounds. I placed a set under my Virtue Piano CD player. The Virtue is an inexpensive ($750.00) player that displays sonic performance that suggests a much higher price. Here is where the Blakholes really showed their prowess. The same improvements that were made with the preamp were made to a much greater degree with the CD player. The soundstage became noticeably wider and deeper. The images within the stage had much better focus and stability. Overall, I would have thought that I was listening to a much more expensive player.

Given their performance, I feel that the Redpoint Blakholes are well worth their asking price of $305.00 for a set of three including U.S. shipping, highly recommended.

by Martin Appel

Redpoint is noted for its superior turntables. Lately, Peter Clark, the ‘Master and Commander’ of Redpoint Audio Design has been busy responding to the challenge of designing and developing the perfect footer. One that would isolate your equipment to dramatically reduce the negative and dulling effects that resonances and vibration have on your system’s sound.

Blakhole isolation feet at work.

As Clark is a perfectionist, he hated to hear the beautiful sound his turntables produce jeopardized. It frustrated him to see how these gremlins were preventing his equipment from achieving their full sonic potential. Some results of vibration and resonances manifested themselves in reduced soundstage, both width and height, a reduction in image quality, loss of focus and a reduction of separation, and the creation of frequency anomalies. After many laborious hours of scientific research and development, the final design for the Blakhole Isolation Feet was born.

My first encounter with the footers was on a visit to Wes Bender Studio NYC. After several hours of listening and evaluating a preamplifier, we were ready to pack it in, but Wes suggested one more thing and placed three Blakholes under the preamp. The changes were dramatic. Immediately, the soundstage opened up, clarity and articulation improved, and bass performance, which had been good, became stellar in areas of extension, definition and impact. Wes sat smirking with an ‘I told you so’ look on his face and asked me to take a set of three and review them.

I’m no stranger to the use of isolation devices and have accumulated many such devices over the years. Some worked, others had negative effects on the sound. None had worked to the degree the Blakhole’s did.

I tried them under my Music First Classic II preamp with similar success. I then used them under my MSB transport where further gains were made in separation, focus and soundstage growth. The impact of these footers is substantial and could save you from spending far greater amounts by not replacing your gear.

The Blakhole is another example of how one seemingly unimportant item in our system has such an impact on the sound of that system. I wonder what further improvements might be realized if I could outfit my entire system with these footers? I look forward to finding out.

I congratulate Peter Clark for developing the Blakhole Isolation Feet. His understanding of the importance of proper isolation in combating the negative effects that vibration has on a system comes as a result of many years of pure dedication and passion. The same passion, I might add, that went into the development of his highly lauded turntables. One day I hope to be able to satisfy my lust for one of his turntables.

[We are proud to award the Blakhole Isolation Feet by Redpoint Audio Design an Audiophilia Star Component Award. Congratulations! - Ed]

The Blakhole Isolation Feet

Manufactured by Redpoint Audio Design LLC
4841 North Scottsdale Road Suite 102
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251

Manufacturer website
Distributor website

Price: $300 (set of three)
Source: Distributor loan

Having heard the live performance given by these forces in Liverpool in January 2012 I am pleased to say at the outset that this recording lives up to the expectations I had at that time. It is a very fine interpretation.

For too long, Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony has been used as a musical battering ram in the concert hall and this performance shows just how good it can be when given a sympathetic and well thought out reading.

Much has been written about what Shostakovich’s real intentions were when writing this work, was it just a rallying cry to the beleaguered Russian people under siege from Hitler or is it also a requiem for the dark days of Stalinist repression. He certainly knew what is was like to come under the scrutiny of the Communist Party and he used later symphonies to give a covert message of hope to all Russian artists.

Petrenko has admirably conveyed the complexity and the pathos of this symphony in a way seldom achieved by other more starry conductors and the result is a finely paced unfolding of the drama from the whisper of the strings to the full orchestral tutti with driving brass and percussion and wailing woodwind giving a terrifying account of the horrors of war.

Petrenko gets a febrile quality out of the strings in the quiet contemplative passages of the inner movements and the sound world is not only moving but makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

This performance deserves to be in every orchestral music lover’s collection and Petrenko is building what may well be the first symphony cycle on Naxos which is comparable to any other record label past or present. And, at half the price. With sound as good as performance and value, it’s an easy recommendation.

Release Date: April 29, 2013
Label: Naxos
Artist: Vasily Petrenko, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Duration: 79min.

Purchase at our affiliate, Amazon

Tailgate and Music Mob with our great orchestra. The hugely improved TSO closes its season with some innovative ways to enjoy classical music. Party on!

Two really cool initiatives are in bold.

For Rhapsody in Blue (June 1 & 2), one of the most popular American concert works, conductor Bramwell Tovey will take to the piano to play Gershwin’s beloved jazz-infused Piano Concerto. Before leading the orchestra in Elgar’s Enigma Variations– a series of charming musical sketches about the composer’s closest friends –Tovey, an eloquent host, will share some of the unsolved mysteries of the work’s “secret” contents.

Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell returns to the TSO (June 5, 6 & 8) to perform both classical and folk-inspired works. When Bell performed with the Orchestra in 2009, the Toronto Star raved that “the way [Joshua] can make his instrument and the music sing, in every sense of the word…makes him one of the world’s finest musicians.” With TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian at the helm, Bell is joined by double-bass soloist and composer, Edgar Meyer, in the Canadian première of Meyer’s TSO Co-commissioned Concerto for Violin & Double-Bass. Joshua Bell will join Music Director Peter Oundjian onstage for a lively post-concert chat!

The fiery fingers of pianist Yuja Wang propel her through Prokofiev’s sizzling Concerto No. 2 (June 12 & 13). The night continues with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, featuring TSO Concertmaster Jonathan Crow; and Treeship, a TSO Co-commission for RBC Affiliate Composer Kevin Lau, which will receive its world première.

Party late into the night at the TSO’s annual Tailgate Party and Late Night Concert (June 15)! Featuring food-truck fare, drinks and exhilarating performances, the evening will begin with a tailgate party in the Roy Thomson Hall parking lot, followed by explosive performances onstage by pianist Yuja Wang in the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Jonathan Crow in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Afterwards, mix and mingle at a post-concert party in the lobby of RTH, featuring live music from Toronto electro-pop artist Digits.

Celebrate the 200th birthdays of composers Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi while sitting under the stars, as the TSO returns to David Pecaut Square for a free open-air concert at the Luminato Festival (A Symphonic Birthday Party, June 21). The Orchestra will be led by TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian and joined by the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Last year’s outdoor TSO concert, Symphonic Finale, broke attendance records at the Square, and this year’s Festival crowd is expected to be even larger. The programme will also feature a piece by the great Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer who turns 80 this year. Only 120 years to go!

Everyone is invited back to the Festival Hub at David Pecaut Square the next day (June 22), but this time to play alongside members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at the Luminato Festival’s inaugural Music Mob, conducted by TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian. People of all ages and musical talents will come together to perform Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” and Verdi’s “Triumphal March and Chorus” from Aida. No prior experience is necessary!

Oesterle : New World: Of Hope and Refuge (World Premiere)
Sibelius : Violin Concerto
Stravinsky : The Rite of Spring

May 11, 2013. Royal Theatre, Victoria, BC — Juno award winning, Julliard educated wunderkind, brilliant violinist, artist extraordinaire — how many superlatives can be heaped on one Canadian fiddler? After hearing star James Ehnes last night at the Royal Theatre they all apply. He was here to perform the virtuosic Violin Concerto in D Minor by Sibelius with Tania Miller conducting the Victoria Symphony as part of their unique Signature Series. On the second side was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Igor Stravinsky’s dissonant barnburner, The Rite of Spring . Opening the program was the second movement of Composer-in-Residence, Michael Oesterle’s ‘New World: Of Hope and Refuge’, the last of four world premieres of new Canadian pieces commissioned by the orchestra this season. What a thrilling evening of music making and highly skilled musicianship ending a wonderful season of challenging works.

Oesterle’s work explores the immigrant experience in Canada, and is a delightful, modern confection of pathos and hope. This young composer used the orchestra to full effect including a solid part for the tuba which he jokingly acknowledged in a pre-performance talk as “leaving out” in his previously premiered piece. The next two movements will be showcased next season.

James Ehnes, violin

Anticipation filled the packed hall before the entrance of Ehnes, rightly praised as ‘the Jascha Heifetz of our day’ (Globe and Mail). Although the concerto premiere in 1904 was a disaster due to the difficulty of the piece with a less than accomplished violinist, Ehnes was the polar opposite. His effortless virtuosity shone in all three movements with cadenzas and double stops flying off his Stradivarius enough to make Victorians gasp in delight. Ehnes had complete command from the first note of the opening Allegro to the stupendous finale. I had the feeling that many of our Victoria Symphony patrons couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Miller’s players ably accompanied the star with power when it was needed and letting the man have his moments. The ovation and stomping at the end prompted two encores, Caprice 24 then 16 by Paganini with delightful shock and awe lighting up the faces of the orchestra. Simply put, James Ehnes is the real deal. Don’t miss an opportunity to see this remarkable artist.

Tania Miller, conductor

When The Rite of Spring premiered in 1913, it famously caused a riot, and the work continues to push the limits 100 years later. I must admit to a little trepidation before the first bassoon intro. This is raw, challenging music that demands an audience pay attention, an orchestra concentrate like never before, and a conductor with formidable skills to hold it all together. Miller’s interpretation highlighted the primordial savagery to great effect and her players did not let her down. Several of many highlights were the great energy in Games of the Rival Tribes and  the Sacrificial Dance where Miller showed exceptional command of her musicians while ensuring she didn’t quite launch herself off the podium.

Following yet another thundering ovation, in typical Victoria style, Maestra Miller commanded section leaders and groups to bask in the applause while the tympanist surely became another star of the evening. What a wonderfully eclectic program to end such a successful season.

by Anthony Kershaw

Danish manufacturer Ortofon, highly regarded by audiophiles for fair value, wonderful sounding cartridges, has produced a ‘colour coded’ set called the Ortofon 2M magnetic cartridge system. Entry level Red is followed by the subject of this mini review, the Blue and up through Bronze, and finally Black. The Blue retails for a very reasonable $225.

The Blue was mounted under a Rega-sourced Basis 300 arm which was attached to a Basis 1400 turntable and its signal fed the the Moving Magnet section of the Zesto Audio Andros PS1 Vacuum Tube Phonostage Preamp. A 7K system with a $225 cart. Interesting match, but one that the Blue took completely in stride. It was not fazed at all.

In fact, after a few adjustments for the VTA of the Rega arm (Basis provides an adjustable ring rather than having to shim), the Blue was singing merrily and, most importantly, sweetly.

We dialed in the VTA via a Ricci/Decca LP — his violin sounded detailed and became more focused as the VTA became more to the Blue’s liking. We had the cartridge tracking at an easy 1.8 grams.

If you have only a few dollars to spend on a cartridge, always go for a moving magnet (MM) rather than moving coil (MC). Cheap and cheerful MCs come with all sorts of problems that rarely get sorted out by equipment upstream. But, be wary, inexpensive MMs, too, often sound harsh and a bit rough. Happily, the Ortofon had none of these problems. It was an easy load, tracked like a champ and gave an honest account of the vinyl.

‘Honesty’ is one of the descriptors I use with entry level analogue. The Rega ‘tables with good quality carts are honest. The same cost/quality digital fibs a little. There is no shame in saying this particular Blue was ‘maxed out’ by the Basis table and Zesto phono stage, especially. Yet, it was a good match that I could live with easily. The Blue was certainly enjoying its associated kit.

The sound had the immediacy that I associate with good carts but it also had a sweetness that I’ve experienced with good MCs like a Benz Glider. It had a little Sumiko Blue Point edginess in the upper strings and a stridency from trumpets that may not stand the test of time, but for two and a quarter, there is no arguing the Blue is a cartridge performing well above its price point. When I first heard it, I’d have guessed it was in the $7/800 range.

The midrange was dynamic, with a really fine separation of instruments — another tenet of more expensive MC carts. Bass, too, was dynamic, but more ‘homogeneous’ than defined. You can’t expect a layer cake of deep bass at this level.

If you match the Blue with a cheaper setup, it may retain the sweetness but not highlight the top end as much. But, you’ll lose detail. Your choice.

Ortofon’s colour series offers a frugal audiophile a glimpse into a higher domain. Not the penthouse like Koetsu or Clearaudio MCs, but a floor with a good view. Very highly recommended.

The Ortofon 2M Blue Phono Cartridge

Manufactured by Ortofon A/S
Stavangervej 9
DK-4900 Nakskov
Denmark
Tel. +45 54 91 19 10
Fax +45 54 91 19 11

website
email

Price: $225
Source: Distributor loan

Specifications

Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec: 5.5 mV
Channel balance at 1 kHz: 1.5 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz: 25 dB
Channel separation at 15 kHz: 15 dB
Frequency range at - 3dB: 20-25.000 Hz
Frequency response: 20-20.000 Hz + 2 / - 1 dB
Tracking ability at 315Hz at recommended tracking force: 80 µm
Compliance, dynamic, lateral: 20 µm/mN
Stylus type: Nude Elliptical
Stylus tip radius: r/R 8/18 µm
Tracking force range: 1,6-2,0g (16-20 mN)
Tracking force, recommended: 1,8 g (18 mN)
Tracking angle: 20°
Internal impedance, DC resistance: 1,3 kOhm
Internal inductance: 700 mH
Recommended load resistance: 47 kOhm
Recommended load capacitance: 150-300 pF
Cartridge weight: 7.2 g

This complete set of Bruckner symphonies is in mono sound, taken from live Vienna performances in Jan/Feb 1953 by Radio Wien. Directing the Vienna Symphony (not the much more famous Philharmoniker) is Volkmar Andreae (1879 – 1962). He was a Swiss conductor who spent much of his time working in Austria, eschewing recording and disliking the jet set lifestyle of the international conductor. Hence, his lack of notoriety. He was also a composer and teacher of some note.

So, not much to go on with this historical gem of a CD set.

I heard about it through Audiophilia contributor, James Norris. He called me from London very excited about this new Music & Arts release. Jim is as much a Bruckner enthusiast as me and thought they would be to my taste. I quickly put an SOS out to Naxos (the distributor) for a quick download. As always, they came through. In minutes, the entire 9 CD set (as FLAC files) was in my Antipodes DS1 music server.

It was late at night when the files downloaded, so I turned the volume quite low and played the opening of the 4th to begin the journey. I was very disappointed, almost immediately. I won’t go on too much about the problems I heard, but it turns out this set has to be played at full volume, whatever that is in your room, to appreciate the incredible subtleties of this set. Turned down, subtlety is gone, emotion is almost nil and the recording sounds like it’s coming out of a chocolate box. My reference system did not like!

Up at realistic volumes, Andreae’s vision for Bruckner became very clear. In all the symphonies, there is a firm grasp of the structure — it’s not ‘precious’ as so many present day conductors attempt. All glory and heaven. Andreae doesn’t hang around to find out if you’re having a good time. Tempos are generally quick and the climaxes are not highlighted. But, they are just as intense. And, they make sense. Melodies unfold beautifully, the big moments are preceded by a slight emphasis of the preceding chord or note, and nothing sounds funereal. Much of it is heartbreaking, though.

There will be lots written about different editions of the symphonies in this set by Bruckner ‘scholars’. Yawn. Here’s the quick version. Bruckner was unsophisticated and got pushed around a lot where his publisher was concerned. But, even Haas, Nowak, Schalk and all the others who had a crack at ‘improving’ Bruckner are a nevermind. Bruckner’s music is eternal. The meddling of editors is not. Just ignore the verbosity and adore the music.

The recordings? Mono, but still detailed and warm. Some compression and a lot of added ‘acoustic’. Audiophiles? Smile. You won’t be getting this set for the sound, but turned to ‘11’, the set had power and some heft. And, enough detail to recognize the excellence of the flute, clarinet and horn and the fact that the poor oboist must have been going through a nervous breakdown at the time. He consistently has ‘bad days’. Strings and brass get the job done for the most part.

Bruckner wrote five great symphonies (4, 5, 7, 8, 9), and all five receive knockout performances. The good 6th is also very well done. Symphonies 1, 2 and 3 are youthful and sound here as Bruckner must have intended. As such, Andreae gets the great arc of Bruckner’s life music beautifully. Music & Arts adds the Te Deum as a bonus.

For me, this set is a great discovery. A unique perspective on Bruckner missing from today’s jetset conductors. Many lose the arc and present a road map in bas-relief. Here a climax, there a climax, everywhere a climax. The unsung Andreae presents what Bruckner may have envisaged. The nutty audiophile in me does not mind the mono sound as the performances take you on one hell of a ride. Fresh and new, but from another era. Highly recommended.

Purchase from our affiliate, Amazon.

Music and Arts CD-1227(9)

ANDREAE CONDUCTS BRUCKNER. BRUCKNER: Symphonies, Nos. 1-9 & Te Deum.
Recording of the 1953 cycle with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
Conductor: Volkmar Andreae.
From the Archives of ORF/Radio Õsterreich
Digital restoration by Aaron Z. Snyder (2009)

CD 1: (43:08) Symphonie Nr. 1 c-moll WAB 101 (”Linzer Fassung” von 1877, ed. 1953 Leopold Nowak). Symphony Nr. 1 in C Minor. CD 2: (51:00) Symphonie Nr. 2 c-moll WAB 102 (Fassg. 1878/80, ed. Robert Haas). Symphony Nr 2 in C Minor. CD 3: (50:48) Symphonie Nr. 3 d-moll WAB 103 (Fassung 1890, ed. Th. Rättig). Symphony Nr 3 in D Minor. CD 4: (60:29) Symphonie Nr. 4 Es-Dur WAB 104 [gen. "Romantische"] (”Originalfassung” von 1886, ed. Leopold Nowak). Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major. CD 5: (68:31) Symphonie Nr. 5 B-Dur WAB 105 (Originalfassung). Symphony Nr 5 in B Flat Major. CD 6: (50:49) Symphonie Nr. 6 A-Dur WAB 106 (Fassung von 1881, ed. Robert Haas). Symphony Nr 6 in A Major. CD 7: (58:26) Symphonie Nr. 7 E-Dur WAB 107 (Originalfassung). Symphony Nr 7 in E Major. CD 8: (72:13) Symphonie Nr. 8 c-moll WAB 108 (Fassung: N.N.). Symphony Nr 8 in C Minor. CD 9: (71:43) Symphonie Nr. 9 d-moll WAB 109 (Originalfassung). Te Deum WAB 45 für Soli, Chor, Orchester und Orgel. Symphony Nr 9 in D Minor & Te Deum. Emmy Loose, S./ Hildegard Rössel-Majdan, A./ Anton Dermota, T./ Gottlob Frick, Bs./Alois Forer, Orgel/ Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Wien.

by Bruce Surtees

A First Look

I had come to the realization some time ago that I would never again have the slightest desire to change any of the components in my two channel system. Not that I had lost any of my lifelong enthusiasm for music but my component system was totally fulfilling.

Since the 1980s, my amplifiers, pre and power, have been exclusively Jeff Rowland. I updated infrequently until recently when I fell for the 625 power amp to replace the 312 that had replaced the 302. To be quite honest, the 302 was more to my liking than the 312.

Last Fall I was fortunate to spend a friendly and informative afternoon with Jeff Rowland during his stop-over in Toronto on his motorcycle trek from Colorado to Newfoundland! He expounded on the genesis and philosophy behind of his new DAC, the Aeris. All very interesting, but, as convincing as he was, and I mean convincing, I had not for a moment believed that it would, or could, equal or surpass my dCS Scarlatti DAC. I didn’t even think about it until a few weeks ago when it was suggested to me that I listen to the Aeris at home.

I accepted the offer, even though the time has passed when I delighted in plugging and unplugging equipment and cables and fussing over the perceived differences whether expected, unexpected or imagined. The unit I was to audition had enough hours on it to be considered well broken in and sounding its best.

Listening to the opening of the Jochum performance of Orff’s Carmina Burana on CD has always been something of a frustration because the massed voices, ladies to the left and gentlemen to the right are glazed with a dense edginess that certainly was not present on the LP. The expensive HMCD from Japan was the same. To my complete surprise, there, before my eyes was a clear and definite body of musicians, orchestra and choir, in a you-are-there reality wherein the instruments were locatable and the voices naturally textured were a collection of real people.  Elsewhere, vocal solos and instruments in the chamber size sections had an outstanding, newly heard presence. A practical lesson in the error of shooting the messenger.

Among other discs heard was the original 1983 pressing of La Boutique Fantasque conducted by Richard Bonynge on London (410139-2). This was never a problem disc but I was interested to hear if there were any differences. From the very opening, not just the plucked strings of the basses across to the violins were heard but the bodies of those instruments as well, adding substantial presence. Each of the following sections was refreshed and produced with gratifying presence.

Miracle with Willy Deville (Polydor 833669-2) confirmed an important attribute of the Aeris which is its extraordinary control of the extreme bass. The ten tracks of vocals backed by instrumental and electronic exhibitionism to burn blaze from top to the very bottom.

Despite exhaustive experimentation, I found that no combination of filters, DSD, or other inputs could duplicate the reality and extraordinary sense of stability so firmly solidified by the Aeris.

With an enhanced impression of reality, now completely devoid of digital glaze and comfortably analogue-like, listening was not fatiguing and invited closer attention.

In spite of what some people believe, listening to music is not sitting around doing nothing. I wonder though, assuming that you are not multitasking but solely absorbed would you now become sated sooner? Or perhaps, not at all?

A Second Look

by Anthony Kershaw

Bruce beat me to the punch! I was going to give this absolute gem of a DAC a ‘quickie’ for our dear readers after spending a few days with one last week. Then, after years of nagging him for a review,  I was very pleasantly surprised by this first look at the wonderful Aeris by the equally wonderful Bruce Surtees.

Unlike Bruce, I have not had lengthy experience with the very best in digital — he’s lived with a dCS Paganini — but the incredible resolution of the Aeris in conjunction with its sweet disposition would make it an easy first choice for me in the DACstakes, bumping my previous favourite, the splendid Calyx Femto (7K) firmly into second. Simply, dCS quality for less than half the price.

Sure, a 10K DAC is not for everybody. The bel canto 2.5 I just reviewed is the kit for the frugal audiophile. Superb engineering with much of Jeff Rowland’s magic touch for 2K. But, for the ultimate in (refined and balanced) resolution, this carefully designed (two years on the bench) DAC is an easy choice for those flush audiophiles who want to get the best digital into their systems. Yeah, I’m going to say it. It’s a bargain at 10K. Audition one and let us know if you agree.

A note about our guest reviewer. Bruce Surtees is a friend, colleague and one of the most knowledgeable men I know in the field of classical music. He’s written about classical music (and audio) in the very best publications, been heard talking about it on CBC Radio and sold it for many years as purveyor of the wonderful The Classical Record Shop here in Toronto. Audiophilia is honoured to have Bruce’s writing grace our pages. I’m in the process of convincing him to publish regularly.

Aeris Specifications

INPUTS
1x USB — accepts up to 24 bit PCM at 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz sample rates
1x Toslink — accepts up to 24 bit PCM from 11 - 192 kHz sample rates
2x SPDIF — accepts up to 24 bit PCM from 11 - 192 kHz sample rates

OUTPUTS
1 pair balanced XLR and 1 pair unbalanced RCA
7 volts RMS max output level

VOLUME CONTROL
Dual-stage attenuation
70 dB range, plus 20 dB overdrive

SOFTWARE/DRIVERS
No special drivers necessary
USB interface is plug-n-play with all operating systems, including PC, Mac, or Linux.

CLOCKS (2X)
20 bit dynamic range Voltage Controlled Crystal Oscillators (VCXO)
44.1 kHz and 48 kHz < 1 picosecond RMS jitter

D/A CONVERTER
Differential output
352.8 kHz, 24 bit

DIGITAL FILTER
Finite Impulse Response (FIR) symetrical
Flat phase and group delay

THD+N
Analogue outputs
< 0.0006%

OUTPUT IMPEDANCE
RCA / XLR
120 ohms

The Jeff Rowland Design Group Aeris DAC

Manufactured by Jeff Rowland Design Group
2911 N. Prospect S.
Colorado Springs, CO
80907

website
email

Price: US$10,000
Source: Distributor loan

by Anthony Kershaw

May 2, 2013. Koerner Hall, Toronto, ON — A change of venue for the The Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Recital Series final gala concert — Walter Hall of the University of Toronto was replaced by larger Koerner Hall, the Telus sponsored concert space of the Royal Conservatory of Music. And what a splendid hall it is. Handsome, with wonderful acoustics.

It served as a perfect venue for what seemed like a Canadian ‘All Star’ concert; luxuriantly, in mid afternoon, mid week. James Ehnes, violin, Russell Braun, baritone and Carolyn Maule, piano are no strangers to Canadian classical music fans. In fact, I’d consider the fabulous Ehnes to be the Michael Bublé of classical (now, there’s a quote. Not!). There seemed to be a good number of young violin fans in addition to the venerable subscription audience. Lots of influential musicians, too, including a few international conductors.

Good looks and engaging stage presence apart, Ehnes is a brilliant musician and must now be considered among the top handful of stellar fiddlers. It has been a pleasure hearing this man grow from virtuoso to artist.

Russell Braun, baritone.

Baritone Russell Braun is Toronto trained and also resident. He is one of the international vocal stars that Canada seems to be able to produce at will. Must be the clean air, water and good Canadian living. Braun sings leading baritone roles at all the great opera houses and festivals, including New York’s Met, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Salzburg Festival, not forgetting right here in Toronto’s own vastly improved Canadian Opera Company.

Performing the accompanying duties for today’s concert was the well known pianist, Carolyn Maule. She is the wife of Russell Braun.

Carolyn Maule, piano.

The program was eclectic but was performed so well, that musical hopscotch — a dash of Bach to a Beethoven song cycle to a smidgen of Paganini to a commissioned work by John Estacio and a series of idyllic English songs — did not seem to matter. The playing/singing was so wonderful that this listener could sit back and enjoy the show. Be gone musical and thematic connections. Just enjoy music for music’s sake.

The top and tail of the concert required all three performers, and they were a happy musical trio — beautiful blend and chamber music making of the highest quality.

It was the solo repertoire where both Ehnes and Braun showed why they are among the best at what they do. Ehnes held the audience spellbound during his two solo turns — the mighty Chaconne from Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 and three of Paganini’s Caprices for solo violin. I’ve heard Ricci and Midori play Pag as brilliantly, although Ehnes’ left hand pizzicato in No. 24 was brilliant AND musical. I’ve not heard the heartbreaking Chaconne played better. It was magnificent. Every complex line made sense, the tuning was flawless, and the myriad of timbres he produced on the ex-Marsick Stradivarius (1715) spellbinding, until the final heartbreaking note. A note of such depth, beautiful tone, and drawn out to the most minute, controlled pianissimo. It transported the audience from concert hall to somewhere celestial.

‘Who the hell could follow that’, I thought.

Braun did, and within a few bars of Beethoven’s exquisite song cycle ‘An die ferne Geliebte’, Op. 98, he had the audience in the palm of his hand. I did not know the cycle and I’m not the biggest fan of Beethoven’s vocal music, but these six connected songs are worthy of Schubert. Once more, the idea of a ‘Distant Beloved’ in Beethoven’s life served as sublime inspiration. In these, and the final works of the afternoon, songs inspired by the poetry of Cambridge Don, A.E. Houseman, Braun delighted in the musical line and in producing a wide range of emotion. Whether singing quietly (and so sweetly) in his highest tessitura or plumbing the depths with power, Braun’s voice was expressive and in service to each song’s story. It was interesting that in his few introductory words about songs, Braun mentioned how inspired he was by the great Ehnes’ playing. I was thinking Ehnes must have felt the same way about Braun’s singing.

Early in their careers, Ehnes and Braun were the recipients of study grants from the outreach programs of the Womens’ Musical Club of Toronto (WMCT). In celebration of these great musicians on this final gala concert of its 115th season, the WMCT commissioned a new work for baritone, violin and piano by the Edmonton - based composer John Estacio (b. 1966). He was hitherto unknown to me. A lady sitting in the next seat was very enthusiastic in telling me all about him. We had some violin groupies attending, but for a modern classical composer? Estacio was sitting a few rows over. The lady kept looking to see his reactions to the superb performance. I assume Estacio was happy. His song cycle ‘Away and Awake in the Night’ was melodic and passionate and much more than an audience pleaser. More inspiration about the pursuit of a ‘beloved’. Estacio has a singular musical voice. But completely accessible, inspiring and enjoyable. Certainly not what James Galway calls ’squeaky gate music’. I’m looking forward to hearing more of his music.

It was warm, the sun was shining and patrons were milling in and around Koerner Hall after the concert. As I walked to the subway, I realized how lucky I was to be in the city after hearing such quality music making at what was basically a lunchtime concert. This afternoon delight will rank very high in a season of wonderful music making in the ever improving musical Toronto.

Program

Bach

Hier, in meines Vaters Stätte from Cantata No. 32, BWV 32
Wenn Trost und Hülf ermangeln muss from Cantata No. 117, BWV 117
Chaconne for solo violin from Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004

Beethoven

Song cycle “An die ferne Geliebte,” Op. 98

Paganini

Caprices for solo violin
No. 9 - Allegretto in E major “The Hunt”
No. 16 - Presto in G minor
No. 24 - Tema–Quasi Presto–Variazioni–Finale
in A minor

John Estacio

Song cycle “Away and Awake in the Night” for baritone, violin, and piano

Butterworth, Vaughan-Williams and Samuel Barber
A Shropshire Lad: English Songs based on the poetry by A.E. Housman

PS Audio makes two DACs, the NewWave at $995 and the high-end PerfectWave MKII at $3995, both built in Boulder, Colorado, USA. After recently reviewing the very impressive low- priced NewWave model and concluding that it is both outstanding and a bargain, I could not resist moving on to try out the high-end MKII model. How much better can digital audio sound?

There were two deeper related reasons for doing so, however. First of all, the NewWave led me to rid my system of its CD player. I am very grateful. PS Audio’s NewWave proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that CD players are dead — Q.E.D. (Quite Elegantly Demonstrated — in layman’s terms). Additionally, the MKII promised to rid my system of its 50 pound Marantz SC-7S2 preamplifier — another middleman removed. That is not trivial. This outstanding preamp even now sells new for $4000. No need for this? As stated on the PS Audio Website, ‘Our first choice for connecting the MKII to your system is all by itself and directly into your best power amplifier without going through a preamplifier first. There’s simply “no preamp like no preamp” and the MKII direct into your system provides a remarkably clean, simple and elegant path for the music.’

The MKII even has a balance control.

Secondly, the super-sophisticated technology built in the MKII is mind blowing. We are not talking about mere cosmetic changes/differences with the NewWave, but major and significant advances and improvements in DAC technology. Not only does the MKII use as its heart, a Wolfson WM8741 stereo differential DAC chip, a new generation of high-end such chips that can handle 32-bit input up to 192kHz and even has a built-in volume control, but the MKII also uses high-speed analog switches instead of saturated logic digital switches. If that were not enough, it also has 11 separately regulated power supplies dispersed within the unit, fixed digital clocks, and a unique PS Audio ‘Digital Lens’ technology that allows for a new ‘NativeX’ mode option different from the standard Native mode option. Although both Native modes play the exact resolution as fed to it, the NativeX mode in PS Audio’s own words, ‘will reduce incoming jitter levels jitter on any input of the MKII to below 1 pico second, regardless of how jittered the incoming signals are.’

Impressed? Well, I am not quite done yet tooting PS Audio’s horn. In addition to USB with XMOS based asynchronous input for connecting to a computer, the MKII has 6 other asynchronous digital inputs (including two I2S over HDMI inputs), five apodizing and phase correct filters to choose from, the ability to reverse the polarity (phase) of any input or piece of music played — by the simple push of a button, and a small, elegant and slim hand-held remote control that allows you to adjust volume, balance, and change all the various options I just mentioned. You can even connect different sources to the MKII at the same time using different digital inputs (a CD player, a computer, and a transport, for example), and shuffle through them at your leisure using the remote control. Finally, there is an optional ‘PerfectWave Bridge’, either already installed when you buy the MKII or to be installed later by yourself, that allows you to stream audio up to 192kHz/32 bit over your home network. (I did not choose this option: I view a ‘home’ as meaning a ‘house’ meaning having at least three times as much space as my New York City apartment.)

I point out right up front so as not to scare the reader away with all this extraordinary technology. The MKII’s vast complexity is hidden entirely inside. Setting up the MKII is very easy to do, and using it is remarkably simple.

For this review, I connected the DAC directly to my amps using XLR interconnects thus requiring only one set of analog interconnects for my entire system. You can also use RCA interconnects if you so wish. I only used the USB input connected to my Mac Mini as server using Pure Music, and focused on the NativeX and Native modes. I also focused on PS Audio’s two most recommended filter options, Auto (Automatic) and MP Apod (Minimum Phase Apodising). Then, I listened to a wide variety of music to determine if and how all of this sophisticated technology translates into audiophile quality sound. To prepare for this, I first burned in the unit for several days by playing music continuously 24 hours a day by having my Mac Mini randomly select music ad infinitum.

Setting Up The MKII

I chose the black model; it also comes in silver. Physically, at 14” (L) x 17” (W) x 3.5” (H), it is twice the width of the NewWave model, but identical in length and height, and retains the same sleek look. It weighs in at 22.4 pounds (versus 12 pounds for the NewWave). It took all of 20 minutes to set it up within my system, with most of that time spent disconnecting and lugging my 50 pound preamplifier out of the cabinet to make way for the MKII. All I had to do: Snap two XLR cables (already attached to my two mono amps on one end) into the back of the MKII, attach a USB cable (already attached to my Mac Mini on one end from its previous use for the NuWave), plug in a power cord, and then turn on the unit.

Setting the option to NativeX mode (or any other mode) is done by pressing a button on the front panel touch screen located on the right corner; similar buttons allow choosing the filter option, polarity option, and the USB option. You can also choose such options by using the remote control. All of your selections once chosen are displayed on the touch screen as small blue lights, and a very convenient add on is that even the current sampling rate for the music you are playing is always displayed (44.1kHz, 96kHz, 192kHz, etc.). Volume level is displayed and controlled as a thin lit line on the bottom of the touch panel. Nice and simple — and easy to read. My Mac Mini immediately understood the change to the new MKII DAC and no preference setting changes of any kind were needed in my software to proceed further. This was by far the simplest and most trouble-free upgrade I have ever experienced on my system.

A small blue light button in the upper left corner allows you to put the unit to sleep, known as ‘Ready Mode’, so as to keep on critical internal circuitry, on the one hand, while turning off the front panel lights and the various outputs on the other hand to save energy when not in use. The power switch is on the back, and if you do turn the unit off for a while (overnight, say), it could take several hours after powering back on to get the unit warmed up to par for playing, so you want to avoid doing that whenever possible — use the Ready Mode instead. A very nice feature of Ready Mode is that you can change interconnect cables and USB cables while in this mode instead of turning the unit off entirely to do so. Since I planned to experiment with several interconnects and USB cables, this was welcome news.

How Does It Sound?

After five continuous days of burn in, the MKII’s performance opened up dramatically and I was stunned at what I heard: An impeccably smooth, soft, fluid and natural sound with a warmth and openness at all frequencies that was totally new to me. And all this while retaining the crucial (to me) lively, precise clarity of percussion attack and decay that I demand due to my past as a drummer. A whole new level of quality in sound for my system was apparent.

Although I had numerous CDs ripped and ready as standard Apple Lossless 16bit/44.1kHz files, and was originally planning to deal with them first, I could not help myself and instead went right for the jugular for my initial serious testing: High-resolution 24-bit FLAC files. This was because it was already obvious that the more natural and sharper acoustics and better imaging quality that I had already witnessed with high-resolution files on the NuWave were now on full display with the MKII, and at a level well beyond my previous experience.

I started off with the Steely Dan album ‘Gaucho’ at 96kHz/24 bit. It was truly out of this world; the closest I had ever heard in my apartment to a live performance — so natural and clear with such fine detail of little things like wooden blocks, a bell or two and supporting vocals. Or, so I thought, until I continued onward. I moved next to another selection, ‘Oh, Sussanah’ from James Taylor’s ‘Sweet Baby James’ at 192kHz/24 bit. Gorgeous. So lovely, that even my 2-and-a-half year-old-daughter immediately took to it and wanted to hear it again. And again. And again. And again. The left channel displayed Taylor’s acoustic guitar so vividly, and the imaging had his warm mid-range voice with its unique American signature right in the center of my listening stage. I re-listened to that one track at least four times before moving on to his more famous track ‘Fire and Rain’ with its tastefully used low-toned tom tom drums backing up his voice that the MKII displayed so naturally. I now appreciate why James Taylor is considered by many to be an American treasure.

Next, I listened to the Norah Jones album ‘Come Away With Me’ at 192kHz/24 bit, in particular, her famed tracks ‘Don’t Know Why’ and ‘Come Away With Me’. I was astounded by the natural, smooth, earthy and seductive warmth of her voice as displayed by the MKII. What a pleasure.

Out of a sudden impulse, I quickly listened to part of the classic ‘Roundabout’ track from the Yes album ‘Fragile’ at 96kHz/24 bit resolution to check on the MKII’s ability to really expose the famous and unique high-pitched acoustics of the snare drum used in Bill Bruford’s drum kit (how Bruford created the sound of that snare is filled with progressive rock folklore). For that assignment, I gave the MKII a letter grade of A+.

After listening to many other high-resolution FLAC files and ripped CDs of popular, jazz, and rock styles with the very same results (Duke Ellington, ‘Concert In The Virgin Islands’, at 96kHz/24bit FLAC, is stunning sounding on the MKII; live performance quality again) it was now time to move on to classical music.

My father, an audiophile and classical pianist himself, had just sent me a classical CD to check out. Although I paid little attention at the time I still have various memories as a teenager of Mark Levinson visiting our house in the 1970s to help my father adjust his equipment and listen to classical music. I also recall my father’s stories of seeing Glenn Gould perform live several times before Gould quit giving live performances in 1964. So, I took his suggested CD seriously and ripped it right away: ‘Beethoven’s Complete Works for Piano and Cello’ performed by Zuill Bailey (cello) and Simone Dinnerstein (piano). It is exquisite. It even contains delightful variations by Beethoven of works by Handel and Mozart. Putting aside the wonderful performance itself (the two musicians work so well together), it was the natural warmth, richness and fullness of the tone from the cello displayed by the MKII that caught my ear. It was astonishing. It really sounded like Bailey’s 1693 Matteo Gofriller cello was anchored on my living room floor with Bailey giving me a private performance. Intrigued, I then listened to Bailey again via the album ‘The Spanish Masters’ as a 88kHz/24bit-FLAC file. This is a bizarre album because Bailey is playing alongside a deceased pianist — the great Spanish composer Manuel de Falla himself! How did they do this? Well, they remastered a recording of de Falla playing piano from some time ago, and had Bailey play his cello alongside. Once again, the acoustics as displayed by the MKII of Bailey’s cello playing were simply outstanding and lifelike. And this time Bailey was also noticeably playing his cello using various methods including pizzicato.

The quality of sound of Bailey’s cello from the MKII motivated me to listen to other string instruments in a classical setting through the MKII. Since I was not in the mood for violin, or bass, I compromised — the viola. Similar to the cello in some ways, I find it attractive because it offers that darker, warmer sound that is nuanced with melancholy and is more like a human voice.

The husband of a colleague of mine is a professional violist and was kind enough to come by and suggest listening to Kim Kashkashian playing Bela Bartok’s ‘Concerto for Viola and Orchestra’. He explained to me some of the fascinating history of this odd and technically demanding piece commissioned by the Scottish violist William Primrose in the 1940s. The story involves Bartok himself driving around Manhattan in his car for a meeting, not able to find parking and thus returning home with the intention of returning a week later but never finishing the piece (he died). It was completed by Tibor Serly several years later. All I can say is that the viola sound coming from the MKII was once again remarkably natural and sounded like a live performance. I continued to listen to the whole piece (three tracks total) throughout the evening and the next day. And, although the complexity baffled me at times, and the melancholy aspect was perhaps a dash more than I could take in large doses, the quality of sound was absolutely remarkable. I had never heard a viola sound so lifelike on my system before. So I went one step further. I acquired a 24-bit FLAC file of Kashkashian, ‘Kurtág / Ligeti: Music for Viola’. These are very modern cutting-edge pieces (Kurtág is still alive while Ligeti died in 2006) with very demanding technique, and with unusual subtleties [Audiophiles who want an aleatoric musical challenge, should try György Kurtág's exquisite music - Ed]. The sound of the viola was even more clear and true now, just stunning, with intervals of complete silence followed by riffs of sudden plucking. This is an example where using 24-bit sampling makes a real difference that anyone can notice using a fine high-end DAC and the MKII showed itself off with shining stars.

Summary

The PS Audio PerfectWave MKII Digital Analog Converter is in the upper echelon of benchmark digital, particularly due to its extraordinary natural live performance sound, but also because of its price/performance ratio, especially if you consider the amazing technology within it that includes the ability to flawlessly play 32-bit FLAC files up to 192kHz. And then there is its simplicity and ease of use. Keep it on the NativeX mode, and the MP Apod filter option and forget about all else; just listen to music. We expect body, length, nose, and balance for the complex life experience of the finest wines. The MKII delivers just that for digital music.

The unit is not leaving my apartment any time soon, but my preamplifier is mighty scared — and rightly so. I am tempted to take cello lessons, too. The MKII gets my highest recommendation.

[It is with great pleasure that we award the Audiophilia Star Component Award to the PS Audio PerfectWave MKII Digital Analog Converter. Congratulations! - Ed]

The PS Audio PerfectWave MKII Digital Analog Converter (DAC)

Manufactured by PS Audio
4826 Sterling Drive
Boulder, Colorado 80301
Phone: (720) 406-8946
Fax: (720) 406-8967

website
email

Price: $3995.00
Source: Reviewer purchase

Specifications

Asynchronous USB 192kHz input
Native and Native X mode
Digital Lens
Integrated volume + balance control
High voltage class A discrete output stage
7 asynchronous digital inputs
Network media DAC capable
Color touch screen with album cover art
Fixed low jitter PerfectWave clocks

Associated Music

24-bit FLAC files
Steely Dan, Gaucho, 96kHz/24bit
James Taylor, Sweet Baby James, 192kHz/24bit
Norah Jones, Come Away With Me, 192kHz/24bit
The Spanish Masters, Isabel Bayrakdarian and Zuill Bailey, 88kHz/24bit
Kim Kashkashian, Kurtág / Ligeti: Music for Viola, 44.1kHz/24bit
Duke Ellington, Concert In The Virgin Islands, 96kHz/24bit
Recomposed by Max Richter - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, 96kHz/24bit
Billy Cobham, Spectrum, 96kHz/24bit
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7, Conducted by Carlos Kleiber, Vienna Philharmonic, 88kHz/24bit
Yes, Roundabout, 96kHz/24bit

CDs (converted to Apple Lossless 16bit/44.1kHz)
Beethoven: Complete Works for Piano and Cello, Zuill Bailey and Simone Dinnerstein, Telarc (2006) (2 CDs)
Kim Kashkashian. Bela Bartok: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra. Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra. Peter Etvs (Conductor), György Kurtág. ECM (2000)
Fusion India, Passage to India, Navras Record Ltd (2003)
Sting, Brand New Day CD, A&M Records (1999)
Jacintha, Autumn Leaves, the Songs of Johnny Mercer CD, Groove Note Records (1999)
Bob Sneider and Joe Locke, Nocturne for Ava CD, Origin Records (2009)
Sergio Mendes, Brasileiro CD, Elektra / Wea (1992)
Jacques Loussier Trio, The Best of Play Bach, Hybrid SACD - DSD, Original recording remastered, Telarc (2004)
Murray Perahia, Bach, The Goldberg Variations CD, Sony (2000)

Associated Equipment

Computer (as server) with peripherals: Apple Mac Mini (2013 model with 1TB internal Fusion Drive) running Pure Music/iTunes, with a monitor, keyboard, mouse and LG BE14NU40 external disk drive for CD ripping, and two Seagate Backup Plus 3TB external drives running in RAID 1. An Apple iPad for remote use.
Amplifiers: 2 Wyred 4 Sound W4S mAMP Monoblock Amplifiers
Speakers: B&W 804 Diamond
Speaker cables: Acoustic Zen Hologram II, spade with bi-wire (for the speaker end)
Amps to DAC interconnects: Acoustic Zen Absolute (Zero Crystal Silver) XLR
USB cable from Mac Mini to DAC: Wireworld Platinum USB cable
Power cords for amps: Kaplan Cable HE Mk2
Power cord for MKII DAC: Kaplan Cable GS MkII
Power cord for Mac Mini: P.I. Audio Group MPC/Mini++
Power center: PS Audio Dectet with PS Audio AC-10 power cord
Kaplan Cable customized Hubbell wall outlet for the PS Audio Dectet

Purchase CDs at affiliate link (Click on CD title).

Stravinsky – The Firebird / The Rite of Spring [CD- 55 mins, DVD- 37 mins]
Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse / Sokhiev
Naive V5192 (2012)

This month (May 2013) marks the centenary of The Rite of Spring’s turbulent Parisian premiere, since when it has become the most iconic classical work of the 20th Century – partly, I believe, because its sheer unconventionality allows it to appeal to those who otherwise feel little inclined towards classical music. Its story rightly starts a few years earlier when, as he completed his score for the ballet The Firebird, Stravinsky had a vision of a young girl dancing herself to death at a pagan rite to the god of Spring. That the young, unknown composer had an opportunity to realise this vision owed much to the success of The Firebird, the acclaim for which propelled him to international stardom. Tapping into a fashionable interest in paganism, The Rite’s unprecedented violence and primal rhythms famously provoked a riot between the work’s supporters and detractors on its opening night.

Scored for a large orchestra, The Rite’s unrestrained dynamics and thunderous percussion have defined it as one of the great audiophile pot boilers, with The Firebird having its advocates, too, especially in a couple of specialist recordings. On the face of it, this new release represents a highly attractive package, especially for those new to these works: an orchestra and conductor attracting rave reviews; a nicely illustrated, luxurious hardback booklet; a concert performance of The Rite on bonus DVD; and the prospect of Naive’s typically superior sound quality, all at a standard single disc price.

I’m happy to report that it broadly delivers on this promise. The Firebird suite (distilled from the full ballet score in 1919) is bold and colourful, with plenty of oriental allure. Compared to other recent, well-regarded versions of The Rite, Sokhiev’s pacing is not quite as compelling as Dudamel’s; his approach more relaxed, as he milks the inner subtleties of Stravinsky’s orchestration. The recording’s realistic concert hall balance also fails to emulate the savage bottom end power of Andrew Litton on BIS, though Naive’s overall sound quality surpasses both of them in its focus, transparency and soundstaging. This is the only one of these discs that offers a pairing with The Firebird, though, which makes it easy to recommend over the others. AF

C.P.Stamitz – Quartets for Clarinet [65:56]
Arthur Campbell - Clarinet
Audite 92.661 (SACD) (2013)

I admit to a particular fascination for those many composers to whom notoriety has been denied due to their being condemned to live eternally in the shadow of Mozart and Haydn – including, from recent instalments of RNR, Vanhal and Graf. Carl Stamitz (1745-1801) is another; taught initially by his father, a founder of the ‘Mannheim School’ (an important source of innovation for orchestral composition in the mid-18th Century), he followed in his father’s footsteps by heading to Paris in 1770 for a career as composer and touring viola virtuoso. Sadly, he would rarely be settled again and ended his life deep in debt – an all-too-common outcome before copyright laws existed to secure artists an ongoing income.

A prolific composer of orchestral works, including more than 50 symphonies and 60 concertos, Stamitz was one of the first to write for clarinet as a solo instrument. In addition to a dozen concertos, he also produced two cycles for clarinet plus string trio – Opus 8 and Opus 19, published in 1773 and 1779, by which latter time he was based mainly in London. Favouring a concerto-style three movement structure with extended opening movement, they blend effervescent melody with the structural formalism characteristic of middle-period Haydn.

Canadian clarinettist Arthur Campbell dispatches the many leaps and flowing runs with ease, and is treated to a really fine recording; as usual, I could play only the CD layer of this hybrid multichannel SACD. I’m pleased also to have finally sampled a disc from Audite, the ‘70s chic of their logo having long intrigued me! This is pure music for pleasure, and heartily recommended as such. AF

Marin Marais – La Gamme [79:00]
Trio Sonnerie
Linn CKD434 (2013)

I’ve let a number of very appealing releases from Linn get away from me in recent months – Corelli’s Opus 6 Concertos chief amongst them – but, as a long-term fan of violinist Monica Huggett and her Sonnerie ensembles, their first disc for the Scottish label signalled time to stop the rot!

The viola da gamba remained popular in France long after it began to slip into obsolescence elsewhere in Europe, and the pinnacle of that great tradition is represented by two charismatic figures; Marin Marais and his younger contemporary, Antoine Forqueray. Expected to resist the tide of Italian influence that had long since swept the rest of the continent, and maintain the purity of the classical, dance-based French suite, in his final years Marais instead constructed “La Gamme”; a rambling, 35-minute work of unprecedented scope and variety that has been only rarely recorded.

Indeed, it is difficult at first to get a grasp of the work’s intent and structure – it seems most closely to resemble a set of variations, as it latches onto different themes and explores their harmonic and rhythmic possibilities. I recommend just sitting down with it, and see where it takes you! Also included are the other two works published by Marais in the same volume in 1723 – all for the combination of violin, gamba and harpsichord – the first in more traditional form, while the latter’s insistent three-note ostinato is almost reminiscent of modern ‘trance’ music. From Forqueray comes the first of several suites for viola da gamba with accompaniment, published posthumously by his son in 1747. Also offered at the time in transcription for solo harpsichord, this recording is unusual in choosing to alternate between both versions. It is a work darker in character, as was its creator by all accounts, stately and imposing but played here with vibrancy. Linn’s sound quality is very fine, with great bass power but also excellent balance (this latter not always the case in times past) – though be warned that it’s also the first of their discs I’ve encountered in conventional CD format only, offering neither a SACD layer nor HDCD encoding (the latter a largely unlamented omission, I suspect, except by we few disc-spinning dinosaurs whose players can still decode it!). AF

Purcell Collection
16 CD Wallet Clamshell
Brilliant Classics 94665 (2013)

It seems silly to encapsulate a 16 disc set into a six paragraph review, but with this fabulous collection, the task will be easy.

Brilliant Classics has purchased the rights to this previously released material (1991–2007 and ranging from Archiv, Hyperion, etc) and released the original recordings with no audiophile enhancements. This is a good thing as the recordings are first rate — lovely, natural acoustics, allowing the quality of singing and playing to the fore.

This set has just about everything you’d ever want in your Purcell library. And, with artists like Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert, Jed Wentz and Ad Rhenum, Michael Chance and many more, the quality of the performances are first rate.

My only slight caveat — the amateur choir of Clare College, Cambridge find it difficult to match the sublime King’s Consort professionals on Hyperion in ‘Here my prayer, O Lord’ and other sacred works, but they are recorded better. But in ‘Dido and Aeneas’ (Ad Rhenum) and ‘King Arthur’ (Pinnock), you’ll be getting definitive performances for what amounts to peanuts per disc.

Whether harpsichord gems, exquisite chamber music (with star baroque fiddlers like Rachel Podger and Andrew Manze) or several CDs worth of sublime countertenor Michael Chance singing his heart out for you, this set is a no brainer.

England’s greatest composer and Europe’s great performers in one neat clamshell package. That’s a ‘buy’ in anyone’s book. AK

Debussy — La Mer; Stravinsky — The Firebird [76:12]
Los Angeles Philharmonic/ Gustavo Dudamel
DG (2013)

The ‘Dude’ is still knocking them dead at Disney in La La Land.

Do a Youtube search for some live video bootlegs to ‘see’ the electricity Gustavo Dudamel is bringing to that city and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

I’ve just reviewed his recent live Mahler 9 on DG, and it is fantastic. This live DG of Debussy’s La Mer and Stravinsky’s complete Firebird is also brilliant if not quite in the same league as a recording or interpretation. It is still among the best of the new crop for these two composers’ party pieces, but bested a smidgen technically by Gergiev/LSO in his fabulous LSOLive La Mer and musically by his LA predecessor, Esa Pekka Salonen (also with LA) on a live DG Firebird.

That said, if you like this particular coupling, go ahead and press click. You’ll get a fine, natural recording with great bass, an orchestra that is on the rise (new hires on viola, trumpet, horn and trombone, all making a big impact), and Dudamel at his most exciting. AK

The Soviet Experience Vol 3 – String Quartets by Shostakovich/Weinberg [128:45]
Pacifica Quartet
Cedille CDR90000138 (2013)

Those composers who remained in Russia after the 1917 Revolution received much encouragement from the State, keen to extract propaganda value from showcasing their artistry to the Western bourgeoisie. The sternly censorial and controlling hand of Stalin always loomed large, though, and most lived in constant fear of arrest and banishment to the death camps. The end of Stalin’s regime in 1953 might, then, have been expected to release a wave of creativity; yet for Shostakovich, beset by personal problems, it would be close to a decade before a new marriage would usher in a happier period of his life. The 9th String Quartet, dedicated to his new wife, was premiered in 1964 at the same time as the 10th. The 11th and 12th followed on at 2-year intervals, by which point the composer’s health was already in terminal decline. That he reached a total of 15 Quartets is thought due to a friendly rivalry with the wartime emigrée Weinberg, whose early 6th Quartet (from 1946 – though initially banned by the State, and thought not to have been performed until 2007) fittingly joins those aforementioned works by Shostakovich on this double CD.

The perfection of Beethoven’s late string quartets has long been held to have discouraged later composers from writing in the genre. The 14 quartets of Dvorak, lovely as they are, cling to a recognisably Beethovenian classicism, leaving Shostakovich’s cycle as the pre-eminent modern (re)statement of the tradition. They are angular, sometimes atonal, dark, intense, restless and challenging works; their structures elusive, the ensemble often reduced to sparse textures and solo voices. To be honest, they have found little favour with me previously but, when played as supremely well as they are here, those same qualities start to exert a mesmerising emotional grip on the listener. Equally responsible, perhaps, is a truly superb recording – the perspective wide and a little upfront, as I like it, but very natural and highly transparent – that amply sustains Cedille’s vaunted reputation. The quality of Weinberg’s work also suggests a composer deserving of much greater attention. The Pacifica Quartet’s performances on the series’ prior releases have been hailed as definitive and their playing really is a thing of almost supernatural wonder; add in reference-level sound quality and this one’s already a strong contender for ‘Disc of the Year’! AF

Clementi – Symphonies 1 & 2 [60:10]
Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma/La Vecchia
Naxos 8.573071 (2013)

Muzio Clementi’s epitaph (in Westminster Abbey, no less) hails him as ‘The Father of the Pianoforte’, a title that recognises the adoptive Englishman’s achievements as performer, teacher, composer of over 100 works, music publisher and innovative piano manufacturer. In his heyday, Clementi’s fame across Europe exceeded Mozart’s and was surpassed only by Haydn, with Beethoven a keen admirer of his sonatas – yet he is perhaps chiefly remembered today for a rather dry set of piano exercises. Clementi did compose six symphonies over the period of the genre’s greatest flowering, coinciding with Beethoven and Schubert’s finest works, yet these quickly fell out of circulation and for many years were believed lost, destroyed by Clementi himself … until the incomplete autograph scores were discovered in 1921. The two presented here were reconstructed in the early ‘30s, along with a standalone overture from the same trove that likely predates them. It seems certain that Clementi must have become acquainted with Beethoven’s symphonies during an extended concert tour of the Continent; his own efforts would suggest so, their scale and grandeur comparable even while their formal structure still owes a debt to Haydn’s earlier classical model. Given that Clementi left his native Italy in his early teens, the characteristically Italian melodic influences that I perceive are less explicable, but left me at times with a strange reminiscence of Rossini’s orchestral music!

Most recent Naxos releases have been very well recorded (the RLPO’s series of Shostakovich Symphonies comes immediately to mind) but this is less successful, with a degree of muddiness and constrained dynamics. The recently-formed Rome Symphony Orchestra also lacks the precision of their most illustrious European counterparts. Nevertheless, this is a recommendable disc for lovers of the early-19th Century symphony. AF

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – Piano Trios by Smetana/Dvorak/Mercury (Buc) [68:05]
Benaud Trio
Melba MR301142 (2012)

I can only assume that Melba were as impressed as I was by the Benaud Trio’s debut disc (of works by contemporary Australian composers, reviewed in RNR 2012), as they lost no time in releasing a follow-up of more traditional fare – to a point! Smetana became strongly associated with the struggle of the Bohemian state (a region of modern Czechoslovakia) to achieve independence from the Austro-Hungarian empire in the mid-1800s, and the outpouring of national self-confidence that resulted ultimately spawned a clutch of noteworthy composers. Much of Smetana’s music from this period is overtly nationalistic, but the Piano Trio commemorates an earlier tragedy in his life, the death of his young daughter. Remarkably, though, it is not morbid or mournful in character, balancing the moments of obvious sorrow and tenderness with a brighter mood as Smetana is, perhaps, reconciled to his loss.
Dvorak played viola in the Prague orchestra under Smetana, who became a lifelong supporter. He wrote much fine chamber music, but his “Dumky” Trio stands apart through its lack of formal structure. It is comprised of an integrated set of self-contained, stylised laments derived from a folk song tradition, each of which contrasts slow, sombre sections with spirited, up-tempo episodes. Its relative homogeneity of form is a little disorientating, but the music is accessible, lovely and simultaneously both modern and traditional.

Much of the attention on this disc will inevitably fall on the closing 5-minute piece; a previously unrecorded adaptation by Nicholas Buc of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. While I personally find such ‘crossover’ exercises generally ill-advised, this one actually works (for the most part). I challenge anyone not to be moved by the sheer sonorous beauty of the ballad section, while the following ‘mock opera’ episode also works well. Predictably enough, the heavy, guitar-driven segment is less successful, and you can’t help but miss the giant gong at the end … but overall I have no doubt that Freddie would have loved it! The curious can seek it out on YouTube, along with an equally inspired take on “Stairway to Heaven”. Again, a finely played and extremely well-recorded disc – why doesn’t every Steinway sound this exquisite?! – that will hopefully find a wider audience. AF

Mozart – Piano Concertos 13/14 [77:19]
Chamber Players of Canada / Janina Fialkowska - Piano
ATMA ACD2 2532 (2013)

Mozart is often portrayed as the archetypal impoverished genius, yet for most of his life he generated a healthy income using the sound commercial acumen that his father had fostered in him. Having married and moved to Vienna in the early 1780s, he wrote three piano concertos (numbers 11 to 13) that were intended to cement his burgeoning reputation in the city, and self-published them on a subscription basis. To maximise their appeal to the growing ranks of amateur pianists and fashionable string ensembles, the orchestral backing was specifically created to be playable by string quartet, one to a part. The same approach was taken with the 14th Concerto the following year, though it was the last to be so structured as Mozart’s interest in financially risky publishing ventures waned. Augmented by double bass to fill out the bottom octave, it is the string quartet versions that receive a rare performance here – and the effect upon these familiar pieces is, to my ears, utterly charming! The lightness, grace, transparency and sparkle, together with the delicious equality of the balance between piano and ensemble, is such that it will be a long time before I’m tempted to pull out my recordings of the orchestral versions again.

Offered as a particularly appealing filler is another work whose well-known orchestral version belies the fact that it was written only for string quartet plus double bass – the incomparable serenade ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik”. If you have never heard it performed as originally intended, the effect is a complete revelation. The string quintet achieves a nimbleness and grace that cuts to the heart of these over-familiar tunes; taken without repeats, this is also likely the shortest version you’ll find at just 17 minutes. Tempos are brisk but not excessively quick, unlike some of the other quintet versions I’ve heard and, though I retain a special fondness for the Salomon Quartet’s mid-‘80s recording, this one is every bit as recommendable and even better sounding.

Beautifully played and finely recorded – as usual from ATMA – this is, in every respect, an incredibly appealing disc. There’s an earlier sister release of the 11th and 12th Concertos that is now at the top of my wishlist too. AF

Grieg – Music for String Orchestra [63:30]
Australian Chamber Orchestra / Tognetti
BIS SACD 1877 (2012)

For a great composer, Grieg’s output is remarkably sparse in several of the traditional genres; he produced only a single concerto (albeit a very fine one, for piano), no symphonies, one completed string quartet and, overall, vanishingly little music for orchestra. The only well-known example is the Holberg Suite – yet even that was originally written for piano and only rescored for orchestra a year later, in 1885. It was commissioned by the people of Bergen in Norway, Grieg’s birthplace, to celebrate another famous son, Baroque-era dramatist Ludvig Holberg. Its structure is modelled on the keyboard suites of Bach and Handel and, while its melodies offer a fond parody of the baroque, its lush and romantic demeanour is pure Grieg. Also included here are Grieg’s transcriptions of his own songs, Two Elegaic Melodies, and Richard Tognetti’s dynamic arrangement for string orchestra of the String Quartet Op.27. He is not the first to recognise the work’s suitability for this adaptation, which certainly allows the darkness and portent at its heart to be given full expression. While Grieg made clear that this was a very personal work, it is also highly uncharacteristic; my personal impression is that the piece seems to battle a sense of inner anguish which leaves it unable to gather any real momentum or cohesion, though its drama is undeniable.

Two things particularly drew me to this disc. One was the chance to experience again the ACO’s breathtaking playing; in 2011’s RNR I gushed ecstatically about their recordings of the Mozart Violin Concertos, which remain in the small handful of my absolute favourite discs. The other was the chance to pit their version of the Holberg against my long-term reference, by the revered Russian National Orchestra. The animation and sheer joyousness that infects their every note easily carried the day for the ACO, making the Russians’ playing sound very reserved and, indeed, unsuited to what is ultimately dance-based music. The performance of the String Quartet is also stunning, easily surpassing the Oslo Camerata’s recent, highly-regarded version in its dynamics and the precision of ensemble playing. The miniatures reflect a more familiar side of Grieg; cheerfully melodic and full of the influence of Scandinavian folk music. Add in another really fine recording from BIS, and there is likely no more recommendable version of these works. AF

Graf – Flute Concertos [65:57]
Gaby Pas-Van Riet – Flute / Sudwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim / Moesus
CPO 777 724-2 (2012)

The German composer, Friedrich Hartmann Graf, was a close contemporary of Haydn who travelled widely and achieved great popularity and high regard across Northern Europe through the 1770s and 1780s. A flute virtuoso, Graf composed around 50 concertos for his instrument and these enjoyed wide dissemination amongst the musical nobility, securing his reputation from Italy to Scandinavia and in London, where he presided over the Hanover Square subscription concerts several years before Haydn was accorded that honour.

The four concertos on this disc are believed to date from the 1770s; all for a single flute, plus a small orchestra of strings and two horns, supplemented in one instance by two oboes … making this performance by the awkwardly-named but highly accomplished, 14-member German chamber orchestra entirely appropriate. Each piece is characteristic of early classical form, in three movements (fast-slow-fast) with plenty of showpiece passages for the soloist and many lovely moments to remind us why Graf was so feted in his lifetime.

Mozart, en route to Mannheim, met Graf in Augsburg in the autumn of 1777, where he participated (on violin) in one of Graf’s concertos for two flutes. Typically acerbic towards his rivals, in correspondence with his father the young prodigy was later roundly disparaging of both Graf and his music – yet, as coincidence would have it, within months Mozart had received a commission and created his own two magnificent flute concertos, a supreme standard of excellence against which Graf’s works must inevitably fall short. Nonetheless, these are delightful pieces, wholly characteristic of their time, and the very transparent, beautifully balanced recording from CPO is a treat for all lovers of the flute. AF

Recommended New Releases 02/03/13

From the House of Master Böhm [79:48]
John O’Donnell - Harpsichord
Melba MR301143 (2012)

Georg Böhm (1661-1733) belongs to that generation of German composers immediately preceding JS Bach, much of whose work is known to us only through manuscript copies taken and collected by the extended Bach family. Recent scholarship has granted Böhm a special degree of pre-eminence amongst them, though – as it now seems likely that the 15-year old Johann Sebastian was apprenticed to him, and lived in his house at Lüneburg. Bach enthusiasts will, then, be keen to look for signs of his teacher’s influence in these works … and they will certainly find them!

Böhm’s preserved output is not extensive; his organ works are the most recorded, while there are also some choral pieces and a number of suites for harpsichord, four of which feature on this generously-filled disc. Two of his chorale partitas also appear, a format pioneered by Böhm and comprising a number of variations on a chorale (hymn) theme, which was later enthusiastically taken up by Bach himself – these were probably intended for harpsichord, but are also playable on organ. Much of the harpsichord music of this era that’s familiar to modern listeners came from France, and there are occasional echoes of the French style, yet these works are distinctively different; more direct, less florid, already demonstrating the German obsession with fugue and also the gift of a ravishingly gorgeous melody.

John O’Donnell’s contribution to the Early Music movement, through his conducting, performing and academic research is truly extraordinary – including as it does the record of being the first person to perform JS Bach’s complete keyboard works. As his enlightening liner notes demonstrate, he brings to this music a high degree of insight and affection. Where much solo harpsichord music can easily become monotonous, O’Donnell imbues this material with unusual energy, variety, warmth and sonorous beauty. Also making a claim for star billing is the harpsichord itself, a modern reproduction of a Flemish instrument from the mid 1700s with an utterly gorgeous sound, captured with exceptional focus and a rare sense of physical presence in Melba’s typically superior recording. Also available as a download, including 24/96 hi-rez, this is a disc to appeal to more than just the harpsichord hardcore. af

Piano Music of Edvard Grieg, Volume 3 [70:20]
Sandra Mogensen, piano
Chestnut Hall Music (2012)

After I reviewed outstanding Canadian pianist Sandra Mogensen’s two volumes of piano music of Grieg, the delivery of a third volume came as a very pleasant surprise.

The first two CDs received enthusiastic reviews. In Volume 3, Mogensen conjures more Nordic magic. Grieg’s piano miniatures are sparkling gems, and no matter the style, she judges her tone and the tempos perfectly.

I do love Emil Gilel’s way with Grieg’s music and I’m not sure anyone will match his glorious interpretations. Yet, Mogensen knows her way around these deceptively light scores and they are recorded in the finest sound. Nicely ambient with the underlying power of the instrument, Mogensen’s interpretations and her tone captured beautifully. Listening to the CD at length, Schumann’s description of Chopin’s music, ‘cannons behind flowers’ may be used to describe these mini masterpieces, too. ak

Schubert: Erlkonig - Matthias Goerne Schubert Edition Vol.7 [65:00]
Matthias Goerne, baritone; Andreas Haefliger, piano
harmonia mundi (2013)

Matthias Goerne is one of the first calls for top class lieder programs requiring a baritone of international stature. Blessed with a gorgeous, expressive voice, Goerne brings powerful interpretations of great art songs to stages all over the world. Goerne also is a presence on the world’s greatest operatic stages.

This new harmonia mundi CD is Volume 7 of his Schubert Series. I’m not sure about you, but for me poor old Schubert always gets placed at the back of the classical superstar pack, behind Mozart, Beethoven Brahms, et al. He shouldn’t be. Happily, harmonia mundi’s review CDs of late include many of Schubert’s great works, including his 600 songs.

Goerne delivers them with his usual panache, beauty of voice and appreciation of the text. Here, he includes many of Schubert’s greatest songs: Der Wanderer, D493, Nachtviolen D752, Im Walde D834, An den Mond, D259, Erlkönig, D328, Widerschein, D949, and many others.

Equal to the task is accompanist Andreas Haefliger. Both powerful and delicate when required, he supports his singer with consummate musicianship. And, equal to the artists is a recording to match. Another triumph in Goerne’s must not miss series. ak

J.S. Bach — The English Suites BWV806-811 [150:25]
Richard Egarr, harpsichord
harmonia mundi (2013)

English harpsichordist Richard Egarr has recorded 30 CDs. This is the first time his name and product has crossed my desk. Shame on me. Harpsichord is not my favourite instrument to listen to (interestingly, I love performing with harpsichord accompaniment), but Egarr makes the two CD set of Bach’s English Suites sound natural and effortless.

A student of the great Leonhardt, Egarr is blessed with excellent technique and a probing, musical mind. 150 minutes of harpsichord music may be a lot in a single sitting, but Egarr’s superb performances make Bach and one of his favourite instruments sing. ak

2012 Recommendations
2011 Recommendations
2010 Recommendations

The ten sonatas for violin and piano by Beethoven are a string of beautiful pearls composed during the early to middle years of his life. All but the last were completed before the Eroica Symphony (1805), but many portend the markers of Beethoven’s coming greatness — wide dynamic range, syncopation, arching melodies and complex harmonies. Under the guise of what some consider Beethoven’s salon music, especially in the earlier sonatas, there are indications of deep soil.

Duo Concertante has recorded all the sonatas in this new Marquis CD set. Based at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, this married and musical partnership has spent many years developing their interpretations and performing the sonatas in concerts. Duo Concertante is Nancy Dahn, violin and Timothy Steeves, piano.

The Beethoven Violin Sonatas would seem to be the perfect repertoire for the Duo. The pair perform music that utilizes both instruments as equal soloists and accompanists. The Beethoven Violin Sonatas are most definitely an equitable division of labour — they are sonatas for two solo instruments, just one of the many original details that Beethoven would introduce in his chamber music, symphonies and solo works.

Both Dahn and Steeves are expert instrumentalists. I’ve heard them in concert and they have serious chops. Dahn is Juilliard/New England Conservatory trained and Steeves studied in Germany. Additionally, they are both very musical — they consistently make beautiful music together. As such, my interest never waned, even after three CDs of Beethoven sonatas.

So, expertise, great training, lots of time developing interpretations, musical, etc. How does that list measure up as complete musicians against the masters who have recorded these works? Dahn and Steeves are placing their performances against Mutter, Kremer, Stern, Menuhin, Grumiaux, Dumay, Szeryng, Perlman, Heifetz and every other stellar fiddler of this century and last. What makes pedagogues from Newfoundland have the courage to stand with giants?

I’m not sure of the answer to the last question, but stand they do, and stand confidently in and among them. This is a wonderful new set to add to the list.

First, we get consistency. I love consistency in large sets. So many sets are performances plucked from hither and thither. Not, Duo Concertante. The interpretations, recorded over a twelve month period, are no fuss, no muss. Nothing like the Romanticism that Anne Sophie Mutter brings to her highly regarded DGG set. Sure, Mutter’s playing is beyond reproach, but there’s a lot of syrup in the sound. Dahn eschews this approach and lets the beautiful melodies sing, adding even more tasteful vibrato when things get intense. And, Steeves matches her with a clear technique all the way.

Compare the glorious second subject of the Kreutzer Sonata’s opening movement. Dahn and Steeves allow the melody to breathe and sing, without adding affectation. Kremer’s guilty of a lot of affectation, but fiddle devotees would know that before plonking down the cash for his set. If you like your Beethoven fresh, clean and inspiring, this new Marquis may well be for you. If you are a fan of the Perlman and Grumiaux sets, try Duo Concertante.

As for the recording, it’s an absolute beauty. For pure audiophilia, no other Beethoven Violin Sonata recording I know comes close — even the famous Perlman/Decca takes second place. Natural music making in a natural space. The Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto is a gem of a hall, and engineer Dennis Patterson has captured it perfectly. Clinically, even. That, of course, can bring a few problems. Bow arms at the ends of phrases and piano pedals under a microscope can be problematic. The resolution from my reference system uncovered one or two minor blemishes but nothing that hindered my enjoyment and my admiration of this set in any way.

Duo Concertante took their name from the Kreutzer Sonata’s inscription: ‘in stile molto concertante’. It was the first piece this musical couple played together. And, their musical devotion to ‘two equal and dynamic voices’ is perfectly highlighted in this superb new recording. Very highly recommended.

Purchase from our affiliate, Amazon.

MAR517
3-CD set

Track Listing

CD 1
Sonata in E flat major, op. 12, no. 3
1. Allegro con spirito
2. Adagio con molt’ espressione
3. Rondo: Allegro molto

Sonata in A minor, op. 23
1. Presto
2. Andante scherzoso, piu allegretto
3. Allegro molto

Sonata in D major, op. 12, no. 1
1. Allegro con brio
2. Tema con variazioni: Andante con moto
3. Rondo: Allegro

Sonata in G major, op. 30, no. 3
1. Allegro assai
2. Tempo di menuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso
3. Allegro vivace

Total Playing Time: 1:10:02

CD 2
Sonata in F major, op. 24, “Spring”
1. Allegro
2. Adagio molto espressivo
3. Scherzo: Allegro molto
4. Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo

Sonata in A major, op. 12, no. 2
1. Allegro vivace
2. Andante piu tosto allegretto
3. Allegro piacevole

Sonata in A major, op. 47, “Kreutzer”
1. Adagio sostenuto–presto
2. Andante con variazioni
3. Presto

Total Playing Time: 1:12:54

CD 3
Sonata in C minor, op. 30, no. 2
1. Allegro con brio
2. Adagio cantabile
3. Scherzo: Allegro
4. Finale: Allegro

Sonata in A major, op. 30, no. 1
1. Allegro
2. Adagio
3. Allegretto con variazioni

Sonata in G major, op. 96
1. Allegro moderato
2. Adagio con espressivo
3. Scherzo: Allegro–Trio
4. Poco allegretto

Total Playing Time: 1:14:55

Madeleine Peyroux honed her considerable blues and jazz skills busking on the streets of Paris and touring with a blues band while still a teenager.

Her repertoire choices always enhance her style — standards, jazz, originals, traditionals and blues sung elegantly, definitely not gussied up. Too many singers colour the melodies of great songs with what they consider style, and I consider affectation. Peyroux can sustain the interest of a lengthy musical line with the depth and soul of her voice. Think Billie Holiday, with a dash a Edith Piaf through a jazz prism. Even with those stylish influences, Peyroux manages to maintain something unique. And, in ‘The Blue Room’, she even channels a little Patsy Cline.

This 2013 release is a departure of sorts. The songs, chosen with her longtime producer Larry Klein, are not crossover, as such. Thank God. So many crossover CDs are unmitigated disasters. Here, we have songs from composers that often defy categorization — Warren Zevon, Randy Newman, Leonard Cohen, among them.

The songs echo a ‘blue’ state of mind, but because of the heart of Peyroux’s voice, they seem uplifting in a strange way. Her voice gives a happy life to these introspective songs.

The Blue Room is a superb production all the way — Helik Hadar has engineered a beauty, highlighting the wonderful soloists and string section accompanying Peyroux. For sure, it’s a studio setting, but lovely, nonetheless.

I adore The American Songbook, and singers like Ella and Frank who know how to interpret the greatest songs ever written, but it’s such a nice discovery to hear wonderful songs that are not in the mainstream sung with passion by an artist whose stature grows with every release. Want something different? Click on Tunes or Amazon with impunity.

Release Date: 3/5/2013
Label: Emarcy
UPC: 602537296170
Catalog Number: 001810002

Tracks

1 Take These Chains from My Heart (3:12)
2 Bye Bye Love (3:28)
3 Changing All Those Changes (3:10)
4 Born To Lose (4:27)
5 Guilty (3:50)
6 Bird On the Wire (5:36)
7 I Can’t Stop Loving You (4:18)
8 Gentle On My Mind (6:41)
9 You Don’t Know Me (4:01)
10 Desperadoes Under the Eaves (4:18)

by Martin Appel

Robert Lee has been designing and building cables for over 25 years and is credited with the first use of single crystal metals in his designs. He’s always been at the forefront of cable design and even though he’s been receiving accolades for his latest speaker, the Crescendo, he still is best known for his cables. When I visited Lee at CES I was truly impressed at the quality of the sound coming from his room. He confessed that an important contributing factor was his new cable design, the Absolute Copper 75. I immediately requested cables for review and eagerly awaited their arrival.

I’ve had many Acoustic Zen (AZ) cables in my system over the years and have a high regard for the designs. AZ’s latest and very sexy looking cable has a metal jacket with a shimmering iridescent silver/gold finish. All that glitters. Because of the jacket, the cable is a little stiffer than previous designs. All Lee would say about the design was that he used a coaxial geometry with double shielding of 20 AWG flat ribbon zero crystal copper with air and Teflon tubing for insulation.

My MSB CD transport has multiple inputs allowing me to switch easily and remotely between my reference, the Antipodes Audio Kokiri digital cable with XLR terminations and the new AZ (with RCA terminations). Different terminations are not ideal in AB comparisons, but it should not prevent one from discerning the intrinsic nature of each cable, especially with such short distances involved. As a general rule, at least a hundred hours of continuous burn-in [the word ‘continuous’ is very important and often missed by audiophiles - Ed] is required prior to any serious evaluation of a cable’s characteristics. A series of CDs plus an XLO burn-in disc were used for that purpose.

On first hearing, I realized  was how similar in sound these cables were.  This was going to be difficult. Trying to find differences of significance, however, proved almost impossible. After many hours of listening, note taking and sharing numerous sessions with friends and colleagues. I came to the following conclusions about the Acoustic Zen Absolute  75: timbres, soundstage, imaging, and focus were all excellent. Detail was handled without edge or hardness. Dynamics were there in spades. The performances were portrayed with accuracy and musicality. I was truly enjoying the listening  – yet, the job remained very difficult in finding the differences between both these very well designed cables [I experienced Marty’s dilemma last weekend in New York City with the cable switching -- both cables were superb -- Ed].

Ultimately, I would say the AZ had the slightest of edges when it came to initial attack and ultimate extension in the frequency extremes. Images were very well defined and solid. This was perceivable but repertoire dependent. The Antipodes Kokiri possessed a sense of fullness that resulted in an ever so slightly warmer presentation. The AZ was not cool or analytical, but it possibly was a hair more transparent.

It seems that both manufacturers have created excellent cables with ever so slightly different voices. I had previously awarded an Audiophilia Star for the Antipodes cable. Could I do any less for the Acoustic Zen? The end result? I going to end up with two reference cables. Robert Lee, you’ve done it again.

[It is with great pleasure we award the Audiophilia Star Component Award to the Acoustic Zen Absolute Digital 75 Digital Cable. Congratulations! - Ed]

The Acoustic Zen Absolute Digital 75 Digital Cable

Manufactured by Acoustic Zen
16736 West Bernardino Drive
San Diego, CA 92127

website
email

Price: $498.00USD/ 1m
Source: Manufacturer loan

Reference System

Amplifiers: Hephaestus HMA-1000 Monoblocks
Speakers: Levy Acoustics
Preamplifier: MUSIC FIRST CLASSIC v2
Phono Preamplifier: AVID Pulsare updated to II
CD source: MSB DATA CD IV Transport w/ Processor/DAC: DEQX HDP-3Analogue source: Avid SEQUEL SP/SME IV arm/Cartridge: Shelter 7000
Speaker cables: Acoustic Zen’s Absolute, Wasatch’s Ultama
Power Cords: Kaplan GS Mk II
Interconnects: Antipodes Audio KOKIRI, KOMAKO and REFERENCE, Acoustic Zen’s Absolute
Accessories: REDPOINT BLAKHOLE’s, Herbie’s Audio Lab Tenderfeet, Soundcare products, Acme Audio Labs wall outlets
Power Conditioning: Kaplan Alchemist

Musical Choices

Reference Recordings RR-96CD and HR-96 Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances Oue/Minnesota Orchestra
Pablo OJCCD-744-2 Clark Terry/Freddie Hubbard/Dizzy Gillespie/Oscar Peterson: The Alternate Blues
Telarc CD-83373 Ray Brown: Some of My Best Friends…The Piano Players
Gut Strings Records: Randy Napoleon: The Jukebox Crowd GSR008

by Henry Wilkenson

The Axia replaces the Aria as entry level cartridge in the Transfiguration line. It features an aluminum body to control resonances in addition to a boron cantilever and Ogura diamond stylus. With a tracking force of 2.0 grams and an output of .38 mV, it should be easy for most phono stages to handle without a step up device. The balance of the Transfiguration line consists of the Phoenix at $4,250.00 and the top of the line Proteus at $6,000.00. According to the manufacturer, the Axia shares the basic sonic attributes of its higher priced companions.

As an ‘entry level’ cartridge, I am continually surprised by just how good the Axia is. Granted, it requires a good deal of break in, but the end result is well worth the effort. Sonically, I found the Axia to be on the neutral side of the sonic spectrum. That term is often used to describe a sonic signature that is cold and/or sterile. I’m using the term here to say that the Axia doesn’t highlight or spotlight any one area of the sonic spectrum, be it treble extension, transparency or imaging. It does all of these things equally well. Overall, the performance of this cartridge is best summed up as being well balanced.

The Axia’s treble is extended which makes for very good reproduction of cymbals. The delicacy and the texture of struck or brushed cymbals are very revealing and pleasant to listen to.

The timbre, sustain and decay of piano notes is simply amazing. A good example of this is Bill Evans Trio ‘Portrait in Jazz’ [OJC re-issue OJC-088 of the original Riverside, RLP-1162 recording]. This is a 1959 recording, but it still holds up. The piano never sounds clanky or hard, although I think that it was closely miked.

Female voice is presented with fullness and naturalness with a total absence of any edge or hardness. For example, Shelby Lynn’s tribute to Dusty Springfield, Just a Little Lovin’ [Analogue Productions app041]. This is a very closely miked recording and I have heard the vocals harden during loud passages with some other cartridges, this never happened with the Axia.

The bass performance is as satisfying as the midrange and treble. Ray Brown’s double bass comes across with all of the fullness and body one could ask. Since Brown was the leader of his trio, it is understandable that the bass is quite prominent throughout ‘Solar Energy’ [Pure Audiophile PA-002 (2)]. This is another exceptionally well recorded performance and the pressings are truly first rate. The album is also a good example of the Axis’a ability to track difficult passages. In fact there is a caution label on the outer cover that states ‘Caution: Dynamic recording of bass may cause difficulties at low tracking forces.’ I have never owned an album that came with a warning label. Granted the bass intensity is considerable here and the Axia negotiated this torture test flawlessly.

Sound staging and image specificity were first rate. The width and depth of the stage totally depended upon the recording. Nothing was foreshortened or diminished. In this area, I think the Axia is outstanding.

The Transfiguration Axia excels with all types of music. Its performance will have you revisiting all of your best recordings. I was impressed to the point where I purchased the Axia to use as my reference. Given the performance of the Axia and its price of $2,450, I have no problem recommending this cartridge very highly.

As much as I like the Axia, I recently heard the flagship of the Transfiguration line – the Proteus. I can only say that the Proteus is simply astounding. Take all of the qualities of the Axia and multiply them by at least a factor of ten. Provided your system is capable of utilizing the extraordinary performance capabilities of this cartridge and if you are considering one in this price range, do not pass up the Proteus.

Distributor website

Price: $2,450.99
Source: Reviewer purchase

New York City, NY, April 12 — 14, 2013 — I love New York. I never did need the brilliant 1970s ad campaign to remind me. Every time I visit, which is several times a year, I’m enervated, rejuvenated. Whether it is to see the best in plays, search for the very best vinyl, have dinner at our favourite restaurants, or hang out with the most passionate audiophiles and wonderful friends, I can never wait to get back.

So, it came as a surprise that I have never visited in April during the New York Audio Show. Sometimes, I think there is audio show overload. But, like visiting New York, as soon as I leave a show and finish the report, I can’t wait until the next one. My last show was Rocky Mountain in October. You know how I feel about that audiophile love in. The whole of the Denver show is so much more than a sum of its parts. I was hoping that the New York Show would give me the same feelings and excitement.

Another great reason for visiting New York is the Audiophilia contingent here. Writers Marty Appel, Michael Levy, Henry Wilkenson and Karl Sigman all live in the centre of the universe. I was just as excited to hang with them as I was visiting the show for the first time.

The welcoming facade of New York City's Palace Hotel.

After my love letter to Denver 2012 and our 2013 CES show report (along with nearly a million page views just for the Denver Show report!), I received a few critical emails and comments re our coverage. No problem, love me some criticism. We certainly give it out. Gotta take it. These weren’t ‘trolls’, they were thoughtful emails regarding subjects of coverage. You can’t please all the people all the time, for sure in this business, but I recalled their comments when planning New York City.

That said, I will be focusing on gear new to me and new technologies. I’m sure your favourites will be covered, but once again, apologies if something is missed, especially to the manufacturers and distributors who spend so much money to attend these shows.

The very best part of the show. Hanging with Audiophilia writers. (From l to r) Henry Wilkenson, Marty Appel, Karl Sigman and Mike Levy.

Organized by The Chester Group, this year’s show used New York’s venerable Palace Hotel. Once again, we emphasize we were listening under show conditions and to take all our opinions as just that. Even a well damped room can have problems — heat, too many people, funky ConEd, etc. So, if we are less than enthusiastic about your favourite preamp, it does not mean you have cloth ears, especially if it sings like an angel in your home listening room. Have faith in your ears. These reports are by way of a guide, not guidance. If something piques your interest, get to the most important person in your audio relationship, your local dealer.

It was nice that trade and press had the show to ourselves for four hours on the Friday morning/early afternoon. This gave me time to get all the photos I needed unencumbered and leave me 1.5 days of pure listening.

The show was well organized, and by Saturday morning was humming with enthusiastic audiophiles. Their wives, too. Which was very nice to see.

Volti Audio's static display in the entrance hall.

The beginning of the show on Friday morning did not portend good things. I’ll place the blame on my very stressful Thursday, a 4:00 a.m. start, two hour deice in yet another ice storm, a short flight into long turbulence, and some seriously snippy New Yorkers. I love the city, its people and their attitude, but some of the audiophiles in the business end were pretty rude.

My inner wrath was assuaged somewhat by the smiling face of Greg Roberts from Volti Audio. He was here with a static display (he’ll be playing his wonderful horns at the upcoming Capital Audiofest in Washington DC). Roberts is passionate but realistic about the business. His passionate and caring nature is exemplified in his outstanding speakers.

The stress returned shortly after, when, thirty minutes after the scheduled start of the show, a fellow yelled at me ‘no photographs!’ as my pathetic little iPhone 5 camera was clicking on what looked like a beautifully designed Swiss speaker. I returned a day later, and there was the speaker in exactly the same place, looking forlorn. Interestingly, the sound of the speakers did not warrant his ridiculous, prima donna attitude. And, I thought the Swiss were punctual.

A few comments about the show in general. The show is small, about 45 rooms. That said, the equipment you’ll hear is the newest, benchmark gear in our avocation. Small does not mean you’ll be missing out on anything. I was surprised that some of New York’s dealers did not support the show. They should have attended. Maybe it was the cost of New York rooms (the hotel just went through a 120 million dollar renovation), union handlers for equipment, etc. Most folks know that’s the cost of doing business in New York. And, not forgetting my $40 breakfast in the hotel’s coffee shop (2 eggs, sausage, toast).

My show attendance template begins at the top show floor and walk down the emergency stairs until done. Floors 11, 10, 9, 5 and 4 were in use.

As I wrote earlier, quality show sound can be elusive. Friday, many rooms were having difficulties. In fact, sounds varied from good to execrable. I have heard much of the gear on show at stores, homes, distributors, etc, and the sound I was hearing in New York had no resemblance to those sounds. A couple of guys were slappy happy with their sounds — I was not hearing the same. Many, however, were troubled and worked well into the night on Friday to solve the problems. Saturday, the sound was considerably better and the exhibitors seemed to be a much happier lot.

I very much enjoyed the sounds coming from the two Wilson Audio rooms, especially with the new Aleksia speakers we gave Best of Show to in Denver last year. Once again, they were capable of almost unlimited power, but remained musical. A Peter McGrath recording of Miami’s New World Symphony playing a rough and ready Mahler 5 sounded incredibly accurate. I was able to pinpoint conductor Michael Tilson Thomas’ odd placing of the trombones to the left of the stage. Some of the ’super’ speakers at the show had the Count Basie band in the room with you. Big, big! But, for some odd reason, it did not sound like music. More like super large, accurate sound. The emotion was not there. You can fill in your own analogies. Mr. Wilson has eschewed this sound scape recently and music and audiophiles are the better for it. The Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems’ kit drove the speakers effortlessly and very musically. Dan’s design acumen is as good as his engineering. In fact, the large, aircraft grade volume control on his new Momentum preamp ($25K) is one of the coolest I’ve seen.

Wilson Audio Alexsia Loudspeakers ($48.5K) with Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems electronics.

The great Dan D’Agostino smiles while turning his stunning preamp volume knob.

Much like recent audio shows, CD players were fewer and fewer. The computer file rules with vinyl a happy camper in second. However, a few CD players shone. E.A.R.’s CD player was chief among them. Wes Bender from Wes Bender Studio had this player in concert with the Redpoint Model D turntable, Kaplan Cables and Marten FormFloor loudspeakers. After some late room rejigging, Bender was happy with the sound. Real music from real world kit. Lots of natural sounds in this room. And a wonderful group of people, too.

The view from here. Glorious St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Wes Bender's 'Wild Bunch'. Paul Kaplan of Kaplan Cables, Wes Bender, Dan Meinwald of E.A.R. and Peter Clark of Redpoint.

The music was at more listenable volumes by Friday night. In their zeal to get ‘impressive’ sound, many exhibitors played music far too loudly during the day. It wasn’t to compete with a loud crowd. It was just loud. Combined with frequency imbalance and sonic ‘hash’, it made for some tough going.

The sounds on Saturday were much more to my liking. The English contingent sounded wonderful. Various topologies and designs, but a sound philosophy was at play. The Spendor SP100R², Audio Space LS3/5A with GINI B+ Bass Stand for LS3/5A and Harbeth 30.1s all sounded detailed, musical, and with power. Choosing the best would be a difficult choice, but I did like the focused, pinpoint sound of the LS3/5A. And at $3K, a steal.

Spendor SP100R² with Jadis electronics.

The Audio Space LS3/5A straightly adheres to BBC's LS3/5A type loudspeaker specification. With GINI B+ Bass Stand for LS3/5A. Very musical speaker at under 3K.

Harbeth 30.1 speakers ($6K) sounded lovely with Red Wine Audio electronics. Smooth without the troubles some of the other rooms were experiencing.

I would be hard pressed to choose best sound of show, but best finish is easy. The MAD Duke Royal with the 18K ‘Union Jack’ option was spectacular. I heard the MAD Baron for a while and loved its rich sound and the power coming from such a small footprint.

MAD Duke Royal Limited Edition Loudspeakers ($48K).

MAD Baron Loudspeaker. Finishes to die for.

Turntables were everywhere, in just about every room. No complaints from me. Many were static, and others were not sounding at their best. But nothing gets this audiophile’s heart beating faster than seeing a vinyl rig at play. VPI’s new Direct Drive turntable with 3D printer arm looked and sounded superb. No final name and price yet. The Redpoint in Wes Bender’s room was massive and magnificent. And the Vertere arm playing through the huge Genesis 2.2s sounded intriguing.

VPI's new direct drive 'table with 3D printer arm.

Symbol's prototype turntable. This Bauhaus beauty was easily my favourite looking turntable. Simple and elegant.

Triangle Art Signature turntable ($32K).

The new Vertere Reference Tonearm ($35K).

Music Hall Cork Record Mat ($49.99).

The $5K Audio Note Turntable TT-2

Montreal's Kronos ($28K).

Audio Note Japan's Ginga Turntable ($60K).

There were several headphone hot spots, with long lines at listening stations. No room problems, here. ‘Headzones’ was the New York Show’s hip name for its headphone zone. More headphones were found in the Woo Audio room. Lots of stations. Its WA7 Fireflies ($1K), a pure Class-A tube headphone amplifier with 32-Bit, 192K USB Digital-to-Analog Converter sounded very refined through a number of headphones. One of the most enjoyable sounds — dynamic, smooth and very spacious were Chris Sommovigo’s (Black Cat Cables) vinyl rips. And, pretty spectacular for a headphone amplifier was Woo’s WA-234 Mono, the world’s first Monoblock headphone and speaker amplifier, single-ended, Class-A, output transformer coupled.

Woo Audio Fireflies ($1K).

Chris Sommovigo of Black Cat Cables.

Woo Audio WA-234 Monos ($15K).

One brand new DAC/streamer caught my attention, the Chord DSX1000. It is a high-performance digital network streamer that utilizes proprietary DAC technology.The latest-generation Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) architecture found inside the DSX1000 is the same advanced technology used in the BD76 HDSD DAC and the Red Reference MkIII CD player. This was playing in a large room with the giant Chord SPM 14000MkII Ultimate Mono power amplifiers. Once again, all this expensive kit provided massive, detailed sound. I would like to hear the Chord DSX1000 in a real world setup. The technology is impressive as is the fit and finish.

The mighty Chord setup in the KEF room.

So, a small show, but enjoyable. As I mentioned earlier, I’d be hard pressed to nominate a ‘Best Of’ as I really feel that no one achieved their very best. I’m reviewing the superb Raidho D1 loudspeakers right now. And while they sounded excellent at the show, I’m hearing a lot more here in Toronto. Also, as mentioned, show conditions are not the best place to gauge the end game. That said, it can be done. As this is only the second show from these promoters in New York, I’m sure they’ll learn and improve. I thought the old Palace’s rooms would have been more conducive for excellent sound, but apparently something odd was in the works. The elevators, too were a disastrous maze. No lines, nice people directing you, but still very confusing. All of this is not the fault of the promoters, but maybe a little fine tuning will make some of the grumpy New Yorkers a little bit happier.

More photos.

Float QA headphones by QUAD Musikwiedergabe, Germany ($2K).

Kaiser Kawero Loudspeaker ($58K) sounded wonderful with LessLoss Laminar Streamer SD Player.

Lots of seminars from which to chose.

Brodmann Acoustics speakers. They looked stunning as usual, and sounded smooth and detailed, especially on classical music.

A full stack of Cary electronics shining brightly (and sounding wonderful).

TAD Evolution One Loudspeakers ($28K).

We will be posting photo/info updates to this report on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

Tuesday photo update.

Harry Weisfeld of VPI cuts birthday cake for son, and new VPI head, Matthew Weisfeld.

Allnic T2000 Tube Integrated Amplifier ($8.9K)

Audio Note UK TT 3 ($50K).

New head of VPI, Mat Weisfeld with a Scout tt.

Nice set up in the Merrill/Sanders room.

Israel Blume of Coincident. Nearly 20 years in the business. Congrats!

Burmester 909 Amplifier ($79K) drove Genesis 2.2s to massive levels in a large room.

Cool, but forlorn. A stealth shot of a secret speaker. So secret, no photos at a trade show.

Audio Note Japan/Kondo Ongaku.

Wednesday photo update.

Raidho D3 loudspeaker in Andy Singer's room. Superb speakers from Denmark.

A prerequisite to write for Audiophilia is an appreciation for fine red wine. New guy, Karl Sigman presents a 2001 Tempranillo as price of admission to write.

Evie Rein of Coincident.

The large Woo Audio room was always fun.

Genesis 2.2 Junior Loudspeaker ($80K).

Burmester Phono 100 ($24K).

Entreq Cables. Shot gun principle/solder free contact joints/wooden cinch connector housing.

The soulution 540 digital player ($25K).

Music Hall Ikura Turntable ($1K).

Irrepressible Greg Roberts of Volti Audio. After the fresh air of Maine, the city finally got to him.

Kondo Biyura Loudspeaker ($75K a pair).

See you next year with a smile from the Go Vinyl girls.

DACs have made a huge comeback. With the advent of music servers and computer file delivery, a good quality DAC with USB support is now the most invited piece of kit to the cool audiophile party.

In truth, DACs have never gone away. The very best companies made them and then, almost immediately, had to produce a matching anti jitter ‘clock’ to make them work at their best. Why leave all the goodies in the CD player when you can make another box and up sell? Uber high end companies like dCS and Esoteric made these boxes work at digital’s delightful best. Other companies, without the same designer clout, muddied the already dirty digital lake. Then, came the iPod and the headphone. Mobile became hot, and young audiophiles (and a few old ones) wanted to improve the sound of the smaller devices. The Renaissance of headphone amps and small, inexpensive DACS has been instructive and eye opening to much of the audiophile community.

My good friend, and much published reviewer, Mike Mercer, dragged me kicking and screaming into this new frontier during our times at Rocky Mountain’s CanJam. For that, I’ll always be grateful. For sure, there were a lot of cheap and cheerful DACs that made earbuds sound better, but the best made good quality headphones truly sing.

Audiophiles now have the benefit of large storage, low noise music servers and need an outboard USB DAC of quality to match the ease of use and enhance the sound. The result is a veritable flood of new DACs from many legacy companies, like bel canto.

The 2.5 is bel canto’s sweet spot DAC, between the DAC1.5 and DAC3.5VB MKII. I’ve been an admirer of the house style and signature sound of bel canto and the company’s longevity in this fickle and tough business. Recently, I was lucky to review the splendid Antipodes DS1 music server — I wanted to match the server with a DAC of comparable quality and price. This ‘price matching’ turned out to be very fortuitous.

bel canto DAC2.5 rear panel.

Specifications

The bel canto DAC2.5 has a small footprint, like much of bel canto’s inventory. It measures a slim 8.5” W x 12.5” D x 3.5” H and weighs in at solid 14 lbs.

Digital Section:
Maximum Data Input Rate –
24bit Data at 192KS/s: AES XLR, SPDIF BNC/RCA, TOSLINK
24bit Data at 96KS/s: USB
Master Clock jitter: 2picosecond RMS

Analog 24/192 DAC Section:
Maximum Output: 4Vrms balanced XLR, 2Vrms RCA
Output Impedance: 200 ohms balanced XLR, 100 ohms RCA
Frequency Response: 20 Hz-20 KHz, +/- 0.5dB
THD+N: <0.0015%, 4Vrms balanced out, 1KHz
Output Noise: 3.3uVrms A-weighted 20Hz-20KHz
Dynamic Range: 122dB A-weighted 20Hz-20KHz

Analog 24/192 ADC Section:
Maximum Input: 2.5 Vrms RCA
Input Impedance: 12K ohms RCA
THD+N: 0.003%, 2.5Vrms in, 1KHz
Dynamic Range: 110dB, A-weighted 20Hz-20KHz

Headphone Section:
Maximum Output: 138mW
THD+N: 0.01% 35mW, 1KHz
Output Noise: 17uVrms, A-weighted 20Hz-20KHz

Sound

These numbers look impressive, but how do they present in sound? Interestingly, the 2.5 has no sonic signature, which, for digital, is a good thing. You get a totally black background, one where the music exists in its own space and time. No digital editorial as with so many lesser DACS and CD players.

The distributor loaned me the very highly regarded bel canto uLink Asynchronous USB with Ultra-Low Phase Noise Clock to help with the computer/iPad in conjunction with the DAC2.5 As I mentioned earlier, I had the low noise, Antipodes DS1 shackled to the 2.5. Musically, they were in a very happy marriage. I decided not to rock the boat. I’ll ad the uLink another time and report back. I did not use the headphone section of the DAC. I’m sure it matches the excellence of the digital and analogue sections. If so, Mike Mercer should get his hands on one. His beloved Audeze headphones may well sing the sweetest with bel canto.

It’s a wonderful thing that audiophiles can use the DAC2.5 as a preamplifier. Fewer boxes must be good, right? This review was completed in the majority with the DAC also acting as preamp. I found it exemplary and would recommend you audition it this way. Please read the detailed paperwork carefully, though, before setting up. ‘IMPORTANT: If using the DAC2.5 directly into a power amplifier, ensure that the Fixed/Variable Output button is in the OUT (variable) position. Operation in Fixed Mode directly into the amplifier could cause extreme output levels, clipping and damage to the loudspeakers, amplifiers or your ears!’.

With the 10000 tracks loaded onto the Antipodes DS1 Music Server, I was ready for some marathon sessions. I’ve not done so much listening since a Clearaudio Titanium cartridge was in the house a few years ago. On a slow day, I average two hours. I was down in the music studio for many hours at a time. The bel canto and Antipodes combination almost made the time space continuum stop. Audio heaven. And, they both played so beautifully with the Chario Academy S Sovran loudspeakers, which helped in the ignorance of time passing.

Effective dynamics and crystal clarity are two audiophile requirements that one notices immediately when the kit is warmed up (the manual suggests leaving the DAC powered on at all times — the ‘plastic fantastic’ remote control allows for display dimming). But, that would be telling only half the story. For sure, these two tenets are very important, but do the notes have flesh and blood? That’s an easy ‘yes’.

As the Antipodes DS1 server review was put to bed, along came the Brilliant Classics 16 CD Purcell Collection box set for review. After I ripped the CDs to the server, I played the set almost completely through over two days. Do you know Purcell’s music? England’s greatest composer and thought by many to be the equal of Bach and Handel. If not, grab ‘Essential Purcell‘ while it’s available. However, this Brilliant Classics set (including stunning performances and recordings to never less than good) made for an interesting test for the bel canto.

The most difficult sounds/reflections to record accurately are piano imaging (transient and decay), soprano chest tones and french horn (the conical bore and its overtones make it a killer for crappy mic setups). Add countertenor. Basically, a guy singing chest tones in falsetto. You’d think falsetto would be primarily head tones, but Michael Chance rips a few chest tones in a couple of Purcell songs so powerfully that I thought he was coming through the speakers. All held fast. I can guarantee that weaker components in the chain would have failed this difficult test. In fact, the original Hyperion recording (the Purcell Collection CDs are reissues from other companies whose rights now belong to Brilliant Classics) did max out the headroom a smidgen, caught in clear relief by the unflappable bel canto.

Sure, the 2.5 can replicate real life dynamics and pass torture tests with fantastic clarity, but Chance’s gorgeously expressive voice had this musician reaching for the Kleenex. The bel canto does emotion. Brilliantly. And that’s the trick. So many digital devices do slam, micro dynamics, bass and clarity, but miss the emotion. It’s scrubbed clean. Are you listening, Class D amplifiers? For all the music I listened to, the 2.5 simply got out of the way.

My favourite performance in the Brilliant box set is Purcell’s music drama, King Arthur. The famous ‘Frost Music’ is a series of songs and ritornellos at the beginning of Act 3 that will remind you of the stunning musical painting of Vivaldi’s Winter from The Four Seasons. You know the part. Teeth chattering. Purcell’s ‘chattering’ is just as fascinating, effective and remarkably similar, except Purcell wrote it thirty years before Vivaldi’s famous work. Trevor Pinnock gets magical and chilly results from his English Concert (1999 recording, originally on Archiv). What I loved about the sound was the ‘resiny’ horsehair on the gut strings. Other systems in my house got the chill, not the bone. The bel canto made this sound jump to life — chill, frost, anticipation, and subtle harmonic changes. Harmonic ‘truth’ is a difficult concept with digital.

Conclusion

I’ve experienced digital done right. The Esoteric and dCS gear I’ve heard are knockouts. And crazy expensive. Got the dosh? Go ahead. You can’t beat them. But this bel canto DAC is less than 2K! It’s a lifetime DAC and worth twice the price. You won’t need anything else for a long time. And, you can sell your preamp to buy it!

I’ve heard about bel canto over the years but we never really bumped into each other. I’m glad we did. I’m looking forward to reviewing other bel canto products. In the here and now, this exceptional DAC will be staying in my system for a while. And, I’ll enjoy every minute with it. Very highly recommended.

[It is with great pleasure that we award The Audiophilia Star Component Award to the bel canto DAC2.5 DAC Controller. Congratulations! - Ed]

The bel canto DAC2.5 DAC Controller

Manufactured by Bel Canto Design, Ltd.
221 North 1st Street
Minneapolis MN 55401
USA

Tel: 612-317-4550

website
email

Price: USD$1999
Source: Distributor loan

Associated Equipment

Speakers: Chario Academy S Sovran
Power amplifier: Audio Research VS110
Music Server: Antipodes DS1
DAC: bel canto DAC2.5 DAC Controller
Preamplifier: bel canto DAC2.5 DAC Controller
Speaker wire: Transparent Reference
Interconnects: Transparent Reference
USB cable: Oyaide
Power cords: Cardas Clear Power
Filtration: Audio Power Power Wedge Ultra 116
Isolation: Solid Tech Feet of Silence, Target stands

A first look.

Over the past twenty or more years Jim Hagerman has been responsible for creating a number of legendary products. Among them were the Hagerman Cornet and Bugle phono stages as well as the Stereophile Class-A rated Trumpet phono stage.

Hagerman is an electrical engineer whose broad background in electronics extends back more than thirty years and was not limited to audio. He holds many patents; even one for a mass spectrometer, which is more physics than electronics. Another example are the FryKleaner devices that were derived from some work that he did on an underwater modem. The point here is that Hagerman brings an unusually broad spectrum of experience from many disciplines to audio design.

The new Hagerman Trumpet Reference could best be described as being designed from a ‘clean sheet of paper’. Every part of the Trumpet has been designed by Jim Hagerman. There is nothing off the shelf, here.

This is a truly convenient phono stage to use. All of the functions are easily accessible from the front panel. The eight tubes are also easily accessible through the top plate. No need to remove any covers, just pop them in and out.

In addition to fully balanced differential circuitry, Class-A operation, no feedback, choke regulated power supplies, two inputs and balanced JFET MC front-end gain-stage, some of the other features of the Trumpet are:

Component upgrades all around, especially in the resistor department.
MC gain stage.
Variable loading that is gain independent.
Mono operation.
Two inputs.
RIAA, Decca, Columbia and EQ curves.
Automatic soft start (delay) for the high voltage.
Front panel pushbutton control of all features.
Implemented a larger power transformer that runs cooler.
Ability to run either 120V or 240V, switchable by user without removing the cover.

I have had the opportunity to hear the Hagerman Trumpet Reference on several occasions. What I heard made a very favorable impression on me. The soundstage was wide, deep and fully populated. The images within the stage were clearly delineated. The sound wasn’t particularly warm nor was it cold. The Trumpet seems to just get out of the way and allows you to hear just how good your turntable and cartridge really are. The instrumental timbres were rich and full. Bass performance was outstanding. This phono stage will have you reaching for your best recordings, it’s just that good. I believe that the Trumpet Reference is yet another landmark product from Jim Hagerman.

I’m looking forward to an extended audition and will report on my findings.

Hagerman Audio Labs Trumpet Reference Vacuum Tube Phonostage

Manufactured by Hagerman Audio Labs
PO Box 61911
Honolulu, HI 96839
USA

tel: 808-383-2704
Monday - Friday, Hawaii Standard Time (GMT-10)

website
email

Source: Distributor audition
Price USD$6600

photo credit

Until very recently, my use of digital audio files was limited to playing MP3 files from iTunes using an iPad by snapping the iPad’s USB cable directly into the front of my Marantz CD 6004 player (a very convenient feature of the CD player). But given the higher-end quality of my recently upgraded stereo system as a whole, it seemed a good time to explore using a DAC so that I could play higher resolution files starting with the standard 16bit/44.1kHz resolution of a ripped CD, and moving beyond. Further — entirely practical — motivation speeded up my decision to acquire a DAC. My young 2 year old daughter had ruined my previous CD player (by forcing 6 CDs into its tray) as well as damaging some of my CDs themselves, and my wife was pregnant with another child due within 2 months. My history of organizing books, CDs and other physical objects versus computer files did not instil confidence in anyone who knows me. So, the possibility of playing all my music and getting outstanding sound quality from digital files and a computer rather than from a CD player (let alone a turntable) was intriguing and extremely attractive to me given my situation.

I honed in on the new PS Audio NuWave DAC because it has an enticing low price ($995), and the company has a reputation for making outstanding power cords and power conditioners as well as their already well received and low priced previous model of DAC, the PS Audio Digital Link III DAC (now discontinued). The NuWave also uses, as its heart, the Burr Brown PCM1798 24 bit DAC chip, from Texas Instruments, a well regarded chip by both audiophiles and musicians alike.

Before I committed to buying the NuWave model, I called PS Audio for further information such as what kind of power cords and what format of USB cables (from computer to NuWave) were possible to use. They were very kind and helpful. That was reassuring. Finally, I have been an avid Apple Computer user since 1986, for both work and pleasure, and felt that it would be a relatively easy transition for me to use a Mac computer as a music server for the NuWave. Not only does the NuWave work with a Mac without any additional driver required for USB connection, but even modern software such as Pure Music is available specifically for using Apple computers with a DAC and does so with a virtual iTunes interface. Moreover, with the free application Remote from iTunes, one can control all the playing of the music wirelessly from an iPad, or even from an iPhone, using a virtual iTunes interface.

The die was cast: I bought a black version of the NuWave DAC; it also comes in silver.
When you take it out of the box, it looks mysterious and sleek, like a miniature of the black monolith from the classic Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey. But don’t worry, no ear - piercing, screeching noise is emitted from this unit. It is completely silent when on. Although its length of 14” and weight of 12 lbs are in the same ball park as a typical CD player, the NuWave’s height of 2.75” and width of 8.5” are about one half that of a CD player. Nice. It also offers both XLR and RCA connection to a preamplifier. Nice, again. Whatever RCA interconnects you are already using for your CD player can be used for the NuWave. PS Audio does, however, recommend using XLR with the NuWave for best performance.

Besides USB, the NuWave also offers alternative digital connections (TOSLINK optical, or RCA coaxial) but for connection to a computer it is the USB port that is recommended. It features an XMOS based, asynchronous 192kHz/ 24 bit input. Thus, I only used USB for this review via a Mac Mini as server running Pure Music. I also used the NuWave’s Native Mode option for all my testing/playing — no upsampling. In PS Audio’s own words from their website, the NuWave’s ‘Native Mode decodes any resolution audio from 192khz/24bit and down, to its full integrity with no processing added by bypassing the NuWave’s upsampling processor completely; the resulting improvement to sound quality sets new levels of performance for DACS anywhere near this price.’

PS Audio NuWave DAC rear panel.

Once you choose your interconnects, USB cable, and the native mode option, there are no other controls or options on the NuWave to worry about. The front panel simply displays small round blue lights indicating the USB and native selections. The power switch is on the back, and it is recommended that you always keep the unit powered on, except when changing cables.

After a recommended 100 hour burn-in period for the NuWave, I was ready for some serious listening. My self-assigned ‘Phase I’ of testing involves using only Apple Lossless 16bit/44.1kHz files created directly from my CDs using iTunes. To play this resolution on the NuWave does not require special software such as Pure Music. I was astounded at the resulting quality. The sound ranged from as good as to better than a CD player on my system. Anything from classical to jazz to rock sounded rich, clean, spacious, and warm when appropriate; more like I would expect from vinyl when there are no scratches on the record. The attack and decay of percussion instruments such as cymbals was exemplary. Bill Bruford’s rendition of the classic Max Roach piece, The Drum Also Waltzes sounded amazing on the NuWave. Every drum and cymbal in his kit sounded as it should, with the appropriate resonance and echo, and his renowned delicacy and elegance. Ditto for Ginger Baker’s drum solo on the track ‘Do What You Like’ from ‘Blind Faith’, except replace ‘delicacy and elegance for African-influenced rhythmic pounding with booming double bass drums and loud floor tom toms.

My wife was getting fed up with my constant playing of loud percussion at all times of the day, and she was probably concerned it might lead to eviction from our apartment, so it was time to move on to other (more peaceful) things for testing. The track ‘A Thousand Years’, from Sting’s ‘Brand New Day’ is gorgeously displayed by the NuWave; mysterious and haunting, with Sting’s unique expressive, raspy voice. And, who would of thought it possible to be caught listening to Julio Iglesias? There I was, enjoying his rich, smooth, full and romantic voice because it sounded so real and warm through the NuWave. I finished Phase I by listening to a wide range of other music such as Jacintha, Beethoven, Bob Sneider and Joe Lock, Gabriele Tranchina — who I have had the great pleasure of hearing sing and play guitar live to my daughter in our apartment at her second birthday party — Sergio Mendez, and Bach, among others; all with the same consistently excellent results. The consequence of Phase I? I disconnected my CD player — no longer needed.

It was time to start listening to 24 bit FLAC files. I started slowly, particularly since the cost of the highest resolution files (192kHz/24 bit) is expensive, at about $25 for an album, and they are huge in size, 1-2 GB each; you must be sure to invest in several terabytes of external hard disk space in advance, and be mindful of backing up. If you can settle for 96kHz/24 bit, then the price drops to about $18, and the file size drops to about 750 MB.

I found that the improvement in detail exposed by the NuWave with 24 bit files as compared to the CD quality 16 bit is apparent and pleasing in almost all cases as long as the mix used for the recording used to create the file is decent enough to begin with, and no artificial upsampling has been done. (Upsampling is like taking a digital photograph of a digital photograph of an object and expecting the second photo to display higher resolution of the object than the first photo.) In general, the acoustics sound sharper and more natural with better imaging, and the higher frequencies are very precise and smooth.

For initial testing purposes, I tried out a short (3:46) FLAC file at 96kHz/24bit: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Snow Maiden Suite - Dance of the Tumblers. I played it through the NuWave and was dazzled — it sounded like the best of vinyl. I then stumbled across an interesting Norwegian website that offers free, short 192kHz/24bit FLAC file samples for download. I downloaded a 3:57 minute sample, Bøhren/ ̊Aserud Bl ̊agutten from Quiet Winter Night — An Acoustic Jazz Project by the Hoff Ensemble. Same result. I was convinced that my journey to higher resolution files was well worth it. So, I eagerly moved on to more serious testing of high-resolution FLAC files.

A shining example is the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Time Out at 176kHz/24bit; astonishing clarity, detail, warmth and placement of the instruments are displayed by the NuWave. As a comparison, I also tried the 88kHz/24bit version and I was surprised to find that a difference could be detected using the NuWave. The 176kHz/24bit version has more clarity, warmth and better placement of the instruments. This was not expected. Perhaps the higher resolution file was made from a different mix? Is it really possible to hear the difference between a 176kHz and an 88kHz, when they both are 24 bit sampled? These are interesting and important questions.

Another fascinating example is the third movement of ‘Summer’ from ‘Recomposed by Max Richter - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons’, 96kHz/24bit. This is a non-traditional rendition with (at least to me) a powerful, erie and haunting ambience; it keeps you on edge while weaving back and forth between the original rendition and something else altogether and ends with an unexpected, almost silence containing some odd percussion in the background. One gets the feeling of being in Gotham City, with Batman battling a dangerous foe! The clarity and naturalness of the sound of the strings coming from the NuWave was top notch. I tried a variety of further examples yielding similar results: Norah Jones, Johnny Cash, Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Duke Ellington, The Eagles, and Steely Dan. Wow.

A nice drumming/percussion example that also has a story attached — Billy Cobham’s performance on solo drums in the first 1.5 minutes of track 2, ‘Searching for the right Door/Spectrum’, from his album ‘Spectrum’, Audiophile 96kHz/24bit, displays superb sound quality from the NuWave DAC. I was intrigued by what I thought I heard coming from the right channel, a tastefully used ‘Chinese’ style cymbal which is generally described as having an explosive sound with a fast decay. As an amateur drummer, I used to own such a cymbal — they come in many forms/sizes and are made by different companies. Out of curiosity I wanted to know exactly what cymbal it was. I was almost certain from its very quick sound decay that Cobham was also using the cymbal upside down instead of right side up. Late that evening when I could not sleep thinking about that cymbal. My insomnia convinced me to email Cobham and ask. To my astonishment, when I woke up the next morning he had responded, and confirmed that it was a Chinese style cymbal. So, not only does the NuWave replicate Cobham’s extraordinary use of his many tom toms, sweeping back and forth with beautiful timbres from high to low, and with random explosive riffs mixed with delicate quiet, but it also allowed me to hear his unique use of the Zildjian 22” Chinese ‘Swish Knocker’ cymbal — placed upside down on its stand — coming from the right channel. Tremendous.

The PS Audio NuWave DAC is an outstanding DAC with no unnecessary whistles and bells. Simplicity. And, its price is truly a bargain. Highly recommended.

PS Audio NuWave Digital Analog Converter

Manufactured by PS Audio
4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, Colorado 80301
Phone: (720) 406-8946
Fax: (720) 406-8967

website
email

Price: $995.00
Source: Purchase

Specifications

Three digital inputs
192kHz asynchronous USB
RCA and XLR balanced outputs • High current class A output stage
Native mode
192kHz selectable upsample
Low jitter PerfectWave clocks
Class A fully balanced discrete analog electronics
Burr Brown 24 bit DAC chip

Associated Music

CDs (converted to Apple Lossless 16bit/44.1kHz)

Bill Bruford, Master Strokes CD, EG Records (1986)
Julio Iglesias, My Life CD, Sony (1998)
Sting, Brand New Day CD, A&M Records (1999)
Jacintha, Autumn Leaves, the Songs of Johnny Mercer CD, Groove Note Records (1999)
Bob Sneider and Joe Lock, Nocturne for Ava CD, Origin Records (2009)
Sergio Mendez, Brasileiro CD, Elektra / Wea (1992)
Gabriele Tranchina, A Song of Love’s Color CD, Jazzheads (2010)
Beethoven, Symphony no. 9, Op. 125 “Choral”, Columbia Symphony Orchestra con- ducted by Bruno Walter CD, CBS (remastered from 1959 Original Recording)
Jacques Loussier Trio, The Best of Play Bach, Hybrid SACD - DSD, Original recording remastered, Telarc (2004)
Murray Perahia, Bach, The Goldberg Variations CD, Sony (2000)
Duo Capriccioso Volume 4 CD, Sei sonate per mandolino e chitarra, Thorofon (1997)
The Best of Emerson Lake and Palmer CD, Rhino (1996)

24 bit FLAC files

Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out, 176kHz/24bit
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out, 88kHz/24bit
Recomposed by Max Richter - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, 96kHz/24bit
Billy Cobham, Spectrum, 96kHz/24bit
Johnny Cash, Sings The Songs That Made Him Famous, 96kHz/24bit
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos.5 and 7, Conducted by Carlos Kleiber, Vienna Philharmonic, 88kHz/24bit
Steely Dan, Gaucho, 96kHz/24bit
The Eagles, Hotel California, 192kHz/24bit
Duke Ellington, Concert In The Virgin Islands, 96kHz/24bit
Norah Jones, Come Away With Me, 192kHz/24bit
Yes, Roundabout, 96kHz/24bit

Associated Equipment

Computer (as server) with peripherals: Apple Mac Mini (2013 model with 1TB internal Fusion Drive) running Pure Music/iTunes, with a monitor, keyboard, mouse and LG BE14NU40 external disk drive for CD ripping, and a Seagate Backup Plus 3TB external drive. An Apple iPad for remote use.
CD source: Marantz CD6004
Amplifiers: 2 Wyred 4 Sound W4S mAMP Monoblock Amplifiers
Preamplifier: Marantz SC-7S2
Speakers: B&W 804 Diamond
Speaker cables: Acoustic Zen Hologram II, spade with bi-wire (for the speaker end)
Amps to preamp interconnects: Antipodes Reference XLR
Preamp to DAC interconnects: Acoustic Zen Absolute (Zero Crystal Silver) XLR
Preamp to CD player interconnects: Acoustic Zen Absolute (Zero Crystal Silver) RCA
USB cable from Mac Mini to DAC: Wireworld Platinum USB cable
Power cords for amps: Kaplan Cable HE Mk2
Power cord for the preamp: Kaplan Cable GS MkII
Power cord for DAC: Kaplan Cable GS MkII
Power cord for Mac Mini: P.I. Audio Group MPC/Mini++
Power center: PS Audio Dectet with PS Audio AC-10 power cord

The music server writing is on the CD player wall. And, has been for a couple of years. I first noticed the trend of using servers/computers rather than CD players during my first visit to the Rocky Mountain Audio Show in Denver, 2011. Many audiophiles had turned to streamlined digital playback solutions for their high end equipment. I must admit, I was surprised at the waning of CDs. Interestingly, vinyl was still holding its own. Guess you can’t keep an old audiophile down. Without pleasure, I can now say that the aforementioned writing on the wall is the death knell for CDs. For sure, music will always be available on CD, but much like vinyl, it’ll be in the domain of specialty labels and audiophile reissue companies.

Since that Denver visit, I’ve attended other shows and store demos and heard a slow and steady improvement in the sound and ease of delivery of computer files. In fact, we gave Best Sound of Show last year at the Toronto Show to a Calyx DAC/iPad based system. It was refined, detailed, rich and natural. I’ve been hoping for such a system to grace my listening room to compliment my CDs and LPs.

Hello New Zealand

Lucky for me, a favourite manufacturer of Audiophilia’s New York and Australian gang, Antipodes, was designing a series of music servers. All the guys were gaga over designer Mark Jenkins’ cables. Could he infuse the same magic into a box that houses and streams files and serves them up cold and digital? Jenkins and I bumped into each other during last year’s Denver Show and he held the subject of this review, the DS1, aloft with pride. A review example was requested immediately.

The DS1 is one of four new servers offered by Antipodes. The DS1 and DS2 are ‘High End Digital Sources’, the DV1 and 2 replace ‘High End’ with a ‘Reference’ moniker. The DS1, like the other models, auto rips and tags CD/DVDs into 2 terabytes of storage. The differences between the four units? Adding USB 3 connections, larger cases for the two ‘Reference’ models, upgraded power supplies and more storage.

Six Feet Under Silence

Jenkins had the servers on the workbench for some time but accelerated the process when he implemented a new technology developed in 2011. Jenkins says ‘Only since about 2011 has the technology been available to outperform CD transports with music servers, by achieving lower electrical noise. Design of a digital source, whether a CD transport or a music server, has a lot to do with smart design to reduce electrical noise interference, and implementation of that design with obsessive attention to detail.’

I can attest to Jenkins’ attention to detail. The man is almost a fanatic (in the very best sense of that word) about getting his products right. Much like Webern’s compositions or Vermeer’s paintings, Jenkins produces a few products painstakingly well. If you buy a product from Antipodes, you’ll be sure to have the designer’s ear. It’s a very pleasant happenstance that Jenkins is one of the nicest and most knowledgeable men I’ve met in high end audio.

Time to board the train

I’ve had my eyes closed to the server/DAC domain for some time, so it was a hilly learning curve to get a handle on the numbers, bits, bytes, and all the acronyms in use. For me, like most of you, it’s always about musical performance and sound. The ultimate in both. To hell with the numbers. So, popping in a CD or obsessing over vinyl was (is) de rigeur. The hell with the technicalities. Jenkins has made the jump to server more of a step than a leap, and an easy, plug and play step at that.

From what I’ve been reading, many servers’ setups are not as intuitive as the paperwork would have you believe. As this was my first time reviewing a server, it took a little time to understand the differences between Vortex Box, Music Player Daemon, iPad Client and their concomitant acronyms. But, after a short time, the intuition sank in. If not, the online/email support from Jenkins is becoming legendary. As I said, the man is fanatical about making his customers happy.

Once plugged into your network via Ethernet (wifi is not supported for obvious noisy reasons — you can use a wifi bridging device that connects wirelessly to your router, but Antipodes strongly suggests using an Ethernet connection) and plugged into a USB DAC, you use an iPad, iPod, Android device, Mac or PC as a remote control to run the DS1 via the VortexBox operating system on your network.

Antipodes uses ‘…a minimal Linux build based on the VortexBox operating system, and configured for optimum audio performance. This means we can use just the services required to meet the functionality specification, and just the required amount of computing power. This addresses the first key requirement, which is to minimise the electrical noise generated by the source. More common operating systems require much more computer resource, increasing electrical noise, which interferes with the digital audio stream.’

The stream is re clocked at the output stage by a state of the art clock from a tightly regulated power supply. Further, extensive noise filtering and high quality silver-screened internal cabling is employed to reduce the electrical noise that can interfere with the digital audio stream.

The VortexBox GUI you’ll see on your Mac or PC is a bareboned shell. Nothing more is needed. The program suggested for the iPad interface remote control was mPad. $2.99 in the Apple app store. It’s a clunker and is serviceable, no more. Being a ‘design’ guy, what I’d give for an Apple designed interface. That said, the digital discussion between it and the DS1 was immediate.

The well built aluminium case has a simple front plate with a slot-loaded disc drive and a power on/off button with ubiquitous blue light. On the rear panel, you’ll find 2 x USB 2.0 outputs, an Ethernet port and a 12v power input. Antipodes has partnered with SOtM, a highly regarded Korean company. They supply the low noise/jitter PCI/USB 2.0 output used in the DS1.

The DS1 will allow streaming over Ethernet to devices on your network. The DS1 supports ‘… a wide range of protocols for streaming and so can stream to other Antipodes Digital Sources, Ethernet DACs, PCs, Macs, PS3, Sonos, Squeezebox, Smart-TVs, network-connected Blu Ray players, etc.’

Play Nice(ly)

No matter how good a server, it’ll be undone by a weak USB DAC. The good news for the new frontier is that many legacy companies and startups are producing quality USB and Ethernet DACs at a dizzying pace. The high end audio community is notoriously conservative and lead footed. ‘Don’t screw with my sound’! As an avid social media/technology enthusiast, I’ve enjoyed observing the great companies in our avocation get their proverbial finger out and crack on. Fast! You want servers? There are lots. Same for DACs. But, be careful what you wish for. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. The law of diminishing returns has not hit this high end genre. Yet. It will. In the here and now, get out there and listen, and research, research, research. You could do a lot worse than beginning and ending at the Antipodes website.

The DAC I used was a cracker. Audiophilia’s review will appear in a couple of weeks. You’ll have to wait. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. Meaning, don’t buy one yet! The symbioses between the DAC and the DS1 was clear, silent and seamless, like a black hole existing in the very good USB cable Antipodes provided. The DS1 and the nameless DAC were in lust. Forget love. They hit it off immediately, no ‘break-in’ dinner and dancing required. Straight to bed. Hot!

This connection resulted in stunning sounds previously unheard in my listening room, at least from digital sources. I tried the DS1 with a cheap DAC date. No go. Images were flatter, depth was ameliorated and instrumental timbres suffered. Lots of grain. As such, choose your partner carefully. Marriage is for life.

The DS1 provided a super stable platform for the DAC to do its work. But the DS1 is much more than a storage device. The magic is in the delivery to the DAC so that the sounds are unsullied by problems that have always plagued digital.

I ripped my entire CD collection — very quick and effortless per CD, but it still took a lot of time. While ripping, you’ll hear a few whirls and low level ‘hiss’ while the DS1 does its work. Then, it’ll spit the CD out and all is silent again. Transferring your iTunes library is as easy as copying files from the computer to the ‘shared’ Antipodes drive. Drag and drop on my Mac.

The musical connection between the two superstar components was pure beauty. I’ve been on a Beethoven kick lately. Actually, always. But, I’ve been listening to my entire collection, requesting review CDs/downloads and purchasing Beethoven like a crazy man. I reviewed a recent Sony/Beethoven 4 & 7/Academy/Joshua Bell CD on the upstairs system while my basement flood was being fixed. On the main system, the problem of shrill violins remained, but the decipherd inner lines of Beethoven’s contrapuntal writing was incredible. Lots to do with Bell’s musicianship, of course, but the DS1 had its say over the music. So did a standard CD player, my upstairs system, a small office system, and a reference CD player in the main system. The DS1/DAC won this by a knockout. Simply, on another level. Pow!

This continued with jazz and vocals of all types. Jenkins was kind enough to pre load 6000 Flac tracks on the DS1, so I got to listen to lots I would not usually play — Jimi Hendrix Blues, Joni Mitchells’ ‘Mingus’, Cat Stevens, Radiohead, lots. All sublime through the Chario Sovran speakers.

Conclusions and Congratulations

Because of the ‘Perfect Sound Forever’ CD con we fell for 25 years ago, audiophiles are far more wary of new formats. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you DVD Audio, SACD, Digital Cassette Tape, and on and on. All complete business (not musical) failures. The computer file is different, not only because it echoes the same digital quality as CDs, but because of the delivery system, both source and purchase. It’s here. It’s not going away. And, unless we get upcoming Google Glass to deliver the files directly to our brain via a blink of an eye, this system will be here for a while. You might as well get on board now.

After a reviewer has listened to equipment in the system for a while, the ear tends to get used to a specific sound. Hopefully, a good sound based on a system’s natural synergy. After two months, I’m still beguiled hourly by what the DS1 produces. We often read about ‘lifting a veil’, but the DS1 does more than lift a veil, it shatters a ceiling. It is that good.

Companies like Antipodes are making things easy for us old stick in the muds. This New Zealand company is not jaded. More like a fresh and clean South Island alpine lake and, as such, is very worthy of your research time and dollars. Match the DS1 with a quality USB DAC and your digital front end will be set for the foreseeable future. So, get out there and enjoy. The Antipodes DS1 is very highly recommended.

[It is with great pleasure that we award The Audiophilia Star Component Award to the Antipodes DS1 Music Server. Congratulations! - Ed]

The Antipodes Audio DS1 Music Server

Manufactured by Antipodes Audio Limited
2/59 Fancourt Street
Meadowbank
Auckland 1072
New Zealand

website
email

Price: USD$2150
Source: Manufacturer loan

Associated Equipment

Speakers: Chario Academy S Sovran
Power amplifier: Audio Research VS110
Music Server: Antipodes DS1
DAC: Nice try :)
Preamplifier: DAC used as preamp
Speaker wire: Transparent Reference
Interconnects: Transparent Reference
USB cable: Oyaide
Power cords: Cardas Clear Power
Filtration: Audio Power Power Wedge Ultra 116
Isolation: Solid Tech Feet of Silence, Target stands

Photo: Bruce Zinger / Ambur Braid as The Queen of the Night and Laura Albino as Pamina (The Magic Flute, 2013).

by Anthony Kershaw

April 6th, 2013. Elgin Theatre, Toronto, ON — Opera Atelier, Toronto’s wonderful baroque opera company has revived its 1991 Magic Flute to close the 2013 season. The production is directed by Opera Atelier’s founder, Marshall Pynkoski and conducted by David Fallis. Performed in the acoustically dull but magnificent looking Elgin Theatre, a packed and enthusiastic opening night crowd were treated to a visually sumptuous production of Mozart’s masterpiece.

Director Pynkoski decided to perform the opera in English and to use librettist Emanuel Schikaneder’s full text for spoken parts (from Andrew Porter’s translation). I much prefer the original German (Die Zauberflöte) and was surprised at this decision. The direction also encouraged the comedy — played for all it was worth by a superb Papageno, Olivier LaQuerre. Tafelmusik, Toronto’s famous period instrument orchestra, was in the pit. Longtime Atelier collaborator Gerard Gauci designed the stunning sets.

Musically and dramatically, the production was uneven. The ‘Singspiel’, as envisaged by Mozart, is a difficult form. The balance between the words and Mozart’s magnificent music has to be just right or it topples into cartoon territory. Here, the territory was decidedly vaudeville. The lightness of the solo voices did no harm to the concept, but Mozart was shortchanged. When voices were in ensemble, as in the Three Ladies, Three Boys (sung by ladies) or the large chorus, the singing was quite brilliant. Several solo voices had difficulty projecting their low registers in the dull acoustic while coping with Mozart’s unforgiving writing.

Photo: Bruce Zinger / Olivier LaQuerre as Papageno (The Magic Flute, 2013).

That said, Ambur Braid’s two difficult turns as Queen of the Night were thrilling to hear and her bravery was encouraged by the audience. By the middle of the famous ‘Der Hölle Rach’ aria, Ms. Braid had the wind in her sails and all was brilliant.

Tafelmusik accompanied well — David Fallis shaped the phrases beautifully and built tension through the chorus. But, for long periods he was sitting, smiling and waiting as the cast mugged its way through Schikanader’s lengthy dialogue.

Any serious subtext as designed by Mozart has been diluted in Pynkoski’s production. It’s a brave decision as there are lofty ideals at work. Producers have been wrestling with the libretto for two hundred years — pantomime or drama? For me, the music demands more of the latter and a judicious cut in the former. Here, the admirable Pynkoski has got the froth of the latte just right, but the coffee is decaffeinated.

The Magic Flute runs April 6, 9, 10, 12 and 13, 2013 at 7:30pm and April 7 at 3:00pm.

More from Opera Atelier’s 2013 The Magic Flute

Photo: Bruce Zinger / João Fernandes as Sarastro and Laura Albino as Pamina (The Magic Flute, 2013).

Photo: Bruce Zinger / Colin Ainsworth as Tamino, Olivier LaQuerre as Papageno and Carla Huhtanen, Laura Pudwell & Cassandra Warner as The Three Ladies (The Magic Flute, 2013).

Photo: Bruce Zinger / The Company of The Magic Flute and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (2013).

Several months ago, I received an e-mail from PS Audio describing a new product, the PerfectWave PowerBase. It represents their first attempt to address the issue of component noise. It is a unique device which combines the elimination of noise originating from within a component, and power filtration together in one component.

The PowerBase is essentially a PS Audio Dectet, a device which filters the AC, combined with two sets of 4 Sorbothane feet — 4 on the inside on the top, placed below a ¼ inch solid steel blade and 4 under a thinner plate, on the bottom. The outer feet are 10 times as stiff as the inner feet. The bottom feet are about 1 ¼ “ in diameter and about ¾ “ in height. The feet at the top are ¼” to ½ an inch greater in height..

I will now quote directly from the owner’s manual: ‘Between the stiff low mass base coupled with the soft high mass platform, a broad spectrum of vibration diffusion is achieved that helps to reduce microphonics in equipment.’

I received two PowerBases. One was beneath a transport, while the other was placed under the DAC. Since it is unlikely that a components height and width will match that of the PowerBase, it is advised to center the component so that it is equidistant from each edge of the PowerBase. The company recommends leaving the PowerBase on at all times to optimize its performance.

The company’s design goal, or expectation of performance is also stated in the owner’s manual: ‘Provide a superior level of performance in micro and macro dynamics, maintain harmonic integrity, and improve the spatial and tonal character of instruments and vocals in any recording.’ I would infer from this statement that one should expect no change in frequency response, more realistic timbre, wider stage width and depth and greater dynamic range.

Set up and Break-in

PS Audio suggests that the PowerBase can support from 80 to 100 pounds, which implies that it can be used with stacked components. However, vibration reduction is optimized when only one component is placed on top of the unit. It is also advisable to place the PowerBase on a solid object, such as a well-braced shelf or the floor. I keep my components on the floor on maple bases.

There are two outlets on the back of the unit. There are no sonic differences accruing from the use of one or the other.

While the PowerBase is somewhat line-cord sensitive, it is less so than the line cord selected for use with the component. A PS Audio representative suggest placing the ‘better’ AC cord as the interface from the component to the PowerBase since it will most likely have a greater affect upon the sound of a stereo system, than the power cord from the PowerBase to the wall. I tested three power cords and while I did hear differences, they were small. At the end of the review I will indicate which power cords were placed at the component end.

My first task was to select a power cord to use from the Power Base to the wall. I chose from the following: Element cable, Luminous Audio cable and Ear to Ear cable. I selected the Ear to Ear power cords because I thought the treble response was more natural.

The issue of break-in can sometimes be troublesome and lead to disappointing purchase decisions. While the company recommends at least one week of break-in, my experience suggests it should be at least two weeks. While I realize the subject of break-in can generate heated arguments among audiophiles, as some believe that break-in is a ruse perpetrated by manufacturers for marketing purposes, others trust their ears. I have an empirical method to follow which, while not definitive, can increase the odds of avoiding mistakes.

Let’s say that the owner accepts the advice from the designer as to the number of hours required before evaluating the component. Follow the designer’s suggestion, but note changes in the stereo system on a daily basis. After one is satisfied that the sound of a stereo system has not audibly changed for a period of 5 days, consider the component broken-in. While I realize that there is no guarantee that five days is sufficient, and is not written in stone, I have found that the aforementioned approach has been effective for me. Thus, give the Power Base at least 330 minutes of a signal. PS Audio suggests that a low current source is sufficient for break-in.

Listening Session

The first sentence of the Hippocratic Oath is also applicable to audio:

‘Do no harm’

Thus, the first phase of all of my reviews is to check for audible deficiencies in frequency response. For this review, I listened to female voice, violin, harpsichord and acoustic and electric bass in order to accomplish the above mentioned goal.

As I have done before, I started the review by selecting DON’T SMOKE IN BED, Alert Z2 81020, track 1, featuring Holly Cole with bass and piano. I find this disc most useful to detect problems in the upper midrange/treble region. I strongly recommend it for that purpose. Sibilance was minimized, without veiling or a loss of resolution. It was not eliminated. A well balanced stereo system will render words whose syllables beginning with the letter ’s’ with greater emphasis when a female voice is close miked. If sibilance is absent it may indicate attenuation in the treble region, a lack of focus or the consequence of equalization done at the recording studio.. I did not detect peaks in the lower midrange/treble region. The upright bass exhibited its characteristic ‘thump’ at its resonant frequency when the bassist plucked the strings, somewhere between 60 and 100 HZ. The plucking of the strings was audible as separate from the wood body. The sound of the upright bass, was well defined, muscular and controlled. One could observe that the piano was situated behind the bassist and vocalist. Even when in solo mode, one could detect the sense of distance from the other musicians in the trio.. The actual sound of the piano conveyed reasonably accurate timbre. It is a difficult instrument to mike properly.

Another female voice, Shelby Lynne sounded somewhat different. I selected the CD ‘JUST A LITTLE LOVIN’’, Lost Highway B0009789-02, track 1. This CD is well recorded. While the vocalist is close miked, her voice sounded fuller and smoother. There was no sibilance whatsoever. Perhaps, the engineer used some form of equalization, or the microphone was placed slightly further from Shelby Lynne than Holly Cole. I suspect the recording may have been multi-miked , as the other instruments, drum, cymbal, electric bass and guitar exhibited very stable and pinpoint placement. The timbre of each instrument was very life-like. The electric bass sounded deep, full and detailed. The sound of a drum stick striking the metallic portion of the drum was very clear and very prominent. When he tapped a cymbal, one could observe the leading and trailing edge of the transient as well as decay, even as the other musicians were simultaneously playing their instruments.

A test of bass can either feature an acoustic or electric bass. My reference CD for testing bass is Bela Fleck, FLIGHT OF THE COSMIC HIPPO, track 8, Warner Brothers 9 26562. Victor Wooten had an extended bass solo. One could follow the fingering as the bassist moved up and down the frets. The sound of steel created as fingers contact the guitar strings was clear and precise. As he negotiated the lower notes, one could hear the resonance of the wood body. When there is a lack of control in the bass region, the resonance over powers the notes. In this case both notes and resonance were audible and in appropriate proportion. The sound of the instrument was taut, muscular and controlled.

Violin, like voice, is another test of treble and midrange. My reference disc is TWO WORLDS, featuring Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour and Gil Shaham, Decca 012 157 960, track 8. This track, a selection from Bela Bartok’s ‘Roumanian Dances’, was arranged by Dave Grusin, whose brief piano prelude begins the track. The piano is in the background. One notices a sense of space. The piano sounds a bit distant. You can appreciate the sound of the instrument in its lower register. Then Gil Shaham has a brief solo. The violin is in the foreground as if it were featured as a solo instrument. I did not detect any excess of treble harmonics. The sound of a violin, fairly close miked can be a bit daunting and sometimes an unpleasant experience. In this case, the emotion of pathos was communicated and there were no frequency response aberrations. Later in the piece, Gil Shaham plays in the pizzicato mode. For the first time, I could hear the transient of the finger pluck on the string. Lee Ritenour had a brief solo. He was playing an acoustic guitar. It sounded like one with nylon strings, rather than steel strings. Dave Grusin had a brief solo following the guitar solo. The playing evinced a gentle touch, and was accompanied by a sense of space and distance. All Instruments were very well separated from each other.

The last test of frequency response is two recordings of solo harpsichord. The first, courtesy of Harmonia Mundi, features the prelude from Bach’s ‘English Suite number 2′, performed by Richard Egarr, Harmonia Mundi HMU 907591.92, track 9. The placement of the harpsichord seemed to present a mid hall perspective. It sounded like a large instrument. It was constructed by Joel Katzman, after the Ruckers, Antwerp, 1638. The bass was more extended and fuller than I have heard from other harpsichord recordings. I sensed space in front of and behind the instrument, It was a very detailed, but not an especially percussive rendition, probably a function of the harpsichordist’s technique and /or microphone placement. At the end of the prelude, I heard Richard Egarr hold the last note for a second or two and then release the key. This was unusual from a stylistic point of view, but also a result of the low noise floor and microphone placement. I don’t recall ever experiencing this approach to the end of the Prelude. While the recording was very detailed, I did not detect any imbalance in the frequency response.

The second recording, was courtesy of Linn Records. It was THE RETROSPECT ENSEMBLE — JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH HARPSICHORD CONCERTOS, Matthew Halls, harpsichord/director. I selected the Allegro movement from ‘Concerto in G’, BWV 1058, track 4, Linn CKD 410. The ensemble combined original instruments with modern copies constructed to emulate the sound of 18th century instruments. The harpsichord is a double manual instrument built by Ian Tucker, after Ruckers/Hemisch. Its pitch; A=415 H, in contrast to the harpsichord played by Richard Egarr, where A=409 HZ. The recording venue was St. George’s Church, Chesterton, England. I own several versions of Bach’s concerti. This performance was unique in two respects. First, the ensemble was much smaller, consisting of five string instruments and harpsichord. Second, there was frequent ornamentation and improvisation–especially from the harpsichord and first violin. Stylistically, it is different from the recordings of this piece in my CD collection. I perceived a mid to rear hall perspective. Perhaps this is advantageous, because the combination of a church and greater perceived distance from a listener makes period instruments more palatable to the ear. In fact, the sound of the string instruments presented sufficient cues to recognize 18th century instruments, without any thinness in the treble. The strings were fleshed out and had a balanced frequency response. Obviously the upright bass provided the necessary foundation to the other string instruments whose range was probably midrange/treble, to achieve the aforementioned balanced frequency response.

The string instruments were in front of the harpsichord, which was slightly behind them. At no time did the strings drown out, over power or obscure the harpsichord. The sound of the harpsichord was very articulate, but less percussive than that of Richard Egarr‘s performance. Perhaps, recording venue, instrument and microphone were responsible for such a result. Even though the harpsichord was in the background, again, one could observe a sense of space and depth of the harpsichord relative to the strings. The combination of high ceilings and distant perspective, created a smooth and enjoyable experience. Often, period instrument ensembles sound clinical and austere. However, I give credit to the recording engineer for the creation of a very pleasant sound and the communication of the enjoyment I sensed from the musicians playing this concerto.

At this point, I introduced complex material for the last three selections.

My first selection was Benjamin Britten’s ‘Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’, conducted by the composer, from a London recording, LON 417 509, track 1. Early on in the composition was characterized by a large swing in SPL, as much as 16 DB, from 70 DB to 86 DB, as measured by Radio Shack SPL. I was surprised because I did not expect the Quad ESL to be capable of such dynamic range. There were two interesting facets associated with this recording. First, I heard a very forceful sound from the tympani which created a very life-like impact from the instrument. Second, when the percussion section — tympani, cymbal and triangle, had a short solo, I observed a very brief interval of silence between the playing of each instrument. The audibility of silence requires a very low noise floor, or, conversely, very high signal to noise ratio. In addition, the timbre of each instrument was very realistic and detailed. There was greater resolution and naturalness of timbre than I noticed from listening to this recording on many occasions.

The second orchestral selection was Ralph Vaughan Williams, ‘Variations on a theme of Thomas Tallis’, conducted by Leopold Stokowski, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Newton Classics 8802025, track 1. I set my Radio Shack meter SPL meter at 70 DB. I was again surprised , as I observed the deflection of 22 DB, from 70 to 92 DB. The string ensemble sounded very smooth, especially when they were playing at volume levels below 80 DB. Even at higher volume levels, I did not observe an edge or peak in the treble. I consider this recording one of the better digital recordings in my collection. The basses were very prominent and provided warmth to the performance.

The last selection perhaps embodies the essence of the capabilities of the Power Base. The CD in question is THE ALL STAR PERCUSSION ENEMBLE, conducted by Harold Faberman, MMG MCD 10007, track 1, Bizet’s “Carmen Fantasy”. The title is based upon the musicians, percussionists from major orchestras, such as The New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Boston Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Pittsburgh Symphony. I set my Radio Shack SPL meter at 70 DB. At the start of the piece I observed an SPL of 60 DB. At its loudness level was 82 DB. At first, the instruments seemed to emanate from beyond the end of the room. This can be explained by a principle of psychophysics, which relates perception of distance and loudness of source. Of all the CDs in my collection this CD presents the greatest depth. As the musicians moved forward, the SPL increased. Instruments were separated, creating a wide soundstage — wall to wall. While instruments were recorded at varying SPLs, each one was audible. The spaciousness created by the separation of instruments facilitated the ease of hearing the differences between the percussion instruments. The placement of each instrument was very precise. Some were in the foreground, others in the background and, others in-between. There was tremendous clarity, and the timbre of each instrument was accurate. I observed transient decay, which was audible even while other instruments were playing. The overall sense of space made it possible to hear both fundamentals and decay. If instruments are too close to each other decay will probably be masked. Of all of my recordings this CD sounded least like a recording and more like a live performance.

Conclusion and Further thoughts

After auditioning the PowerBases, having two ensconced in my stereo system for about two months, I decided to remove them and replace them with my reference anti-resonant devices — the Sound Fusion Sound Boosters. Instead of removing both simultaneously, I replaced the PowerBase under the transport, put back 4 Sound Bossters, and listen to three CDs.

Significant changes in the sound of the stereo system occurred. First, there was a change in the quality of the bass. When listening to an electric bass, I noticed that the vibration of the wood body obscured the plucking of the strings and, hence, a loss of bass definition. The bass had become imprecise and less clear. Next, I listened to an orchestral CD, and noted a reduction in instrument separation, and space between ensembles, resulting in a flattening of the soundstage. Finally I listened to THE ALL STAR PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE. The sound of several percussion instruments disappeared. I would conclude that the noise level increased, which masked instruments recorded at low level SPL information.

Based upon the initial audition, and removal of one Power Base, I would concur with PS Audio’s statement of purpose, mentioned earlier in this review. Thus, I am convinced that the PowerBase improves dimensionality, dynamics and enhances timbral realism, without altering the frequency response.

I would think that this product can be of benefit to any stereo system, as it removes noise which is often responsible for an unpleasantness in the treble and should not degrade the sound of stereo systems whose frequency response may be imbalanced.

Listening to recordings of decent sonic quality can bring you closer to the sound of live music. These PowerBases will not leave my stereo system.

PS Audio PerfectWave PowerBase

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4826 Sterling Drive, Boulder, Colorado 80301 .

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Price: $995
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Associated Equipment

Speakers: Quad ESLs and Magnepan 1.6s
Amplifiers: Quick Silver Mid Monos and VTL Deluxe 120s
Preamp: Blair Chapman
Transport: Vincent CD S6
DAC: PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC
Interconnects: Mojo Audio and Gotham Audio
Speaker cable: Ear to Ear
Power Cords: Emotiva, PS Audio Lab (transport), Distech (DAC), Ear to Ear (PowerBases)
Accessories: Maple wood bases, PS Audio Noise Harvesters, Alan Maher passive line filters, PS Audio Juice Bar, Balanced Audio power strip, Sound Fusion Sound Boosters, Quantum Line Filters, egg crate mattresses, Room Tunes, Alan Maher circuit breaker filter

by Anthony Kershaw

March 28, 2013. Walter Hall, Toronto, ON — The Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Recital Series afforded England’s Tippett Quartet its Toronto debut. The club seems to be able to pick the very best undiscovered or young Canadian and international ensembles to play for its large membership.

The Tippett Quartet takes its name from the great English composer, Sir Michael Tippett (1905 – 1998). The group was formed in 1998 when the founding members met studying at London’s Royal College of Music.

They began their interesting program with their namesake’s 5th String Quartet. It was the composer’s last quartet, written in 1991. The quartet is typical of Tippett’s later style — elegiac melodies, exotic harmony, complex outbursts interrupted by quiet, reflective passages. It’s a superb work echoing much that is wonderful in Tippett’s orchestral writing (Concerto for Orchestra, Triple Concerto) rather than his less successful vocal works. Tippett would have been proud of the quartet’s performance. The give and take in the many tempo changes were smooth and the interplay between the two violinists was superb. Even more amazing considering the late inclusion of Anna Smith as substitute for an indisposed Jeremy Isaac, 2nd violin.

The quartet played their arrangement of Bernard Herrmann’s music from Hitchcock’s Psycho. Herrmann’s use of muted strings to echo the black and white film transferred well to one on a part. They played it brilliantly. The high pitched shrieking at the movies’ famous shower scene bought nervous smiles and giggles from the audience. Splendid!

The second half was made up of a superb ‘with no guts, there is no glory’ performance of a string quartet’s toughest slog, Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131. This seminal work is the test of tests for a string quartet, technically and musically. The Tippetts connected the movements logically, played with admirable precision and sustained the slow movements beautifully. Only at the very end did fatigue effect intonation and ensemble. The audience gave the English guests rapturous approval.

The players are members of Britain’s famous orchestras (BBC Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic) and have recently been appointed quartet in residence at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

Tippett Quartet

John Mills, violin
Anna Smith, violin
Lydia Lowndes-Northcott, viola
Bozidar Vukotic, cello

Sir Michael Tippett – String Quartet No.5
Bernard Herrmann – Psycho Suite for string quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven – String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131

Most days as the editor of a high end audio magazine are fun. Yesterday, was definitely one of the perks of the job. And, a lot of fun.

I was invited by a local distributor to listen to a new 28K monitor from Denmark’s Raidho Acoustics and to have lunch (a very good Pinot, arugula salad, pesto pasta salad and two types of quiche) and an informal chat with its co founder Lars Kristensen. The amiable Viking was most informative and passionate about Raidho’s newest monitor, the D-1.

Most of the discussion centered around the inhouse design of the diamond woofer cones, the tweeter of the D-1 and Raidho’s philosophy of sound and music. It was riveting. More about these remarkable industrial designs will be discussed in the upcoming review. I think this will be the first of the D-1.

Lars Kristensen of Raidho Acoustics and his D-1 Loudspeaker.

Watch for the review coming in late April. Without leaving my fastball in the locker room, I would say this monitor’s main competition (forget your conceptions of this type of speaker’s sound) is the magical Magico Q1, the very best, by far, small speaker I know.

Stay tuned. I’ll also report on the Raidho room from the upcoming New York Show mid April.

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‘Wunderkind’ Gustavo Dudamel is still wonderful but not so young anymore. After his meteoric rise, he now actually receives critical notices. There was a time that he was treated as the musical Second Coming.

Now, he’s expected to produce the same excitement he conjured in his early concerts with the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of his native Venezuela. After early connections with La Scala and Gothenburg, Dudamel now guests with regularly with Berlin and Vienna. They don’t need the money or the associated press. As such, he must compete with the very best conductors and produce unique things with the best orchestras.

Interestingly, the Los Angeles Philharmonic has not been among the elite. But, after I watched the 60 Minutes piece on how the orchestra courted Dudamel, who could say no? True, Dudamel’s predecessor, Esa Pekka Salonen (now in rainy London with The Philharmonia Orchestra) improved Los Angeles’ lot by hiring well. Dudamel is continuing the trend by hiring (poaching!) some of the very best players including from the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony and the Berlin Philharmonic. It can’t only be the sun and beaches that convince these fantastic players to decamp. And, from the sound and musicality the orchestra produces in this fabulous new DGG recording, it’s not.

The orchestra is in very fine form from lowest basses, percussion, winds to highest strings. Mahler’s greatest symphony is demanding on so many levels. Technically, it’s not all that difficult (it is for the conductor), but the minute changes in direction, emphasis, and dynamics Mahler expects, are only successful when conductor, orchestra and engineer are all pulling in the same direction. All this under the weighty arc of the last great symphony of the German/Austrian symphonic tradition.

Comparison with the greatest recordings of this work is relevant. I would include Bruno Walter, Karajan’s 2 DGG (one studio, the other live), and Solti’s LSO on Decca. Would Dudamel supplant any of these? No, but I’ll play this recording in rotation with them. It’s that good.

Dudamel takes great care with the inner string lines (the opening sextuplets are perfect) and balances the winds beautifully. Tempos are pretty standard, but Dudamel, like many others, takes the recap of the 2nd movement Ländler too fast so the horn sixteenth runs sound silly (and inarticulate). However, Mahler’s markings of ‘clumsy and course’ are followed by the orchestra. Very countryside. Brilliant!

The sublime Adagio is given a suitably heartbreaking reading. Here, Dudamel almost matches the intensity from Karajan’s live Berlin Festival recording — my favourite. And yes, I’ve heard both Bernstein recordings.

For audiophiles, look no further. You’ll be getting a great performance in the very best sound. Mahler uses the bass drum very effectively in this piece. You’re going to love it!

A quick mention of the viola section, whose leader came to L.A. after two years as Principal Viola of the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle. I’ve never heard the opening of the first movement and the tragic ending of the Adagio played so beautifully and under complete control. Once again, the Dude has hired well.

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GUSTAV MAHLER

Symphony No. 9
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Gustavo Dudamel
2 CDs / Download 0289 479 0924 8
Int. Release 25 Jan. 2013 (Live recording)