Audiophilia

Cables, Star Component Award

After two reviews of Audio Art Cable products already under my belt, I am now presenting the 3rd: Audio Art Cable Statement e2 Cryo AC Cable. It is a power cable at 15A, IEC, with solid, classy-looking, silver colored Furutech Nano Crystal Formula FI-50(R) NCF and FI-48(R) NCF plug sets.

They retail for $1, 380/metre; I was sent two for my review to use with my monoblock amps. As with the other two cables I reviewed, this AC cable is from the Statement series, their flagship level of cabling, and has a similar, attractive Techflex sleeving. It is the thickest of the three cables, about 1” in diameter, but relatively easy to manipulate and connect. The wiring is a 10 gauge, 6N pure single crystal UP-OCC copper/silver plated UP-OCC hybrid array. The Furutech plug sets used are considered some of the very finest available for power cable termination.

May 8

May 8 Allnic Audio M-2500 Monoblock Amplifiers

Amplifiers, Star Component Award

The new Allnic Audio M-2500 Monoblock Amplifiers are available in three tubed versions: PX25, 300B (both Triode) and the subject of this review, KT150 (Pentode). The MSRP for the KT150 tube model is $14,500/pair.

Audiophilia has reviewed a number of Allnic products, preamps, phono stages and cables, but no power or integrated amplifiers. All reviewed so far have received Star Component Awards and a few were included in our Products of the Year lists.

May 1

May 1 Audio Art Cable Statement e IC Cryo Interconnect Cable Pair Silver XLR

Cables, Star Component Award

This is my second review of Audio Art Cable products; the first review was for speaker cables. This time round, a pair of balanced (XLR) interconnects: Audio Art Cable Statement e IC Cryo Silver XLR; again from their Statement series which is their highest level.

These XLR cables offer the same attractive grey look with a braided Techflex sleeving as the speaker cables, but are thinner (3/8” diameter versus 1/2”). The cable’s MSRP is $960/1 metre pair. I was sent a 1.5 meter pair for this review at $1040. This is not expensive in the realm of high-end audio where a pair of XLR interconnects can be found at prices that can compete with a car.

Apr 24

Apr 24 Alta Audio Celesta FRM-2M Loudspeaker

Loudspeakers, Star Component Award

This is the first update since its debut in 2013 to what I consider Michael Levy’s finest loudspeaker design. Others would disagree as to his finest—the Hestia Titanium ($32,000/pair) or the Alec ($10,000/pair) as examples—but the Celesta FRM-2 is certainly my favourite. For almost 8 years, it has led the pack in its $15,000/pair price range. In my experience, to match or better the musical and aural experience from the Celesta stand mount (one could hardly call the FRM-2 a monitor-style or bookshelf speaker with its heft and girth), you would have to purchase speakers such as the Raidho D1 at $28,000/pair or the Magico Q1 at $26,500/pair. To be sure, both speakers are exceptional and do things that are very special, but so does the Celesta—for far fewer dollars.

In business since 2011, Alta Audio is based on Long Island and has a plant in Connecticut. They manufacture a discerning line of loudspeakers to fit a variety of room sizes and budgets. Audiophilia has reviewed most of them. Like the very best loudspeaker companies, Alta Audio has a ‘house sound’.

Apr 16

Apr 16 Audio Art Cable Statement e Speaker Cable

Cables, Star Component Award

Days before the World Health Organization proclaimed a pandemic in early March, 2020, I was introduced to Rob Fritz, Founder of Audio Art Cable, based in San Diego, CA; a company founded in 2005. After several emails and a phone conversation, I was impressed with what I learned and thus agreed to review from a variety of their very reasonably priced, high end, hand-made cables from among speaker, interconnect and power. The Audio Art Cable website also contained an intriguing statement that caught my eye and impressed me further:

There’s a good chance, after you’re done evaluating the performance improvement of Audio Art Cables in your system, that you’ll forget about your new cables—as you should. The music will captivate you, pull you into its magical spell, as you dance, or hum, or tap...and smile...

I would add after ‘smile’, ‘and distract you from worries’.

Apr 13

Apr 13 AudioQuest Niagara 1200 Low-Z Power | Noise-Dissipation System

Accessories, Star Component Award

A couple of years ago, I was introduced to AudioQuest’s ‘Low-Z Power | Noise-Dissipation System’ products by a deep dive shootout at my place with the local dealer followed by an Audiophilia review of the 5000 model ($4999). The introduction continued with a lengthy demonstration of the top of the line unit, the 7000 ($9499), at a Vancouver dealer event. Not only were the differences between each model easy to hear, but the overall effect of AudioQuest’s Low-Z products was very impressive. The Niagara Series models include the 3000 ($2995), 5000, 7000 and entry level 1200 ($995), the subject of this review.

AudioQuest’s Senior Director of Engineering, Garth Powell, has put an inordinate amount of time into the design and development of the Niagara Series of power conditioners. Anybody listening to his three hour evangelical lecture/demos will know that. The Passion According to St. Garth.

Apr 12

Apr 12 Miyajima Laboratory Infinity Monaural Cartridge

Analog, Star Component Award

Back in 2019, I was very fortunate to get a first look at an extensive record collection from the estate sale of a grand lady of the Canadian diplomatic corps. As the refined collection of classical LPs were primarily monophonic, purchase of 100 of them was the perfect catalyst to dip my toes into the fabulous world of monophony.

First up was the need for a monophonic cartridge. I played many of the LPs with my reference stereo cartridge, the Phasemation PP-2000 MC Phono Pickup Cartridge ($6000). It did a very good job, if hampered a little by the specific geometry and physics required by the mono record groove. A cartridge wired and setup correctly for monaural with a mono switch on the phono stage lowers the noise floor considerably. But, that’s just the beginning of why a mono-specific cartridge can be so important to the vinyl collector.

Apr 9

Apr 9 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5–Currentzis

James Norris

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is probably the most well known piece of classical music in the world, or at least the first four notes. It was used as a wartime victory sign and as the definitive idea of ”fate“ in a musical capacity knocking on the door. After this, however, the remaining thirty five minutes of it are sometimes glossed over and the effects and orchestration of the work which terrified listeners on its first hearing is now taken for granted in a world which has since heard The Rite of Spring and music of the Second Viennese school.

Greek conductor/actor Teodor Currentzis has a reputation for analysing and deconstructing the score to its component parts and has both exhilarated and generated the ire of audiences and critics around the world. However, many grudgingly admit to having a unique musical experience which some loudly protest they don't want again. This has resulted in record sales not seen since the days of Karajan.

Apr 6

Apr 6 Streaming the Classics/Requiem—Verdi

Charles Brown

Do you ever type a streaming query in Roon for a classical work and are overwhelmed by the choices? Rather than clicking on any old recording or the first one you see, Audiophilia will make things a little easier for you and do the heavy listening.

These choices are for streaming only. Is the best in streaming also the best vinyl recording and performance? That’s for another article.

A few criteria:

Recording must be on Qobuz and/or Tidal HiFi.
It does not have to be HiRes or MQA.
No more than ten recommendations in no particular order, then my top three for streaming in order of preference.

Mar 24

Mar 24 Streaming the Classics/Concerto for Orchestra—Bartók

Do you ever type a streaming query in Roon for a classical work and are overwhelmed by the choices? Rather than clicking on any old recording or the first one you see, Audiophilia will make things a little easier for you and do the heavy listening.

These choices are for streaming only. Is the best in streaming also the best vinyl recording and performance? That’s for another article.

A few criteria:

Recording must be on Qobuz and/or Tidal HiFi.
It does not have to be HiRes or MQA.
No more than ten recommendations in no particular order, then my top three for streaming in order of preference.

Mar 24

Mar 24 Apple AirPods Pro

Headphones

Late to the game, here. After my excellent user experience with Apple’s original AirPods, I organized a review pair of the AirPods Pro ($249). The AirPods were far from an audiophile product. But, a ‘Pro’ designation, at least in Apple-speak, indicates higher price as well as an upgrade in hardware. And sound?

The upgrades include sound cancellation technology, improved Bluetooth functionality (seal tests for a customizable fit, a ‘Transparency’ mode for walkabout/city safety & ordering coffee at Starbucks without switching off) and new drivers.

Mar 12

Mar 12 Vinnie Rossi L2i-SE ‘Signature Edition’ Integrated Amplifier

Integrated Amplifier, Star Component Award

I spent a good portion of 2019 in the company of Vinnie Rossi’s superb L2 Signature Preamplifier ($16,995). My review was in three parts—the Line Stage proper, the added DAC module and finally the Phonostage module. The two modules ($3495/each) increased the price just shy of a not inconsiderable 24K. However, fewer large boxes clogging up your rack and a superior, lifetime component.

Jump to September 2019 and the introduction at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest of the new Vinnie Rossi L2i-SE ‘Signature Edition’ Integrated Amplifier ($18,995), the subject of this review. The ‘SE’ improves upon his L2i Integrated Amplifier ($13,995) by adding matched Elrog 300B DHT tubes and other changes. The DAC and Phono modules are available for both the standard L2i and SE versions. This review is of the SE integrated amplifier without modules. My unit was in silver. Rossi builds every SE by hand. The fit & finish is exemplary, commensurate with such an expensive, boutique component.

Feb 28

Feb 28 Qln Prestige Three Loudspeakers

Loudspeakers, Star Component Award

My introduction to Qln loudspeakers was at the 2019 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest where they played along side Vinnie Rossi’s new L2i-SE Integrated Amplifier ($18,995—review up next month). This room was chosen by all Audiophilia attendees as one of their favourites. For sure, there were other rooms featuring systems approaching a million dollars which sounded like the proverbial ‘million bucks’, but there was an innate musicality to the presentation from Rossi’s integrated design and these Swedish floor standers that improved upon superb every time we returned. Mark Sossa of Well Pleased A/V and distributor of both Qln speakers and Vinnie Rossi gear had the moderately-sized room sounding balanced, dynamic and musically inviting.

Sossa is as pleasant as they come in high end audio. Professional, patient, knowledgeable and kind. In partnership with his high end star roommate, Vinnie Rossi, Sossa’s carefully curated representation (also incl. Swiss Cables and Gigawatt) produced amazing, digitally-sourced sound (Innuos—review forthcoming).

Feb 24

Feb 24 IsoAcoustics Gaia Series loudspeaker isolation footers

Accessories

Every so often, when my stereo system sound quality has been inspiring delight for an unusual lengthy period of time, I decide to tinker just to see what else is possible. Can I get the sound quality even better (even if just a tiny bit) by some small adjustment? Examples include experimenting with different analog or digital interconnect cables, power cables, or isolation footers to be placed under various components.

Coincidentally, I was in just such a tinkering mood when I visited a Fall 2019 VPI Industries House event in which IsoAcoustics, a Canadian company specializing in audio isolation products, was there represented by President Dave Morrison. He was demonstrating his Gaia Series of loudspeaker isolation footers on various Focal floor standing speakers.

Feb 14

Feb 14 Icon Audio PS1 Mk. II All Valve Phono Stage

Analog, Star Component Award

UK-based Icon Audio is a maker of ‘Award Winning Valve Amplifiers’. Icon also manufactures valve preamplifiers and phono stages (FYI: ‘valve’ is Brit speak for ‘tube’).

I was contacted by a local Icon Audio dealer followed by the Canadian distributor to gauge interest for a review. I heard the subject of this review, the PS1 Mk. II All Valve Phono Stage, at last year’s Toronto Audio Show. It had impressed, prepping lots of varied vinyl repertoire under show conditions. Sweet. ‘Yes, I’d like one to review’.

Feb 7

Feb 7 Linnenberg SATIE Reference D/A converter with integrated preamp

Digital

Mark Sossa from Well Pleased Audio Vida (AV) contacted me several months ago concerning a new DAC that he thought I would be interested to review. He tends to find products that are off the beaten track, are worthy of attention for their outstanding quality/performance, and are not in the very highest level of price range. I agreed to review it after confirming that it would work with my stereo system. The DAC was the Linnenberg Satie DAC at $8995, the newest DAC by Linnenberg and considered their reference.

Linnenberg is a German company, now 25 years old, led by Ivo Linnenberg. Their products are manufactured in Germany where they are hand-assembled. Ivo Linnenberg is an engineer, designer–and artisan.

Jan 31

Jan 31 Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas—Igor Levit

These complete recordings of Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas are always welcome, especially this year during the 250th anniversary of the great composer’s birth.

Although listening and reviewing a nine disc set may seem daunting or even onerous, when it’s the greatest set of music in the Western canon, no problem. And when executed by one of the world’s leading and most interesting pianists, the task less so.

Jan 24

Jan 24 MBL N31 CD/DAC

Digital, Star Component Award

The MBL N31 CD/DAC was the second of two pieces from MBL’s midrange Noble Line that was sent from Germany to the island for review. You can read about my musical adventures with the striking and powerful MBL Noble Line N51 Integrated Amplifier here. Much like that glorious looking component, the N31 CD/DAC is cut from the same cloth—a machined beauty of metal and gloss black reflectivity.

Like all MBL components and speakers (MBL calls its loudspeakers ‘Radialstrahlers’—MBL Radialstrahler 120 review forthcoming), the N31 was designed from the smallest circuit up by MBL’s chief designer for over 35 years, Jürgen Reis. Reis is a legend, born from the litany of outstanding equipment he has produced. It seems once you go MBL, you rarely look back. From the ‘entry level ‘ Corona Line’ through MBL’s ‘Reference Line’, all the gear looks expensive and consistently sounds expensive.

Jan 17

Jan 17 WAudio 3900 Hi-End Audio Grade Noise Filter