AudioKeyREVIEWS! ISSUE 5 - JULY 2022

AudioKeyREVIEWS! HIGH FIDELITY PERSONAL AUDIO

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STEREO MAGAZINE

GRIMM AUDIO MU1 A STREAMER PAR EXCELLENCE! BLUE HAWAII SE HPA\E AUDIO-HUNGARY QUALITON PHONO PREMAP BRICASTI DESIGN M SE DAC - FULL REVIEW

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Music is art, art is music.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE…

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HI-FI REVIEWS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 15

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

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GRIMM AUDIO MU

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BRICASTI M SE DAC

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MUSICAL MUSINGS - WILLIAM GRANT STILL

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INTERVIEW - GESHELLI AUDIO

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QUALITON PHONO PREAMP - PREVIEW

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MEZE LIRIC

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BLUE HAWAII SPECIAL EDITION HPA MOLA MOLA KALUGA AMPLIFIERS

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JOAN OF AUDIO

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AUDIO AURICLE

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COMPONENT REVIEWS (IN VIDEO)

MUSIC

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INTERVIEWS

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AUDIO MERSON FRÉROT DAC & POW

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QLN ONE SPEAKER

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BURSON AUDIO PLAYMATE

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RECOMMENDED COMPONENTS - UP TO $

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MAGICAL SYNERGIES

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COMING NEXT

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REVIEWS ON THE WEB

Front Inside Cover: Joan Miro - Blue Back Inside Cover: Kertesz - Sacre Coeur Montmartre, Paris,

MUSIC REVIEWS

The Other Art. It is my belief that the artist and the musician are not only creatives, but they access heart and soul and experience, perhaps, in the selfsame ways. My own love for art and music are inseparable. And so art, music, and those things which facilitate the music, shall share theses pages.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - SEND HERE

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Music Heals!

EDITOR’s CHAIR

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here is no doubt that music is and can be an invaluable aid in a person’s life.

Afterall, music heals, literally. Music has certainly been a gift in my life, as it has moved me past all manner of trials and tribulations—coming of age, heartbreak and or unrequited love, great sadness, family tragedies, etc.

Had there been no music, no Miles Davis, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Jefferson Airplane, Rachmaninoff, Marshall Tucker, Taj Mahal, Chopin, Shirley Horn, Sarah Vaughn, Coltrane, Mozart, the Stylistics, etc. etc., perhaps, I would long ago have passed from this plane. Perhaps.

In this respect, music has been, is, can be salve, balm, joy, peace, comfort, life saver, confirmation, and renewal. Music can also be a reclaimer of our memories with various movements, songs, entire albums calling forth memories/experiences of bliss or deep reflection, or sorrow or even scents and scenes across the breadth of our lives.

It all stands to reason as one discovers from research that music has a powerful effect on one’s emotions—happiness, excitement, calmness, thoughtfulness,—overall well-being, reflection, and mental health[ ]. And it has even been discovered that various styles of music have their own mood changing predilections[ ]. Imagine that.

Further, Music Therapy utilizes the power of music to aid a person under therapy with[ ]:

• offering fun ways of expressing thoughts and feelings • practicing social interaction and communication skills • encouraging creative play • improving concentration and coordination • increasing self-awareness • increasing awareness of other people, particularly in group music sessions • building self-esteem and resilience • building language and listening skills • strengthening family relationships

There is a an astute awareness that music has been aide, friend, allay for the balance of my life and it is loved without measure. How about you?

K.E. Heartsong

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Apparently, music affects the brain in a variety of ways as different parts of the brain— cerebellum, frontal lobes, a portion of the right temporal lobe—process different aspects of the music—rhythm, emotional signals, pitch— respectively. And the brain’s nucleus accumbens appears to produce “strong physical signs of pleasure, such as goosebumps, when it hears powerful music[ ].

And the benefits of early introduction of music to children appear to be quite profound.

While there are numerous benefits of music and music therapy for children some of the benefits are[ ]:

[Endnotes]

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Self-awareness Overall awareness (of others) Concentration and Attention skills

AKRM

• Confidence • Communication skills • Independence

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THE CREW Publisher/Editor-in-Chief K. E. Heartsong Managing Editor Dr. Irina Kuzminsky

Oliver Masciarotte Columnists Dr. Irina Kuzminsky Roger Skoff Rain Jordan Chris Sommovigo Music Reviewers (Video/Written) My Nguyen Nathan Lathourm Matt Nielsen Dr. Irina Kuzminsky

MASTHEAD

Associate Editor(s) Andre Marc

Photographer K. E. Heartsong Graphic Design Wabi Sabi Design Group

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Welcome

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GRIMM AUDIO MU1

By K. E. Heartsong

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here is nothing quite like the music which ushered us into adolescence, our teen years, our start as young adults on the road to adulthood. Or perhaps I’m projecting my experience onto the reader. I imagine I should make this more personal.

I was, perhaps, a bit of an anomaly in that jazz is where I cut my preschool to early school ‘musical teeth’. This, I imagine, would have been anathema to most. My early teen years saw the embrace of classical music via my high school music teacher, who was a most passionate man when it came to opera and classical and choral music. It was clearly contagious for me, who had come to music early. My middle to late teen years saw a veritable cornucopia of musical introductions —Rickie Lee Jones, Stevie Wonder, Cat Stevens, Donny Hathaway, Kansas, Fleetwood Mac, Bill Withers, Joni Mitchell, Al Green, Marshall Tucker, etc.

I recently heard from a good friend that

more and more folks are returning to the music of their adolescent, teen, and/or young

adult years and turning away from the current musical scene. It was a very timely comment, but then, she has always had a way with delivering that word, that phrase, that confirmation or revelation just when needed. I had been, for some time, deeply immersed in the songs, bands and jazz albums that had formed the foundation of my early musical journey, as the current musical evolutions had evaded my interest. Why? And what has made this return so tempting and so rewarding?

There were two reasons really. The first was that songs, even jazz movements, as validated, at times, by liner notes or subsequent revelations, were all or mostly all stories.

Stories that connected us to a personal experience, to another’s experience, or that provided insight into love, life, a different perspective, a truth, a fantastical tale.

The Beach Boys’ “California Girls” was, well, an ‘experiential’, coast-to-coast journey, whereas Rickie Lee Jones’ “Company” spoke to the poignant loss and the heartfelt memories of that special love. And Donny Hathaway’s “Jealous Guy” provided a parallel to our insecurities catalyzed when we are deeply in love. Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind” was an existential story, a story of the ephemeral nature of life itself, beautifully sung. I imagine how a particular song and its story might now come to your mind too.

The second thing was that my stereo system of years gone by had not served me very well, as it had been lacking in both transparency and resolution, at the very least.

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GRIMM AUDIO MU1 Given my current experience with Hi-Fi, this painted my earlier systems as opaque given that I was unable to hear or clearly discern words, lyrics or phrases. And this had resulted in humming or mumbling my way through long known songs whose words I had never understood. Further, it was often difficult to discern the tone and timbre of various closely related instruments—violin, viola, cello, etc. Or, again, sometimes I would not hear musical instruments buried in the mix at all.

However, as I returned to these songs of long ago, the songs of my youth, I discovered a wealth of information being made clear to me by the march of technology in stereo and personal hi-fi systems. Now words, lyrics and phrases were being made crystal clear, while musical instruments that were previously buried deep in the mix emerged to take their rightful place, and, in this way, the new technology has brought new light and appreciation and love to the old and the various musical touchstones of my life. And this brings me to the review of the Grimm Audio MU streamer and its exceptional ways of revealing that music, all music afresh.

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REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the headphones actually sound and not the process of physically “undressing” them and/or laying out their various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this

review then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.

THE SOUND The Grimm Audio MU streamer is easily at the forefront of technological progress and stands as testament to the fact that highfidelity musical reproduction is light years ahead of where it was just a few short years ago, let alone the days of my youth. But that is only half of the picture!

In truth, there was a time, not that long ago, when I doubted that wireless or streaming playback would soon or ever come close to challenging CD, let alone LP playback. Well, I have been proven wrong, at least in terms of ‘connected’ streaming. And the Grimm Audio MU has taught me that lesson in two most remarkable ways.

As a streamer utilizing the USB output to DACs—Mola Mola Tambaqui, Bricasti M SE— the Grimm Audio MU is at the top of the streamer ‘game’. It is incredibly transparent, resolving, and able to pull, at depth, more detail than any streamer should have a right to.

Its musicality is the hyper-simulacrum of fine

GRIMM AUDIO MU1 analog in its liquidity—the unrestrained flow of music, free from grain and sibilant nasties, while wonderfully coherent. And the Grimm Audio MU ’s low frequency signal to its mates, should they be up to the task, will guide them easily to the sub-bass strata.

However, when utilizing the Grimm Audio MU ’s AES/EBU output, which is the only output that upsamples to -bit/ . kHz, instead of USB, everything, and I mean

shores of the sub-bass region, the AES/EBU configuration can be said to have a second home deep in the sub-bass region, beside the Holy-Bass-Head-Grail. Suffice to say, that even headbangers will be well served via this configuration.

Further, the AES/EBU configuration unfolded nuance and refinement, a richness of timbre and tone, greater resolution and transparency, all in a way that should send shivers down the spines of its astronomically priced brethren. Did I mention the black-quiet background via this connection from which the music quietly levitated? Well, there’s that too. Yikes. Yikes. Yikes. Are we witnessing a Clark Kent versus Superman transformation here via these two outputs? I’m afraid so.

The Grimm MU DAC’s volumetric cube— its soundstage—via the USB configuration with Mola Mola Tambaqui, Blue Hawaii Special Edition HPA\E—was quite deep, wide, and with very good height. Positioning—where performers are on stage—separation— the space between performers—and layering— relative depth of performers, across any given everything, moves to a higher quantum state of stage or orchestra or small cafe—were superb. performance. There were many moments of However, flip the switch—select the Grimm jaw-agape, rapid-onset catatonia as triggered Audio MU via the Roon menu, then select by the Grimm Audio MU ’s rendering of your DACs AES/EBU digital input (you’ll need music via the AES/EBU. I scarce believe that to have an AES/EBU connection) and, there is ANYONE who can listen to these two relatively speaking, you’re in another world. configurations—USB versus AES/EBU—and The soundstage expands in all directions, not be able to clearly discern between them. literally. The various imaging criteria— Take this then as a dare. positioning, separation, layering—are also In terms of bass alone, while the USB configuration travelled easily to the inland

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GRIMM AUDIO MU1 and timbre, the gravitas and musicality all come together gorgeously.

“But why," you ask, is the AES/EBU so much better? Jitter. Let me explain that by way of an analogy.

Imagine a carnival ride. In this ride a person climbs into the apparatus or the three-quarter formed sphere. As the carney secures you in and closes the door, a lever is pulled. The carney then asks you to read the four word sentence before you.

He records.

Immediately thereafter, the sphere with you in it begins to shake incredibly!

The carney with a wry smile points to the sentence. “If you can read this sentence clearly," the carney says, “with every word understood and in your natural voice, like before, this ride is free.”

You smile and attempt to say the sentence, but because of the shaking you are completely unable to issue a single coherent word.

Frustrated, you say, “Thiiiiiis iiiissss nooootttt faaaaair.”

The carney smiles, nods, says “Okay,” and reduces the shaking of the sphere by half.

You redouble your efforts and try again, but still you are unable to read the sentence with any semblance of normality.

The carney reduces again, by half, the shaking and then makes several more reductions, each time by half again. A smile on his face, while all the while you struggle. When you’re finally able to read the sentence with some semblance of normality, you smile.

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The carney now with a wide grin pulls a small tape from his jacket. He hands you two tapes.The first is your voice, recorded before the ride, reciting the sentence. The second is your proud final reading while being shaken almost imperceptibly by the ride. He plays it

back.

Your face shows a slight grimace. “That sounds, well, different, from the first one. Not quite like me,” you say.

“Jitter,” he says. “Imperceptible shaking affects the sound of your voice, and, most importantly, music playback, even when it’s barely perceptible to you or not perceptible at all.”

You nod. “May I have those tapes?” you ask.

The carney removes a manila envelope, places the two tapes in the envelope and hands it to you, a wide, ready smile on offer.

The reason then for the “why” of the Grimm Audio MU ’s daunting musical abilities via AES/EBU is the profound way that it seemingly stills/diminishes ‘jitter’ to some

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GRIMM AUDIO MU1 subatomic domain with regard to music playback.

Eelco Grimm, founder and designer of Grimm Audio, provides a succinct reason for the AES/EBU’s spectacular performance: “It is the extremely high performance/ oversampling of our proprietary FPGA board and our software.”

The Grimm MU Streamer was paired with the Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC, Bricasti M SE DAC, Viva Audio Egoista STX\HPA\E, Blue Hawaii SE\HPA\E, LTA Z e\HPA, and the Trilogy H Energizer\HPA\E (review coming).

The headphones used were the STAX SR- S, Dan Clark VOCE, Meze Empyreans, Meze LIRIC, ZMF Atticus, ZMF Véríté, ZMF Atrium, and Rosson Audio RAD- . Cabling throughout was Audience’s Front Row Cables and AntiCable and power was the TORUS RM and Audience’s AdeptResponse.

BASS Eiji Oue’s “Infernal Dance of King Kashchey” (Stravinsky, Reference Recording) cues for play and immediately I am reminded of the Enleum AMP- R’s bass response which was nothing short of explosive, uncompromising, phenomenal! In a better, best sense the Grimm Audio MU ’s USB implementation is not quite up to the ferocity of the AMP- R’s bass

response, but it is very good. The Grimm Audio MU ’s AES/EBU implementation, on the other hand, stands toe to toe, eye to eye with the Enleum AMP- R’s bass response.

Remarkable! As “Infernal Dance of King Kashchey” plays I am reminded of my discussions with a Minnesota Symphony Orchestra’s staff member, who told me that seven tympani had been assembled for this movement! Like the Enleum AMP- R before it, the Grimm Audio MU via AES/EBU, the Mola Mola Tambaqui, and the Blue Hawaii Special Edition together match the prodigious bass of the Enleum AMP- R (it too as allied to the Tambaqui). It should be said that while I rank the Blue Hawaii’s bass response very highly for an electrostatic headphone amp, it has no business matching the Enleum AMP- R. Not to belabour the point, but while the Grimm Audio’s USB’s bass response was very good and brushed past the borders of the sub-bass region, it pales in comparison to the AES/EBU rendering of bass. This relative difference was consistent across all bass-rich tracks or those tracks that featured moments of sub-bass reach. Dave Holland’s “Emerald Tears” (Emerald Tears, ECM), Massive Attack’s “Angel” (Mezzanine, Circa), Marcus Miller’s “Power” (M , Concord), Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals’ “Beloved One” (Burn to Shine, Virgin), and others all had tremendous gravitas and palpability.

MIDRANGE Harry Belafonte’s Belafonte: At

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via the Grimm MU is brilliant from beginning to end. It is transparent, beautifully resolved, rich with detail, and incredibly musical. And therein lives its paradox. The spaciousness afforded this album via the Grimm MU relative to the Roon Nucleus Plus is wider still with images locked firmly in space and at greater relative depth: in other words the stage is ‘more’ Carnegie Hall. Tone, timbre, texture are natural, rich, intoxicating. It is a presentation that places it farther away from the neutral zone relative to the Roon Nucleus Plus, and while both are immersive, the Grimm Audio MU is even more so. The hour and thirty-six minutes has never passed by so quickly. I switch to AES/EBU and repeat. From the opening drum roll of “Darlin’ Cora” which is decidedly more pronounced, more potent, and more dimensional than before, to “Sylvie” to “Man Smart (Woman Smarter)” to the final song, the overlong “Matilda”, the album is more transparent, palpable, immersive and “best” is to be had on all counts. All counts.

The rendering of Mercedes Sosa’s entire Misa Criolla album, and of a wide variety of songs such as Voces ’s “Agnus Dei” (Enchanted Isle, Decca), Al Jarreau’s “Dinosaur” (Tenderness, Rhino), and Shirley Horn’s “Beautiful Love” (You Won’t Forget Me, Verve) via the Grimm Audio’s AES/EBU output was, to a one, phenomenal! Full stop.

TREBLE+ I went into the treble part of the review with AES/EBU fully engaged and, in truth, didn’t look back. Yes, the USB output was very good

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GRIMM AUDIO MU1 in pre-review listening, but by this point it was pretty clear what output I preferred. Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (Time Out, ColumbiaLegacy) sidles up and it is more alive, more dynamic, and the cymbals—crash, ride, hi-hats —more palpable and three dimensional with greater ‘shimmer’ than ever. Even the various drums and their skins and their inner volumes are better fleshed out and resolved.

Additionally, the stage is broad, the players fixed within and at solid, relative depth.

Timbre and tone are rich and enthralling.

Hilary Hahn’s rendition of Bach’s “Chaconne from Partita No. for Violin in D minor, BWV ” (The Essential Hilary, Sony Classical) begins and there is more weight, force and dynamics, which are wrapped around nuance, beautiful tonal shadings, and a sky-high silken treble. Her playing is impassioned, emotive, and the music continually tugs at the heart. It is a beautiful rendering made real via the Grimm Audio MU and its AES/EBU output, the Mola Mola Tambaqui, and in this instance the Blue Hawaii SE, though it has, at times, also been the Viva Solista STX, the Trilogy H Energizer (review coming), and the LTA Z e.

CONCLUSION The Grimm Audio MU operates beautifully across the various realms of its functionality. It is a Roon Core, equipped for ethernet and USB connections which allows it to stream music beautifully from one’s Roon library, attached NAS drives, or digital input devices. It mates beautifully with DACs not enabled with ethernet input or USB output—old school—

Pros: A Roon Core and streamer of the highest caliber with extreme transparency and resolving capabilities, an almost preternatural ability to render as if analog, which translates to a natural, wholly engaging, and beautifully musical experience. Exceptional, direct and fast remote technical support!

Cons: Takes a minute to get up to speed. It is not inexpensive. And one must read the instructions thoroughly!

THE COMPANY GRIMM AUDIO BV Grimm Audio MU Streamer ($ info@grimmaudio.com grimmaudio.com

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ANALOG AUDIO Review sample provided by Analog Audio. — paulsales@analog.audio analog.audio -

THE REFERRAL THE VOICE THAT IS Doug White contact@thevoicethatis.com thevoicethatis.com . .

AKRM

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THE DISTRIBUTOR

exceptionally compelling and immersive musical experience—the DIAMOND AWARD.

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and upsamples to -bit/ . kHz ( x) or -bit/ . kHz ( x) via its AES/EBU output. It is an ethernet-connected source to Grimm Audio’s LSI active speakers and remote. It is an exceptional transport (whether or not it is equipped with an internal drive). It incorporates via selected outputs—USB or AES/EBU—a “better” and “best” approach to rendering one’s music that is breathtaking.

There is, perhaps, no aspect at which the Grimm Audio MU does not excel across its functionalities and collective voices—both “better” and “best”. It is supremely transparent, easily able to resolve the most dense passages, movements and songs, and it lifts prodigious amounts of detail, most especially via its AES/ EBU ( x) output. It is also natural and richly musical in a way that makes it compelling and immersive and fluid as if an analog rendering.

There is also a gravitas or weight, if you will, that brings forth palpability—fully fleshed out/ real performers and performances. The Grimm Audio MU ’s combined strengths make it quite a formidable streamer.

Again, I count myself extremely fortunate to review such incredible components. Though this is not always the case: those components you will never read about in these pages are simply shipped back to manufacturer/ distributor, with explanation as to the ‘why not’ of the review. And said product is not mentioned again. We don’t do negative here.

That said, the Grimm Audio MU wins deservingly our highest award for an

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ife makes its impressions on us in so many varied ways—socially, emotionally, aesthetically, spiritually/ religiously, artistically, musically, etc. Of course, this depend on how we ‘orient’ to the world—extrovert/introvert, artists/engineer, compassionate/dispassionate, humble/ arrogant, etc. Or, perhaps, we can be a mix from the various columns— multidimensional.

Though I am naturally an introvert, I can

(MCMD) is my favorite furniture/design aesthetic. Comfortable minimalism my favorite way to incorporate MCMD into my home.

Impressionism, Black and White photography, graceful, form-follows-function industrial design, and graphic design, are for me like triple chocolate cake for breakfast, with strong, dark-roast coffee, of course.

There have been a number of such designs that have found their way to the HiFi Audio world over the years. Some of the most

turn on the extrovert when needed. Many years as a Biotech/IT entrepreneur/executive and the meet and greets, fund raising, board meetings, staff meeting, etc., refined the extrovert almost to my ruination. I thereafter went home to introversion and my passions —writing and creating, music, art, and design.

In this respect, perhaps, I am a bit of a ‘multidimensionalist’ with a heavy emphasis on creativity, music, aesthetics, and a healthy

memorable designs—the original Martin Logan CLS speakers (without the bass monitors), the Meze Empyrean, the EAR Yoshino V Integrated, the Davone Ray Speakers, B&W Nautilus Speakers, the Mola Mola Tambaqui, the Gold Note Mediterraneo, the Viva Egoista STX, the Mark Levinson No. CD player—to name but a very few.

This brings me to the review of the Bricasti Design M Special Edition (SE) DAC. Its

distrust of the arrogant.

Aesthetic? Mid-Century Modern Design

parents—Bricasti Cofounders, Casey Dowdell and Brian Zolner—were, interestingly,

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Henri Matisse - Interior with Gold sh

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BRICASTI MISE DAC responsible for the development and design of the Mark Levinson No. CD player. And there is more than a passing resemblance in the two elegantly designed digital components.

For its time, the No. represented, for me, an exceptional step up in musical reproduction via the compact disc format and it was

the headphones actually sound and not the process of physically “undressing” them and/or laying out their various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to

elegance defined. From its curved, wave-like, black facade, emerged an incredibly slim, black metal drawer, its movement smooth, liquid, as observed by a red, digitized display. Fast forward several decades and the Bricasti Design M SE DAC embodies a not too dissimilar look/feel. And the Bricasti M SE has taken firm grasps of the performance reigns from its predecessor. It has moved forward via technologists and technology having transformed digital playback to a superb maturation far beyond its former self. Now let me count the ways.

the beginning.

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how

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THE SOUND I am grateful in the extreme to be able to curate, evaluate, and review incredible components based upon research and word of mouth. The other products, “the lesser”, I avoid as life is short. And as there are no accidents, those products that I should avoid but have no knowledge of are denied me by companies that I will not name. Providence? There are no accidents and I take this as guidance of a product(s) to avoid.

The Bricasti Design M SE DAC, on the other hand, is yet another revelation in

BRICASTI MISE DAC sublime resolution and musicality, and it has a dessert menu replete with different voicing choices (filters) that are truly differentiable, unlike some who provide a dessert menu that might as well be vanilla ice cream to X Vanilla. There might be incredibly subtle differences to differentiate between the vanilla flavors, to no differences at all, other than those reported in the marketing materials. The M SE DAC, however, is multi-star restaurant in this respect and a dream for connoisseurs (read tweakers) and those suffering dessert-

menu ADD.

The Bricasti Design M SE's treble in Minimum is airy, extended, highly-resolving, and never fatiguing. It will unbury detail much like the Mola Mola Tambaqui, though the Tambaqui may, indeed, have the edge. That said, no DAC to date has even approached the transparency and detail retrieving ability of the Tambaqui. But there is, however, a richness of tone/timbre with the M SE DAC that sets it apart from the Tambaqui.

The midrange of the M SE DAC in Minimum is phenomenal! This flavor—

Minimum —is transparent, articulate, nuanced, which, in turn, makes every word/ To a reviewer with time constraints, so lyric, phrase, stanza easily available and easily many menu options can be ponderous. understood. It is as if Bricasti M SE’s Though I was quickly able to identify my midrange is the digital reincarnation of the dessert of choice—Minimum —which, in truth, appeared to have it all. Its ability to bring BBC LS / A monitor that was created for pristine vocal clarity! In this respect, it is the forth the ambiance and character of the only DAC whose handling of the midrange is recording venue is very reminiscent of on a par with our Product of the Year for electrostatics. And when paired with —Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC—or just about. electrostatics it renders a whole-cloth seamlessness of a single driver loudspeaker or, Though via its greater richness of tone/timbre across the midrange, the M SE DAC provides perhaps, a single-ended triode amplifier.

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BRICASTI MISE DAC a different and quite beautiful approach to the extraordinary.

Bricasti Design line! What the M capable of I can only imagine.

DAC is

The Minimum filter sends forward its bass signal, which is interpreted by the various downstream components as formidable (Enleum AMP- R/ZMF Véríté/Meze Empyrean/Rosson Audio RAD- ) or

The Bricasti Design M SE DAC was paired with the Grimm Audio MU , Roon Nucleus Plus, LTA Z e HPA /Integrated, the Viva Audio Egoista STX HPA\E (review coming) and the Blue Hawaii SE HPA\E (review

exceptional (Viva Egoista STX/STAX SRcoming). The headphones used were the X ) or incredibly good (STAX SRM-T / STAX SR- S, Dan Clark VOCE, Meze STAX SR-X ). One imagines, based upon Empyreans, Meze LIRIC, ZMF Atticus, ZMF the preceding, that ‘formidable’ is the M SE Véríté, ZMF Atrium, and Rosson Audio DAC’s default setting via Minimum .

RAD- . Cabling throughout was Audience’s Front Row Cables and AntiCable. Power was The Bricasti Design M SE DAC’s volumetric cube—its soundstage—is wide, very handled by the Audience Adept Response AR -T and the TORUS RM . deeply set when called for, with excellent height. Positioning, layering are solid and quite exceptional.The M SE DAC’s top-to-bottom transparency and its incredible resolution of even the most minute, microscopic details make real venue after venue. As mentioned above, voices are the clearest that I have heard to date. It has few peers able to bring together this wealth of traits. And it is the baby of the

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BASS Eiji Oue’s “Infernal Dance of King Kashchey” (Stravinsky, Reference Recording) cues for play.

Given what I’ve heard of the Bricasti Design M SE DAC, to date, as allied to the Blue Hawaii SE, the STAX SR- S, and the Grimm Audio MU across several bass tracks,

MIDRANGE As mentioned above, the midrange of the M SE DAC is truly phenomenal in the same way that the BBC LS / A is, with the clarity of voices its raison d’être—its reason for being.

Voces ’s “Prayer to a Guardian Angel” (Lux, Decca) has been freed of any and all hints of opacity via the M SE and its triode-like rendering and incredible resolution. Shirley Horn’s “Beautiful Love” (You Won’t Forget Me, Verve) begins with Toots Thielemans’ harmonica replete with so many tonal/timbral shadings as to be something new altogether. I am mesmerized. Shirley’s vocal articulation— word formation, breath, the movement of her lips, freed lyrics—are captured with a realism that says live. And this is a song I have known and listened to for decades! Voces ’s “Agnus Dei” (Enchanted Isle, Decca) via the Bricasti M SE and the electrostatics—Blue Hawaii SE, STAX SR- S—is another track that comes

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across as something new and deliciously captivating.

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the bass rumbles and it is potent, dynamic, and engaging. Dynamic shifts and transients are lickety-split fast, supremely detailed, and finely resolved. In Dave Holland’s “Emerald Tears” (Emerald Tears, ECM) the detail rendered via Mr. Holland’s bass reaches down to the fingerboard and beneath it as the Bricasti Design M SE lifts any and all detail while it renders his bass licks tight, fast, and well defined. Marcus Miller’s “Power” (M , Concord) comes in strong, tight, transient quick, and transparent.

TREBLE+ Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (Time Out, Columbia-Legacy) cues and what is immediately different about this rendering in comparison with all the others is the naturalness, the organic beauty, the truth of things via the M SE DAC. Transparency and resolution are superb. The timbre and tone of Joe Morello’s cymbals are beautifully intact and the various timbral shadings are layered, parsed with infinite detail, ease, and suffused with air. Relative to other DACs, it’s as if, from the perspective of tone/timbre, a box of crayons has now been replaced by a box of , crayons! The only other component I know that was capable of parsing the complexity of tonal/timbral shadings to this degree, was the Audiomat Opera Reference integrated amplifier. Regardless of treble test track—Emmanuelle Bertrand’s “Tout un Monde: Énigme” (Dutilleux & Debussy: Works w/ Cello, harmonia mundi), Hilary Hahn’s “Chaconne from Partita No. for Violin in D minor, BWV ” (The Essential Hilary, Sony Classical), Trio Karénine’s “Verklärte Nacht, Op. : Breiter” (La Nuit Transfiguré, Mirare) the M SE DAC’s rendering was outstanding!

CONCLUSION More profundity it seems. Is it because I search out, research, and then curate those components which are consistently at the top of their game? No doubt. But that said there have been those that have not found favor and did not perform as the research had led me to believe. They go forgotten and unmentioned as

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Tamara De Lempicka - Arums I

we do not write bad or flaming reviews across the AudioKeyReviews media. What’s the point?

The Bricasti Design M SE has proven itself even beyond what the research had led me to believe. Perhaps it was the synergy conjured up by so many exceptional reference components at the time of its review. And, no doubt, the M SE’s prodigious ability as a high fidelity DAC with a host of options— (!)—so as to be tailored for most, if not all listening preferences, is but another star for its abilities.

The Bricasti Design M SE is, indeed, the “The Synthesis of Transparency and Beautiful Music!” Its abilities to extract next-level transparency on recording after recording, as well as its competence to resolve that which other DACs cannot is outstanding and pedigree enough. But the M SE does not stop there. There is a profound threedimensionality, a richness, and a palpability generally associated with single-ended triode tubes. And in this respect the solid state M SE is preternaturally engaging. It stands nearly toe to toe with the exceptional Mola Mola Tambaqui in terms of transparency, though the Tambaqui brings a degree more transparency and sits closer to the neutral zone. The M SE on the other hand infuses its transparency

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with a richness that sits it a bit farther away from the neutral zone (though certain filters can shorten the distance).

Vinyl lovers may find the Bricasti Design M SE DAC irresistible across certain of its filters (minimum). While those wed to the digital experience may find the M SE likewise irresistible across certain of its other filters (linear). For many, regardless of their listening predilections, the Bricasti Design M SE DAC may well be an endgame DAC. Without further ado, the Bricasti Design M SE DAC stands in exceptional company as our latest DIAMOND AWARD winner for what can only be described as a profound renderer of the zeroes and ones that together weave the signal—the music that we so love.

Bravo!

Pros: Incredible transparency and resolution.

Three-dimensionality. Single-Ended Triode palpability and richness. Siren-like ability to engage one during a listening session and refuse to let go. Remote control. Sleek. Beautiful.

Cons: Expensive. Maybe too many filter choices.

Maybe.

THE COMPANY BRICASTI DESIGN Bricasti Design M SE DAC ($ , ) infobricasti.com www.bricasti.com AKRM

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JULY 2022

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By Irina Kuzminsky

F

or this review I thought I would choose a classical composer completely unknown to me. And yes, I have to admit that this particular composer’s name appealed to me – Still. Still-ness is something we could all use in a world that seems to be rapidly spinning out of control. I know that I certainly could. In any case, I am glad that this thought led me to discover William Grant Still ( – ) and some of his music on the very recently released album, Summerland. As recently in fact as May , .

Summerland features a selection of Still’s

What stands out straight away about the music is the kernel of optimism, hope and faith it contains, and this despite the difficulties and discrimination Still had to face as an African American classical composer. His success was a testament to his talent and to him as a human being. "With humble thanks to God, the Source of Inspiration”, Still wrote on his scores. And his music is infused with his faith, his love of God and of his heritage and country.

Still wrote close to works, including symphonies, ballets, operas, choral works, art

orchestral music performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Avlana Eisenberg with Zika Schiff (solo violin), who are actually a mother and daughter duo.

songs, and chamber music, and was part of the Harlem Renaissance. His career was littered with firsts for an African American composer and conductor, and he was the recipient of

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MUSICAL MUSINGS

numerous awards including honorary doctorates (eight) and Guggenheim Fellowships.

The earliest work included on this album is from , “American Suite”, and the latest from , “Threnody in Memory of Jan Sibelius”, but most of the works featured are from the s. This is a period when much of the classical music scene was infested with mechanistic industrial overtones and many classical composers were experimenting with atonality and dissonance. Still’s works on the

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other hand are strongly anchored in melodic principles and tonal reflections. He often creates evocative ‘visual soundtracks’ and each piece seems to have both time and space to unfold.

The opening track, “Can’t You Line ‘Em”, is American frontier music, leaving you searching for the panoramic shot of a landscape out of a Western from the Golden Age of Hollywood. And for a simpler time when good and evil were clearly defined, as the trumpet announces the triumph of good at the end and puts a smile on your face.

“Summerland” (No. of “ Visions”) follows, and Zika Schiff’s violin enters with a yearning melody. This is music painting, a visual soundtrack which has you imagining stars in a clear sky over a wide prairie. “Quit Dat Fool’nish” ushers in a change of mood and tempo, while “Pastorela” (arranged for violin and orchestra) is once again more sombre in feel. Beautiful lush orchestration provides the background for the solo violin in this piece that sounds like a movement from a violin concerto. The “American Suite”, an early work from , is in three parts, the atmospheric “Indian Love Song”, followed by the toe-

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MUSICAL MUSINGS tapping rhythms of “Danse”, and ending with “Lament” in which Still’s irrepressible optimism continues to shine through, even here.

The triumphant “Fanfare for the th Fighter Squadron” is a stirring tribute to the Black Tuskegee airmen who fought in World War II. “Serenade” follows, another visual painting with clear sections and moods, its calm pastoral unfolding using the colours of the full orchestra.

The “Violin Suite” (arranged for violin and orchestra), again featuring the beautiful impassioned playing of Zika Schiff, is a personal favourite. Its three movements were inspired by and named after three pieces of art by artists of the Harlem Renaissance, Barthé, Johnson and Savage. The first movement, “African Dancer”, returns to driving syncopated rhythms interspersed with more sinuous sections as the violin leads us through the steps of the dance. “Mother and Child” is a lullaby that captures the gentleness and focus of a mother on her child. Schiff’s violin soars in a melody of sustained intensity.

“Gamin” returns to syncopated cheeky

rhythms rounding out a very satisfying listening experience.

The album concludes with the “Threnody in Memory of Jan Sibelius”, himself a great atmospheric musical painter of the landscapes of Northern Europe whose music bears in this regard a certain affinity to the visual landscapes of Still.

William Grant Still is clearly a true American classic, and this recent release is a good reminder of this fact.

AKRM

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Paul Cezanne - The Bay of Marseilles

INTERVIEW

GESHELLI LABS

Conducted by K. E. Heartsong

INTERVIEW: GESHELLI LABS

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s I had mentioned in the May issue of the magazine the AXPONA show was the first official show for the AudioKeyREVIEWS! Magazine, though it was but one of many for me.

It was, truly, good to be at a show again to meet, re-meet, and establish an in-person friendship with voices long met, across vast distances, over the phone.

I also met a lot of new people, good folks, and one of the meetings that immediately made a wonderful impressions on me was my meeting with Geno, Sherri, and the family of GESHELLI LABS. Family because it is family started, owned, and maintained and everyone, even Grandad has his part.

They, to a one, were good people, salt-of-the-earth, who brought a warm genuineness and kindness and ease that may one feel, well, immediately at home. It is a feeling that I have noticed as of late that seems long gone from the world.

It was imperative for me to bring their story to our growing audience and, perhaps the world at large, as it is truly a story of inspiration and following one’s bliss.

Geno, Sherri, as I have said here time and again, I’d like to get a general idea of where

life, how your parents may have influenced a love for music, possibly audio. Basically those things that started you on the journey to where you both are now. So this is much less a technical interview than it is an understanding of you and the personal and the inspirational and how family has come to play a role.

and how you grew up, what influenced your

that affected you?

KEH: Where are you from?

SHERRI: Sherri-I’m originally from Connecticut. I’ve lived in California, Maryland, Northern Virginia and now in Melbourne, Florida.

GENO: I’m from Pittsburgh PA. I left in my late ’s to the warm sunny state of Florida.

Go Steelers!

KEH: Was their music in your home? Record Player? CD player? If not how do you think

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INTERVIEW: GESHELLI LABS SHERRI: We had a large wood piece of

business being there. It was great and my

furniture that had a pull-down record player and radio. My parents were not really into music. My older brother on the other hand, loved his tunes. He had a stereo system, tape deck and record player with huge speakers and would blast the neighborhood when my parents were gone.

parents didn’t find out about it until we were

GENO: Oh yes! My dad being an

both adults!

GENO: We didn’t have a lot of money, but we always had access to music. I was always surrounded by excellent musicians. When I was in middle school, I started playing the trumpet which led to a deeper understanding of music theory. Overall, it taught me to

accomplished musician, meant he always had some sort of record, tape, or cd player around with a wide array of music available to listen too. I was always around bands, and when I was my dad handed me a guitar and said, we’re starting a band and you’re playing the bass.

KEH: Was there a family appreciate genres like classical and jazz. At a young age listening to that type of music, it your love for music (art, aesthetics, design)? made me kind of an outcast, but I feel it also SHERRI: My parents were not home much so made me really appreciate the art. At the same time, the bands my dad played in covered a my brother would have to babysit me. He wide arrange of music from pop to blues. always cranked up the music and we would member or another person, who inspired

dance around. I knew all the lyrics from so many bands from the 70’s. Kids were singing Journey songs and I was jamming to Joe’s Garage from Frank Zappa. My brother also took me to my first concert. He was stuck babysitting me and brought me along so he and his friends wouldn’t miss the show. I was around ten or eleven and had no

KEH: I too was introduced to classical and jazz at a very young age and I too, as a result, was an outcast. That I played sports, however, mitigated the isolation. What was your very first system then? How did you listen, in terms of Digital or Analog? How did it make you feel?

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INTERVIEW: GESHELLI LABS GENO: For a good while, it was always big PA systems with big subs etc. Also, for some reason I ended up with one of those boom boxes with all the lights. Don’t remember how, but I surely remember the dual tape decks and led meters going back and forth. When I was older and started my career, I was very into studio work, so I was able to purchase a Yamaha A A with a set of Alesis Monitor One speakers. That was my first “clean” reference setup which we used a lot for recording and playback. Most of the inspiration was playing in bands (with my dad), and visiting different studios (both professional and home). During my mid to late ’s I was able to start upgrading things – buying DAC’s, Amps, then a nice set of Polk speakers, then on to a set of Klipsh towers.

KEH: Sweet. We all know the upgrade path.

What musicians did you admire then, enjoy, love as a young man? Why? SHERRI: Music was such an escape for me growing up. I would sit for hours with my boombox and my fingers on the record/play buttons waiting for that favorite song. I primarily listened to Rock but enjoyed everything from Hard Metal to Show Tunes.

GENO: I always admired my dad. In my eyes,

unloading equipment, and being an all-around musical genius at the same time.

KEH: What a great role model to have and to learn from. Most memorable epiphany that has come from listening to music or turning a good friend or a significant other on to music?

SHERRI: My brother passed a few years ago.

Because we shared a love for music, almost daily a song comes on that reminds me of him.

All my memories with my brother are great, so it always gives me a smile and I feel like he is with me.

GENO: One of the most memorable moments of a “musical epiphany” was when I head Yanni and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra play at the Acropolis back in the early ’s on PBS. I’ll never forget how I was put in a trance hearing music I’ve never heard before. It was “New Age”!. When I married Sherri, I introduced her to Yanni’s music and we’ve gone to several Yanni shows here in Melbourne which we’ve really enjoyed.

KEH: I can completely understand songs associated with people who were important to us and the times we valued, loved in our life. Without our music loving friends and

he was the perfect musician. His dedication to family where would we be? What catalyzing event put you on the road to high-end audio? the art was phenomenal. Always practicing, crafting, learning new songs. At the same time, GENO: I was always into the highest end audio leading bands, doing late night gigs, loading/ equipment I could afford. Sherri was always HIFI adjacent – but always into the music

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itself. When I designed the original ENOG, I let her hear a sample which instantly created a new member of the audio world.

living room, and powder coating shop in the garage! The living room sounded like a car factory, and the air filters were all purple powder coat. We always tell people who are starting businesses to try to find a place outside of your home if you can afford it.

Rent a small office or a small space and develop from there.

KEH: Beautiful! That you didn’t marry each other earlier. I don't believe that I have heard a better answer to that question. So kindred spirits then who have found each other in life. This brings a nice, big smile to my face. How did GESHELLI begin and what were the initial motivations?

GENO: GESHELLI grew organically out of a

KEH: Isn’t it great when a partner, mate loves music just as much as you do. It certainly is for me. What’s the biggest mistake you ever made, personally, and then with GESHELLI? And what did you learn from it?

SHERRI: We both agree the biggest mistake we made was not marrying each other sooner

lifelong dream I had to design my own DAC. Growing up, my family had very little money so things like HIFI audio or even a nice system was out of reach. Food and rent came first and if there was anything left, it was spent on things you needed, not things you wanted. I used to dream about having an amazing audio system, but it was very far out of reach. My friend Mike (who now works for Geshelli) and I used to talk about making our own gear and how we would do it. Fast forward to , I sat down one day and decided to stop wondering and give designing a try. After a few trials and errors, I finished it and gave it to Sherri to try out. She loved it and convinced me to make another one to sell.

I did, we sold it on EBAY to an Enlisted

in life. We dated for years and years but didn’t marry until much later. At GESHELLI – it was soldier at a local Air Force Base. A few days installing an entire SMT assembly line in our

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INTERVIEW: GESHELLI LABS later he called us, raving about the DAC and wanted one for his dad. A week or so later, folks in his unit wanted to buy. When people kept asking for one, we knew we had something that was marketable. What was very important to us was to keep the costs down while maintaining the quality of the DAC.

Seeing someone’s face light up when they learn they can have a high quality, solid product, made in the USA by a couple of music lovers is just such a great feeling.

KEH: Another beautiful story, as you're touching people with your creations. How great is that to do something you love, which finds, well, love in the world. What do you believe sets GESHELLI apart from the other high-end audio retailers/manufacturers?

SHERRI: Because we do as much as possible in-house, we have been able to keep our prices down while maintaining the quality that comes with high-end audio. We have our own PCB assembly lines and do as much as possible ourselves. Our designs are our own and we can pivot quickly if needed. The AKM fire is a good example of this. Within about two months from learning about the fire, we had a new DAC designed, tested, certified and we were able to start production. With the current part shortages, having our own production lines allows us to redesign and produce much easier than manufacturers who rely on board houses to design and/or produce. Our aluminum cases are made in ft long extrusions from Orlando, Florida. We clean and cut the bars down, sandblast and powder coat all in house. My dad makes all the wood cases.

Doing the cases ourselves allows us to customize colors to match anyone’s style.

When you write in or call, you are talking to the owners, and we care deeply about our products and the customers. We worked very hard over the years to establish a solid reputation with both our products and our customer service.

KEH: How could a family as kind and considerate and warm as your family not have great customer service? That would be impossible. What is GESHELLI’s driving philosophy, its goals for the future?

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zmfheadphones.com

INTERVIEW: GESHELLI LABS have been discarded. Recycling and reclaiming philosophy is to make what we want to make at are important for our environment and Joe our an affordable price. We’re fortunate not to be woodworker is a magician at creating absolutely beautiful cases made from wood in a position where an idea gets discarded that would have ended up in the landfill. because a finance person doesn’t think it will sell or it will not be popular enough. We’ve all Going along with the wood look, don’t be worked at places where you have a great idea, surprised to see some nods to the ’s style in future products only to have it dismissed because it isn’t cost effective or there isn’t an established market KEH: The 70’s style sounds great to me! I’ll for it or someone higher up doesn’t want to bring this part of the interview to a close with pursue it. When we made the ENOG DAC without a USB, everyone said it would not sell a question on ethos and philosophy. Tell me, what is GESHELLI’s overall ethos. because you have to have USB. People made fun of us for introducing a balanced only SHERRI: We love what we do. We have three headphone amplifier. Everyone was making generations working at Geshelli. Everyday black and silver products. We came out with there is laughter in the shop. We gather purple, blue, and everything in between. together for lunch, have group discussions Couple that with thirteen different faceplate regarding products and everyone has a voice. color choices and glowing LEDs and you have Being family, sometimes the voices are loud an interesting and fun product that people and opinionated but having different recognize as being a GESHELLI. We are generational views, tastes in music and styles continuing down this path by re-introducing allows us to relate to all ages. Another aspect of the beauty of a wood chassis. Along with our Geshelli that we love is the ability to help current wood offerings, we are starting a line of others in ways we could have never done wood cases that come from wood products that working in a different industry. We’ve had the SHERRI: A very important part of our

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privilege of working with an amazing teacher in Washington State who is encouraging kids who come from traveling farming families to think of a future in STEM. He is teaching them how to design HIFI audio products and we were able to meet with them over Zoom

• Real Genius for a great discussion on audio and starting a • Top Gun (Original) business against the odds. We have met • Breakfast Club countless people who’s first introduction to • Warriors audio gear was through our products. Whether KEH: Is there anything that I’ve not covered, the person is young or old, the discovery of that you like to share or address concerning good HIFI invokes the same delight and transcends all ages. We are proud to be part of GESHELLI? that.

SHERRI: Something I would like to mention

KEH: Wow! You have confirmed for me over and over again across this interview, how important it is to share your wonderfully inspiring and moving story. So, what is your current reference system or your best highend system of all time? Why? GENO: Our current reference system consists of a decent array of headphones ranging from ZMF’s to Spirit Torino’s. For speakers we really like very flat studio monitors (Yamaha HS- ’s) which can help us work out the DAC sound at an engineering level. We usually won’t introduce external amplifiers in our listening chain because we want the setup to be a flat a possible so that’s why we generally pick powered amplifiers.

is when we were starting Geshelli, friends, family and vendors would tell us it isn’t possible for people like us to break into this business. We didn’t have funding, backing, equipment, a reputation and our ideas didn’t bring anything new into the market. When we decided to move forward with our first DAC, we called countless audio stores and vendors and were turned down at every angle. Instead of being discouraged, we just kept grinding because we believed in ourselves and what we were trying to accomplish. If you have an idea and are passionate about it, follow through and see where the idea leads you to. We never expected to be where we are, and we’re having a blast watching Geshelli grow and take on a life of its own.

KEH: What are your five favorite albums and KEH: Sherri, I could not have said it better myself. And as an IT entrepreneur, inventor, movies of all time and why? And art?

GENO: I’ll go with my five favorite songs: • • • • •

Don’t Stop Believing – Journey Take on Me – Aha Hey – Steely Dan Candy – Cameo Stepping Out – Joe Jackson

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Movies • Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone

and creator, I know well the the discouragements faced. Thank you both for a truly wonderful interview. All the best to you.

AKRM

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Edward Steichen - The Maypole (The Empire State Building

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IT’S ALL Audio Cables & Components

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Let us connect you wi

ith it.

audioartcable.com

619-255-6451

QUALITON PHONO 70

AudioKey REVIEWS! I4

By Andre Marc MAY 2022

71

QUALITON PHONO

A

udio Hungary made quite an impression on us with their X tubed integrated amplifier. We were

eager to hear more of the company’s products.

The Qualiton tubed phono stage arrived to satisfy that desire. Our review unit came smartly finished in polished stainless steel, and features an outboard power supply. The unit retails for $

The tube compliment consists of x ECC ; x E CC NOS, hand chosen by Audio Hungary. A Moving Magnet card is

installed by default, and an option Moving Coil card can be installed either by the user, or at the factory. Ours had the MC card preinstalled.

According to Audio Hungary, the preamp should work with virtually any cartridge.

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A full review is in the works, but a a teaser, we can say that the Qualiton phono stage elevates vinyl playback with its holographic

recordings. We even had a few new all analog records to play. Stay tuned for a full review of this solidly built, silky sounding phono stage.

presentation, impeccable timing, and it’s wide soundstage. We found ourselves creating stacks of records across numerous genres to play through through the Qualiton, and we rediscovered some buried gems, and also

THE DISTRIBUTOR Well Pleased AV - mark@wellpleasedav.com wellpleasedav.com.

enjoyed many new pressings of classic AKRM

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LS1

These are the most immersive, dynamic, detail-rich, nuanced, elegant, engaging, emotional, and yes, musical speakers I have ever heard. By far.

Timothy Roth, Positive Feedback

www.grimmaudio.com

MEZE LIRIC

By K. E.Heartsong

MEZE LIRIC

discussion at a nearby table, where a family of three—mother, father, -year-old son—sit having their dinner.

The boy’s tomato juice sits untouched besides his meal. His father exhorts, “Drink your tomato juice.”

The boy responds, “I don’t want to.”

The father doubles down and in a firm, raised voice commands, “Drink your tomato juice.”

Sinclair Lewis’ Babbit and the fictional

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The boy’s mother intercedes on his behalf and says to her husband, “He shouldn’t have to do what he doesn’t want to do.”

To this the father replies, “He can’t go through life doing whatever he wants to do. If he does only what he wants to do, he’ll be dead. Look at me. I’ve never done a thing I wanted to in all my life.”

An astounded Joseph Campbell says, “This was a man who never followed his bliss.”

Professor Campbell relates this incident to

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n Bill Moyers conducted a number of interviews with Professor Joseph Campbell on topics profound, mesmerizing, and, truly, enlightening. One such interview centered on “following one’s bliss.”

At a point in the interview Joseph Campbell relates a story from an earlier part of his life. The story takes place in a Greek restaurant. Professor Campbell is seated alone having dinner, when he overhears the

character—George F. Babbit—whose final statement, at the end of the book is—“I’ve never done a thing I wanted to in all my life.”

Professor Campbell finishes by saying that when you do, indeed, follow your bliss, you will discover a singular realization—the road of your bliss—life’s purpose—has always been there waiting for you to see it, join it. And as you step on to that road, “Doors,” he says, “Will

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MEZE LIRIC open for you that you could not have imagined,” as will, “Helping hands” be there when you most need them.

It is apparent that Antonio Meze has found his bliss which is embodied in beautifully realized headphones and In-Ear-Monitors (IEMs) time and time again. This brings me to

specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.

THE SOUND

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Energetic. Beautifully detailed. Engaging. The Meze LIRIC is certainly a child of Meze Audio, though it is different than each of its siblings and, yet, similar. It is a family, after-all, with eight children and a ninth on the way and there are, of course, distinctions both subtle and very apparent between them.

Like its pricier siblings—Elite, Empyrean— the LIRIC utilizes Rinaro planar-dynamic drivers. In this respect its voice has a wonderful sense of clarity, coherency—whole cloth musicality—exceptional soundstaging abilities, and superb transparency. Like its dynamic the review of the new Meze Audio LIRIC—a siblings— Classic, Neo—and its IEM rare creature, indeed, a closed-back planar siblings—Rai Renta, ADVAR, Classics V — magnetic headphone—which like its planar it is closed-back which does not spill sound (or magnetic siblings sports a proprietary, Rinaro very much) into the surrounding environment drive unit, a beautiful form, and a very and its portable! But how does it sound? compelling voice.

The LIRIC is truly a fun and energetic listen! It is not, however, as refined or as REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how nuanced as the Empyreans, though few headphones at its price point can match the its the equipment actually sounds and not the finesse and refinement. Its ability to uncover process of physically “undressing” it and/or detail above a lowered noise floor and to laying out its various accoutrement,

MEZE LIRIC sustain decorum at relatively high volumes levels, which speaks to an exceptional dynamic range. The Empyreans, however, go a few steps better, in this respect.

The LIRIC’s transparency is superb as is its ability to resolve detail, that bring the slightest of sounds and musicians in from obscurity or banishment, which even some topflight headphones cannot do. And it is wonderfully engaging in its ability to evoke one’s emotion and enjoyment.

The Meze LIRIC’s volumetric cube—its soundstage—is exceptionally large, in the manner of an open-back headphone! The soundstage is wide, deep with very good height and it appears to expand outside of the earcups! Perhaps this is due to the implementation of Meze’s Phase-XTM System, which: “…Allows for a more faithful reproduction of transient sounds and improves ambience and spatial imaging for the listener, taking them closer to the environment of the original source recording.”

Suffice to say, after many weeks of listening, it was, at times, difficult to believe that the LIRIC was not an open-back headphone. Like its pricier siblings—Empyrean Elite, Empyrean—it brings holography to bear on

recordings in a rather matter-of-fact way which translates to ‘easily done.’ And its staging abilities—positioning, layering, spacing—are also very good, like that of its pricier siblings but it falls shy of their overall abilities.

However, for those who’ve not heard or do not own (or plan to own) the Meze’s TOTL

offerings, bliss can, indeed, be found here.

Tone and timbre find the LIRIC poised between the Elite and the Empyrean. For instance, there are certain aspects of its frequency range imbued with a beguiling warmth (bass, midrange), and aspects (treble) that sit it closer to the ‘neutral zone,’ in its, relative, objectivity. The combination provides the LIRIC with a different overall voice, but one that is immersive, energetic, and, again, exceptionally enjoyable!

MEZE LIRIC The Meze LIRIC was paired with the MYTEK Liberty II DAC (review coming) and Liberty HPA in tandem, the DENAFRIPS Pontus II as partnered to the HeadAmp GS-X Mini (review coming), both paired to the Roon Nucleus Plus and/or a Macintosh PowerBook.

The MYTEK Liberty II DAC (standalone), Shanling M DAP, and the Clarus Audio CODA served as additional systems for evaluation.

proved a difficult act to follow across the entirety the frequency spectrum.

MIDRANGE Transparent. Atmospheric. Natural. Mercedes Sosa’s voice on the opening track— “Kyrie [Vidala Baguala]” (Misa Criolla, Universal Music Argentina SA)—is haunting, corporeal, highly

BASS Resounding. Solid. Transparent.

The bass rumbles as Mercedes Sosa’s “Kyrie [Vidala Baguala]” (Misa Criolla, Universal Music

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Argentina SA) opens and the low notes are both somber and compelling. Across this album the LIRICS’s bass will consistently deliver the required weight to bring scope and depth and a tight, solid foundation to every composition. In this respect, the recording is alive and real and beautifully transparent. Few headphones of all technologies—Electrostatic, Planar, Dynamic— have handled this album as favorably. The combination of the HeadAmp GS-X Mini and the MyTek Liberty II DAC with the Meze LIRIC combine to great affect. Suffice to say, that the Holy-Bass-Head-Grail is always well within grasp of the LIRIC. When mated to the Shanling M DAP the coupling was impressive though the GS-X Mini and the Liberty II

resolved, and her words beautifully articulated.

There is nuance and refinement, but the Meze Elite and the Empyrean top the LIRIC in both respects. Sophie Hunger’s “Walzer für niemand” (Rules of Fire, Two Gentlemen), a live recording, plays and tone and timbre of voice, piano, triangle, and violin are natural, delicious, compelling. It is a music lover’s rendering, to be sure. There is an easy holography rendered via the LIRIC of this live performance that paints Sophie on stage, in venue, before an audience with myriad microdynamics of space/ volume revealed moment to moment.

Impressive!

Extended. Detailed. Natural. Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (Time Out, ColumbiaLegacy) enters and the cymbals are, well, cymbals in all of their naturalness and air and shimmer. There is a wonderful delicacy and nuance and an airiness that belies topflight performance in a headphone two rungs below topflight in its own family. The LIRIC and associated bandmates render one of the most natural performances of this track that I have had the pleasure of listening to. Nor was sibilance apparent in any song that was used for treble analysis via the LIRIC and any of its paired companions. The LIRIC brings to bear exceptional treble extension that is transparent, airy, silken.

headphones but planar headphones and, perhaps, an electrostatic headphone or two.

The Meze LIRIC is an easy GOLDEN KEYNOTE award winner for all its combined talents—its ability to capture the listener with its incredible transparency and resolution, the beauty of its voice, and the excitement it compels. Enough said.

Pros: Sweeping, immersive soundstage; energetic and fun; transparent and highly resolving; superb tone/timbre, air, and a natural musicality.

Cons: Not as comfortable in a day-long ( to + hour) wear/listening session as the Elite or the Empyrean.

THE COMPANY

CONCLUSION

Meze Audio

In my review of the Meze Empyrean Elite, I mentioned that it represented “something new.” Well, the Meze LIRIC is also something new and it has been beautifully executed across its industrial design aesthetic, technical implementation, and its voicing.

As mentioned above, the LIRIC is, in many respects, a synergistic coupling of the traits of its pricier siblings, each distinct in its own way, and its less expensive siblings as well. And thus Meze has superbly synthesized these various elements within the LIRIC at a price point that puts it at the center of the family line and with a voice all its own.

Meze LIRIC ($

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Iuliu Maniu str., nr. , st floor, ap. , Baia Mare, , Romania info@mezeaudio.com www.mezeaudio.com

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www.porsche.com

BLUE HAWAII SPECIAL EDITION

By K. E. Heartsong

BLUE HAWAII SPECIAL EDITION

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nce I had discovered the world of electrostatic headphones and headphone amplifiers there was a rather stark revelation made—this technology brings together that which I had not previously imagined possible. And that “that” was the incredible ability to hear deeply into the music, on the one hand to hear things never before experienced—owing to the incredible

nuances, its contours, its landscape and features, its cities and countries, as given voice by the various electrostatic brands—STAX, Viva, Dan Clark, HeadAmp, Trilogy, Linear Tube Audio, to name but a few.

There were the definite consistencies between the electrostatic domains— unparalleled transparency and resolution, whole-cloth musicality, and incredible

transparency—and, on the other, to hear things very well known but now understood like never before. Electrostatics gave me both while providing for incredible engagement and musicality in a ‘whole-cloth’ way that one experiences only at live events. Suffice to say that I was astounded at this revelation which had taken the greater part of my life to discover.

Moreover, the further I travelled into this world, the more I began to understand its

transient speed (think a lightning fast drummer whose every move is captured in time). But as there are different regions and types and tastes of wine, there are differing design implementations and thus different voices of electrostatics. To discover those various voices please read my other reviews on the electrostatic headphones and headphone amplifiers.

This brings me to the review of the HeadAmp company’s Blue Hawaii Special

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Edition Headphone Amplifier or BHSE. It is yet another quite distinct implementation of an electrostatic headphone amplifier from both an industrial design perspective and its circuit design, which incorporates a quad of Mullard EL vacuum tubes (an old-school technology that remains as relevant today as the revival of turntables). And this implementation gives the BHSE its singular voice, different from all others, and yet it is electrostatic, in every respect. But how does it sound?

THE SOUND

The first thing one notices about the Blue Hawaii SE is its naturalness, its ease, and its gravitas—or its ability to put flesh on the bones of real performers/performances across the frequency spectrum—its palpability. There is no thinness, nor ghost-like apparitions wafting about the stage with hollow voices.

There is instead the solidity of female and male vocalists, a strummed viola-de-gamba, a plucked upright bass, a raging Steinway, etc.

And the picture would not be complete REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review without the exceptional detail/micro-detail will be non-sequential, as it will start, below, rendered by the BHSE which easily paints with how the equipment actually sounds and venue, dimensionality, performers in said not the process of physically “undressing” it venue, and the air around them all. The BHSE and/or laying out its various parts, brings these collective ‘truths’ to recording specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as after recording and it draws one in in a most a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, exceptional way. Branford Marsalis’s Eternal, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless long known to me, became such an experience Mind, The Terminator, In the Shadow of the with the BHSE, as did Voces ’s Enchanted Isle Moon, The Queen’s Gambit, etc—that, and Omar Sosa’s Calma, and Peter Gregson’s likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to Bach: The Cello Suites, and a good many others. the beginning.

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BLUE HAWAII SPECIAL EDITION Dynamic headphone amplifiers are said to be more, well, “dynamic” and authoritative, and imbued with greater bass reach in general. In this way, the BHSE is like the synthesis of an exceptional electrostatic and dynamic headphone amplifier in all the many ways it renders the music across various genres.

The word ‘natural’ as mentioned above comes into my notes time and time again with regard to the BHSE. Natural in the sense that tone, timbre, texture, the breath and depth of a given venue, and the ambiance therein are so beautifully captured by the BHSE. In this alone, the BHSE easily finds a place in Top-of-theLine (TOTL) territory.

In fact, its rendering is real enough for one to “suspend disbelief” and settle into one’s chair at the concert, jazz club, symphony of choice, and be taken away by the music. The BHSE is an exceptional talent in this respect and few will want for more. Right-brained or left there is ample musical nutrition—transparency, resolution, detail, musicality, engagement, beauty, etc.—as meted out by the BHSE on which to thrive.

The pairing of the Blue Hawaii SE with the Grimm Audio MU and the Mola Mola Tambaqui provided unparalleled dynamics, transparency, resolution, deep bass assaults, and daunting beauty. When the Bricasti Design M SE DAC stepped in to dance, there was, perhaps, a wee wee bit less dynamics and transparency, at least with the filter that I selected (Minimum , but there are other

wee bit more richness and warmth that captivated in the extreme.

The BHSE’s volumetric cube—its soundstage—is truly vast in that it renders great depth and width and height when called for, while its separation and layering and placement of players upon any given stage has few peers.

Yes, the musician at the rearmost part of the stage will be easily identified and that player’s contribution made relevant.

The BHSE’s was paired with the Accustic Arts Player II CDP, Grimm Audio MU streamer (review coming), the Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC, Bricasti Design M SE DAC, STAX SR- S, Dave Clark VOCE, Audience Front Row cables/wires, AntiCables cables/ wires. The Audience AdeptResponse aRS-T and the TORUS RM provided service as power conditioners.

choices!), but what the M SE brought was a

ticks off all boxes—bass potency, depth, startling dynamics shifts, transparency, a voluminous

BASS Taunt. Propulsive. Agile. Transparent. Yes, Eiji Oui’s “Infernal Dance of King Kashchey” (Stravinsky, Reference Recording, CD) heads my bass analysis section again. I know it so well and it can reveal so many different aspects of overall bass performance—depth, dynamics, slam—as well as the volume of the stage, its depth, width, positioning of musicians, layering, etc. It is tremendously helpful in this respect. “Infernal Dance of King Kashchey” is queued for play. It opens with a taunt, propulsive blow that reaches deeply into the sub-bass strata as the symphony orchestra rises to life in its wake. The BHSE

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BLUE HAWAII SPECIAL EDITION stage, etc.—as I listen through this track and the next. Tone and timbre are also brought into focus, so natural and engaging, so richly musical.The BHSE delivers some tight, tuneful licks via Christian McBride’s “Fat Bach and Greens” (Conversations with Christian, Mack

centerstage, her voice clear, resonant, commanding, beautifully articulated. This portrayal via the BHSE brings atmosphere, richness, nuance, and the ephemeral decay of notes. Outstanding! Of course, it was impossible to stop listening to the entirety of this album via the BHSE at the heart of the system. I could not resist, so Emily D’Angelo’s enargeia was brought in to perform. Those for

Avenue Records). Its slow classical start betrays the rollicking call and response to follow between Regina Carter’s violin and Christian’s in-the-room bass which the BHSE handles with whom the voice or opera or the exceptionally aplomb. Everything is beautifully held together talented are most precious, this is a must have

in this jazz meets classical duo, and PRaT—Pace Rhythm, and Timing—is exceptional. The BHSE renders deep, agile, well resolved, and ‘standup’ bass.

MIDRANGE Mercedes Sosa’s Misa Criolla (Universal Int’l) opens with “Kyrie [Vidala-Bagula]”. Its bass note, at low volume, rumbles with potency, deep within the soundstage, though deeper still in the staging are the massed and haunting voices of the choir. Mercedes enters

album. Opens “O frondens virga” with a lone, somber violin. Emily’s voice follows, it too is somber, ethereal, haunting. Atmosphere, ambiance, air, the reverberation and decay of voice and violin are beautifully detailed by the BHSE from a black-quiet background that beckons anticipation. The synthesis of an Electrostatic and Dynamic headphone amp, as embodied by the BHSE, finds validation across the various songs of these albums and many, many others.

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16 It is, perhaps, the most incredible, if not the best IEM that I have ever had the opportunity to review, let alone listen to.

—Kermit Heartsong, AudioKeyReviews.com

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BLUE HAWAII SPECIAL EDITION the ability of the BHSE to move beyond simulacra to instigate with ease one’s Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (Time Out, suspension of disbelief, stole away many hours Columbia-Legacy, CD) bops in and the cymbals spent listening to entire albums, when I had sing and shimmer with an air-infused, crystal only planned to listen to a given, well known clarity that says live, time and time again. This is song, track, or movement. This, in and of itself, not the ‘scchhhchssss’ of frying food or a faucet speaks to the compelling, immersive, and at full blast, it is the lifelike fidelity of crash, hiengaging way that the BHSE renders one’s hats, and ride cymbals (there have been quite a music. few six-figure, high-end, stereo systems that Our highest award—the DIAMOND could not pull this off!). This portrayal calls for a AWARD—goes to the Blue Hawaii Special sibilant/cymbal-heavy Patricia Barber album, Edition electrostatic headphone amplifier. It is which without the proper component mix can truly the synthesis of an exceptional get piping hot, sibilant, and shrill in half a flash. electrostatic/dynamic headphone amplifier, Or opacity and high-frequency rolloff can hide and may well become an endgame component (bury) the treble heat tout de suite—in half a for many a headphone fan well-versed with the flash. Verse (Koch Records) ought to do it. electrostatic world (or not) and who loves Patricia’s voice is finely articulated, the “S” is music to no end. Perhaps it should be no there but it is not at all sibilant. It is instead, wonder why electrostatics in general come well, natural. The cymbals across the various away with so many awards. tracks are handled beautifully by the BHSE, Pros: Natural musicality, tone and timbre, texture, though the Viva Egoista STX ($ , ) with a frequency-spanning gravitas that fills out the provided greater resolution, air, shimmer, and spectrum and that brings a realness to performers detail, as well it should at more than twice the and performances. cost.

TREBLE+

CONCLUSION The combination of the Grimm Audio MU , the Mola Mola Tambaqui, with the Blue Hawaii SE via either the STAX SR- S or the Dan Clark VOCE was magnificent! To date, the only other combination that exceeded its abilities was the Viva Audio Egoista STX headphone amplifier, at more than double the cost! It is safe to say for those unable or unwilling to pay the additional costs, the Blue Hawaii SE will not, for a moment, disappoint.

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Natural. Yes, again this word has found its way through my notes and into the Conclusion. Suffice to say that, in this respect,

Cons: Well, two XLR inputs would be fantastic and, I imagine, a great deal more expensive. Expensive.

Heavy.

THE COMPANY Blue Hawaii SE Electrostatic Headphone Amp $ , (as outfitted w/ALPS RK step-less) www.headamp.com support@headamp.com AKRM MARCH 2022

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MOLA MOLA KALUGA AudioKeyREVIEWS! I2

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MOLA MOLA KALUGA

T

he Mola Mola Kula integrated amplifier with on board DAC and phono stage so impressed us, that when we were offered the chance to review the Kaluga mono block amplifiers there was no hesitation. These shoe box sized amplifiers are deceptive with regards to their relatively small footprint, as they are absolute powerhouses, offering up watts per channel into ohms, and a whopping watts per channel into ohms! The Mola Mola Kalugas sell for $ ,

side are smaller than most integrated amps, and weigh approximately . lbs each.

Inputs around back include RCA, XLR for signal, and IEC jack for power. A pair of top shelf Japanese made Furutech binding posts complete the picture, which incidentally are bwired directly to the amplifier board with Kubala Sosna cable. This allows for optional bi-wiring of speakers that provide this option.

In appearance, the Kalugas are in line with the Mola Mola aesthetic, which is modern industrial elegance. Of course, internally it features Putzys’ proprietary Class D design. We would suggest taking time to read about it, and there is plenty of information available online if you are interested.

SET UP & LISTENING:

a pair.

We covered the history of Mola Mola and lead designer Bruno Putzys in our Kula review, so we won’t cover that ground again.

Suffice it to say we had high expectations for these standalone mono amps based on our experience with the Kula amplifier section.

The Kalugas arrived packed immaculately in a James Bond style attaché case, and set up was as straightforward as can be. The amps side by

We set the Kalugas up with the fully balanced Rogue RP- tubed preamp front end. Also in tow were a Sonore microRendu streamer, Bryston BDADAC, an Audio Hungary Qualiton phono stage, a Rega Planar turntable, and Magnepan . i speakers. Cabling was Audio Art Cable and Black Cat. All components were plugged into Audience and Bryston power conditioning.

The Kalugas were run balanced out of the Rogue preamp. The only “tweak” aside from Audio Art Cable power cords was a Symposium Svelte Shelf to minimize resonances. The amps were left powered on at all times for best performance on demand. The amps ran slightly warm to the touch.

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First up, we streamed a number of Elvis Of note, all of the tracks Presley recorded from Presley’s best recordings, from the time period this time period are available on several superb covering to . During this time he was high resolution anthologies. given superb material, a great producer, and Joe Strouzer, a brand new Bandcamp discovery from the UK, has finally released his first full length album, From Newcastle to New Orleans. This comes after a slew of EPs, many recorded directly to reel to reel, then transferred to digital. Using all acoustic instruments, Strouzer mines blues, folk, Americana, country rock, and other early th century styles and creates his own original vision. Strouzer’s voice is expressive, unadorned, the best studio musicians of the day. The first unpretentious, and immediately connects with album to come out of this was From Elvis In the listener.

Memphis. The Khz remaster is top notch, My favorite tracks on Newcastle, “St. Claude with even all of the recording artifacts of the Bridge”, “Engineer”, “Homeward Bound”, and day intact.

“Walking Out Your Door” were all presented Presley used his voice in different ways on by the Kalugas immaculately, and let Strouzer’s this recording than he had previously, and the neat trick of sounding young yet old, retro yet Kalugas were simply on point in capturing the modern, shine through beautifully. The tasteful power, emotion and purpose contained in the use of banjo, harmonica, double bass, and vocal performances. Tracks like “In The fiddle gives the album a Cahoots era Band old Ghetto:, “Wearin’ That Loved On Look”, “Only time feel, yet there is a clarity and weight to the The Strong Survive”, and “Gentle On My performances that gives away its recent vintage.

Mind” also feature incredibly sympathetic We did pull out some actual vintage folky arrangements and accompaniments, rendered vinyl to enjoy. First up, a stack of Tom Rush with wonderful nuance by the Kalugas. Some albums, all recorded between and . listeners commented this was as close to Perhaps my favorite is his self titled album hearing studio playback as they can imagine.

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from , released on Columbia records. This superb album features a mix of originals, and songs by Jackson Browne and James Taylor, as well as some traditional material. The arrangements layer horns, lapsteel and strings over Rush’s vocal and guitar. The Kalugas made this dusty old gem sound fresh and vibrant, even shining a light on some of the quaint studio effects of the time. This alone was worth the price of admission!

We then went on a slight Jose Feliciano binge, pulling several of his early albums off the shelf. Feliciano initially made an impact with some tasteful covers of various hits of the day, like “Light My Fire” and “California Dreamin”, mixed in with well known classic Mexican folk songs and originals. The Kalugas made Feliciano’s pure soul voice induce goosebumps, and we kept bringing the stylus back to the beginning.

Circling back to digital, we streamed various ripped SACDs from our local library, including a stack of recently issued Mobile Fidelity remasters. The Eagles, David Crosby, Dire Straits, Vanilla Fudge, and many more have all benefited from MoFi’s secret sauce. To our ears, these DSD remasters overtake all previous digital versions. The Kalugas elevated these recordings and spotlighted the smooth analog sound of DSD. Are the Kalugas perfect? No audio component is. But they are certainly more neutral than some similarly priced tubed designs, and more efficient than similarly priced Class A/B amps. The ability to deliver a

one part of the trick, the fact that it is delivered with such sophistication is the main attraction.

How do the Kalugas compare with the Kula integrated? Impossible to say with certainty, since the Kula left our domicile many months ago. However they are clearly cut from the same cloth. It really depends on how much you want to tinker. The Kalugas obviously allow you to juggle any preamp and source you like, while the Kula can be ordered with world class phono and DAC add ons.

The Kalugas provided the same weight and total control of the speakers, and ultimately the same precision as the Kula. Definitely not any less. The word that kept being thrown around was “effortless”. Listeners were especially taken by how smooth and revealing the top end was. For us, the midrange was where the magic was to be found. It was crystalline, open and intoxicating. Perhaps the area where the Kalugas outshine most, if not all amps we have had in the system prior, is in dynamics and shading. The transition from soft to loud passages was skilful and this may be why the Kalugas were equally effective musically at low, medium and high volumes. This may be – and this is just conjecture – due to the exceptionally low noise floor.

I would have liked to have heard the Mola monos with a high end solid state preamplifier on a par with the Kalugas, but those are not easy to find. I am partial to tube preamps for enhanced harmonics and a holographic midrange, and there are plenty to choose from commensurate in price with the Kalugas. But

lot of current without breaking the grid is just

that is all a matter of personal taste. If one was

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depth, and are easy to situate in any set up. The Kalugas offer up enough power for any

Tambaqui may fit the bill. It was reviewed by our esteemed Editor In Chief here: https:// www.audiokeyreviews.com/the-reviews/molamola-tambaqui

application we can foresee, and they look darn attractive. Mola Mola had proven to be a major force in not just Class D amplification, but in the high performance audio industry, period.

Amazing amps. We happily award the Mola Mola Kalugas with our top award—The DIAMOND AWARD.

CONCLUSION: The Mola Mola Kaluga mono block amplifiers, at approximately grand, deliver far more sonic goodness than their price indicates. Yes, grand is a lot of money, but within the context of a market that gives us power amplifiers of all designs that are priced at many multiples of the Kalugas, these amps are to be reckoned with.

The Kalugas offer a clarity, definition and punch that will make most speakers sound just about their best. Of course, hearing is believing, so auditioning these amps with your speakers is a must. To these ears, the Kalugas made our Magnepans sound their very best up to this point.

In all candor, if we had the scratch to lay out for these amps, we would grab them, and call it a day. They deliver sonic purity with real

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a digital listener only, a DAC preamp would make a lot of sense. If fact, the Mola Mola

Mola Mola Kaluga Mono Block Amplifiers: $ , per pair Company information: Mola Mola Mola-Mola.nl Distributor Information: GTT Audio gttaudio.com AKRM

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JOAN OF AUDIO

By Rain Jordan

LISTEN DEEPLY The sparrow’s song is in you as much as the song is in the sparrow.” —Cynthia Overweg

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arlier, as I was clearing my desk, getting ready for a few hours of writing, and listening to music, I sat silent in my chair with my eyes closed contemplating what direction my writing should take for this article. Suddenly, through the open window, a bird began to sing in the distance. Her pitch, high, clear. Her tone, sweet, enchanting, deliberate. As I listened in silence, I was wholly captivated by the absolute clarity of her song, the undulations in her whistle, the melody of her notes reverberating in concentric circles throughout the room. I could hear that the canyon in which I live, was acting as an amplifier. I listened deeply as her birdsong pervaded my entire awareness. As she sang, the distance between us dissolved.

Nothing else existed, and time stood still.

When it was over, I sat silent for a long while, lingering in the after-effects of the purity

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and depth of the experience. When I opened my eyes, and resumed a more normal level of awareness, I questioned how it was possible to hear the bird singing so vividly and intimately from inside the room. The words “deep listening” came to mind. I recalled a few books on the merits of learning how to listen deeply that I had read many years ago. One was written by composer and musician, Pauline Oliveros, who referred to the art of listening as “deep listening”. She defined it as a “radical attentiveness” and made a distinction between hearing and listening.

Oliveros said, “to hear is the physical means that enables perception. To listen is to give attention to what is perceived both acoustically and psychologically”. She believed that the capacity to listen deeply was required in order to truly know music as the living art that it is.

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JOAN OF AUDIO So, to listen deeply is what we will touch on in this article. For those who are seasoned music lovers, musicians, and audiophiles, your listening aptitude is likely many steps above the novice or average music lover. However, to listen deeply requires our time and attention.

We live in such a fast-paced, goal-driven and

Overweg, writer and meditation teacher, says “that the quality of your attention determines the quality of your inner awareness”. When we give music our full attention, focusing on the qualities and nuances of individual sounds, tuning into things which are not immediately obvious, our thinking mind recedes, and we

competitive culture that we often find ourselves too distracted or tired to be fully present to our music. Yes, we are fortunate that audio technology is easily accessible and affordable and has never sounded better. But regardless of how easy it is to listen to music, if we are not listening attentively enough, our listening experience will always be analogues to hearing background music. Our beloved music will be playing behind the veil of our distractions. Phillip Glass, composer and musician, says it without reserve, “The problem with listening, of course, is that we don’t.

There’s too much noise going on in our heads, so we never really hear anything”.

Even further, many of us have never cultivated the skills to listen to music deeply.

After all, hearing is innate to most, and we take it for granted that we are hearing what is being communicated. But music is an art; we don’t hear or passively listen to a work of art; we are called to participate in it. It calls for our attention, our receptivity, our silent presence.

In her book ‘Silent Awareness”, Cynthia

enter into a deeper awareness. It is in that expansive space of silent awareness, that the music reveals itself to us. As we know, musicians spend years crafting their music.

The work, talent and skill that goes into creating a quality album is astounding. Not to mention, all the other talented people who make it possible for us to experience music; the instrument-makers, the audio engineers, the sound technician, the producers, and many more. And astonishingly, it’s all for us, the listeners. But we will have to learn to listen deeply if we want our listening experience to be as extraordinary as the music itself.

There is no holy book on how to listen to music. We, the listeners are as diverse as the music we listen to, and our listening practices and habits are wide-ranging. Most of us listen to music for enjoyment or entertainment and that is perfectly valid. However, if want to go beyond being entertained, and would like to experience music more fully and deeply, there are ways to evolve your capacity to listen to music. I am not a music professional or deep

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JOAN OF AUDIO listening scholar. My listening aptitude developed organically over many years of listening to recorded and live music much like how I discovered hi-end audio and made it a life-long passion. With no formal training in audio technology or music, I simply let my love for music lead the way. To be fair, I am an auditory learner, an educator, and a meditator.

My audiophile friends often use my listening aptitude to confirm what they are hearing or not hearing. As for meditation, I highly recommend it.

So, I will approach the topic of deep listening by sharing the ways I learned to listen. Because, the truth is our listening capacity will develop naturally and gradually, as we simply begin to pay closer attention to what we are hearing. There are many levels of listening, much like the levels of volume on your stereo. Except listening isn’t just hearing music louder or improving the sound quality of your stereo by purchasing an expensive hiend audio system. Those two actions will increase your ability to hear, not listen. Deep listening happens in our inner awareness. It is dependent on the quality of our own attention and can be cultivated by practicing attentive listening. Many listening experts say that listening happens on three levels. Level one, passive listening, is like listening to music in the background for ambience or mood, or to

cover-up the silence that we dread. Level two is listening for enjoyment. The majority of us listen at this level. The recording industry intends to produce music for consumers to enjoy and most of us do just that. When we listen in this way, music becomes more like a commodity, something we buy and use to satiate our appetite for pleasure or entertainment. The third level is attentive listening. Many music lovers, musicians, music professionals, scholars, listen on this level. The common thread among listeners on level three is not spun from gold nor is it special. It’s simply the practice of listening to music attentively. When we listen attentively, we effortlessly slip into a deeper awareness or experience of the music. What could not be discerned on the other levels of listening becomes immediately available to us. Beyond the surface of passive and enjoyment listening is the multi-dimensional space of deep listening.

In our next issue, I’ll be mapping out my list of user-friendly recommendations for deepening your listening aptitude. And I’ll throw light on how meditation can be hugely instrumental in expanding your capacity to listen on a deeper level. Stay tuned!

AKRM

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AUDIO AURICLE No.1

By Roger Skoff

TIN EARS? ROGER SKOFF WRITES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GOLDEN EARS TO AUDIO ENJOYMENT

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ne of the things I’ve often heard non-audiophiles say about our hobby – especially when they learn how expensive some of our toys can be – is that “That may be fine for you, but I’m sure I could never hear the difference.”

Is that true? Does a person really need to have “Golden Ears” in order to enjoy good music played in high fidelity sound?

Of course not.

Although it’s come over time to have capital letters and to be a marketing term, the idea of “high fidelity” (now “High Fidelity,” “Hi-Fi,” or even the more grandiose “High End Audio”) originally meant nothing more than just the recording and playback of music in a way that would sound similar to the way it did at the

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original time and place of recording.

Or, to put it differently, that would be “highly faithful” (have a high degree of fidelity) to the sound as originally heard.

Even though it sounds simple, that description can, if you let it, have many meanings, and raise many questions, including , for example, “As originally heard by whom?”

Undoubtedly, a violinist in a symphony orchestra at a recording session would have heard something different than had one of the brass players at that same session, or a tympanist, or the conductor, or the audience (if there was one), or any one of the various microphones overhead or mixed-in with the players, or the recording engineer, who was listening through all of them. So which

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AUDIO AURICLE perspective is the “real” one for the sound to be faithful to? And what about the studio multi-track recordings that are done in multiple “takes,” one or two tracks at a time and mixed-down later? For them, there’s never any “original recording session” at all, so how do you be “faithful” to them? What do you be faithful to?

Obviously, there are many possible answers

As music lovers and hi-fi aficionados, what we’re trying for is high fidelity to real music as WE hear it. How it might sound to somebody else is, exactly and for the same reason, as irrelevant in the real world as the difference between what’s heard by the violinist and the brass players, tympanists, and others mentioned earlier. TO US, THE ONLY THING THAT DOES OR SHOULD MATTER IS

to the question of “What did the music really sound like?”, but one seems to be of greatest importance, and that’s “What would it have sounded like to you if you had been there?”

That’s the one I want to explore here, and it immediately brings up the question of how well do YOU hear? Which goes directly back to the issue of “Golden Ears.”

I’ve heard that Anthony H. Cordesman (“AHC”), long-time reviewer for The Absolute Sound, used to have a listening panel of a number of people to help him evaluate the equipment he reviewed and that on that panel was always at least one person of limited hearing ability. Although they couldn’t necessarily hear every tone or detail that the other panelists heard, those people could -exactly as we all do -- compare what their ears told them of the sound of what they were reviewing and of the sound of live music that they had heard and come up with a perfectly reasonable judgment of their similarities and differences.

And that’s all that matters.

WHAT THE MUSIC SOUNDs LIKE TO US! Think of it this way: Imagine a child somehow born wearing the proverbial “rosecolored glasses”. If, during his entire life thereafter, he never took them off, everything he would ever see would have a rose tint; that rose tint would be absolutely normal to him; and if for some reason the tint were ever to temporarily disappear, whatever he saw until it came back would look strange and incorrect to him.

Our hearing is the same thing, exactly: As has been proven by experiments in binaural recording (two channel recording using two microphones mounted in the ears of a false but anatomically correct human head), even the shapes of our pinnae (the visible external parts of our ears) affect how and what we hear, and no two people have pinnae that are identical. (An interesting side note here is that, before fingerprinting and retinal patterns became standard forms of personal identification, the shapes of a person’s pinnae were sometimes used for that purpose.)

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AUDIO AURICLE Because our ears are all different, it’s reasonable to assume that each of us is, in fact, wearing our own personal equivalent of rosecolored glasses, and that, therefore, even listening to the same thing, no two people hear the same thing. Given that as true, the whole meaning of “Golden Ears” changes, and audiologists and hearing tests notwithstanding, what becomes important TO ANY INDIVIDUAL in judging high fidelity sound is not the frequency range (deepest bass to highest treble) or the dynamic range (quietest sound audible to loudest sound reproducible) of the system, but only how well it conforms to what we would hear if we were listening to live music.

And that brings up another new issue, entirely: how well we listen or, to put it differently, how well we use those personal ears that we have and are (from an absolute standpoint) either blessed or stuck with.

Some people do, in fact, hear better than others. And women tend to hear better than

And for either of those purposes, who listens better will always be more important than just who hears better.

Importantly, whereas hearing ability is pretty much a matter just of genetics and freedom from injury or other problems, listening is a skill that can be learned and that can enhance our lives, our Hi-Fi hobby, and our musical enjoyment immeasurably.

If you’d like, that can be the subject for my next column.

men. And dogs hear better than any human.

And bats hear even better than that. So what?

The issue in high fidelity sound reproduction AKRM is not (unless it specifically IS) a competition to learn who’s got better ears, but a concern for who hears more – either for purposes of evaluation or just for sheer enjoyment.

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COMPONENTS( V IDE O ) SHORT & SWEET REVIEWS

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elcome to AudioKeyREVIEWS! Magazine’s

video component review, our first. In this respect, we ask for your patience as we feel things out and adjust to the tenor of the ‘video reviewing’ times. That said, we will approach the reviews from a perspective of brevity, efficiency, and, as always, getting to the dessert of the review—the sound—as quickly as possible. The various reviews will include products of all types—speakers, DACs, amplifiers, preamplifiers, headphones, IEMs, portable audio, etc.—and from manufacturers across the wide world. And in holding with our review philosophy, if a given component does not review well, rather than flame it or write a bad review we will return it to its manufacturer with the caveat, that, perhaps, our system synergy was not able to show it in its best light, or our quite subjective criteria was not met. And nary will a negative word be said against it. There is far too much negativity in the world and we do not wish to contribute to it. The reviews, in general, will be no longer than minutes, as it is not about us but the product under review. Please do see our written component reviews for more detail.

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MERASON FRÉROT DAC & POW1

By Oliver Masciarotte MAY 2022

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have to admit to an enduring prejudice, having spent much of my career co– developing and promoting products that support the current common HRA or High Resolution Audio sample rates; times ,

analog tape, vacuum tubes and vinyl. Why, pray tell, am I telling you all this? Read on, gentle observer…

One of the many reasons why pro audio companies pushed the technical boundaries of

and , . The former “ . ” is the Compact Disc sample rate, while k is the base digital video rate. That math comes out to . and kHz respectively. For music consumers, x . or . kHz is a very high precision recording and playback format, and is easily downsampled without heroic mathematical efforts to . k. When done carefully, x digital audio easily surpasses even the best analog in terms of measurable and, for me, subjective performance. Recent discoveries in DSP or Digital Signal Processing have even managed

sample rate, inching ever upward from that first , samples per second “Red Book” CD standard, was to increase the bandwidth or highest frequency that can be stored. Analog tape can encode quite high frequency, but it’s buried in steaming heaps of noise, so engineers wanted to do better. Starting with the initial “R– R” or “multibit” digital–to– analog converter (DAC) designs, the process of transforming a stream of discrete numbers back into a continuous analog signal gradually improved to the point where now we have

to capture the “magic” somehow embodied in

“delta–sigma” oversampling DAC chips with

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exceptionally good sounding (and measured) performance. All that blather leads me up to the actual topic at hand; Merason’s $ frérot + $ pow USB DAC plus linear power supply. The frérot take a minimalist

increases the amount of time it takes for someone to reach a decision. Welcome to Hick’s Law, where more options increase the time required to make a choice. With the Merason frérot, one need not worry. Its

approach in keeping with the Merason motto of “Weniger ist mehr” or less is more. Rather than using a state–of–the–art, delta–sigma chip, the frérot leverages a now nineteen year old design.

Some DACs or Digital–to–Analog Converters allow you to dive deeply into their digital heart.

The owner may decide to try different anti– image filter topologies‡ or to choose a solid or hollow state input stage. Choice is good…up to

designer, Swiss engineer Daniel Frauchiger and founder of both Merason and OEM consultancy Niedal Audio Lab, believes that your ears, not specs, should be the final arbiter, and the old ways are best even when dealing with digital. His two piece, mid–priced frérot DAC plus pow external power supply are as free of clutter as they are of features. The frérot has two front panel LED indicators, one for power and another for input lock. The only other fascia property is a four–position rotary input selector. That’s it, Doctor Hicks. No

a point. Increased numbers of possibilities

information overload here.

HICK’S LAW

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Though the frérot can be powered from an included external v wall wart, for this review the much cleaner companion pow PSU was supplied. On the rear panel are balanced and unbalanced outputs, along with two AESunbalanced digital inputs on RCA, two AESoptical ins on F , and a single USB Type A socket for connection to a computer. For this

hews to a late ’ s view of digital, supporting . k samples per second on up to k or x kHz. En français, frérot means “kid brother,” and the frérot DAC shares an old skool converter with his big brother, the DAC . Both products employ Burr–Brown’s bit PCM A monolithic DAC chips, first released in the Digital Dark Ages circa .

review, I ignored the inferior, jitter–prone optical ins as well as the AES digital inputs, and focused solely on the frérot’s USB input.

Certain folks are driven as much by their eyes as they are by their other senses. I am not one of them. I’ll always appreciate an excellent example of industrial composition, but it’s the sound that really matters. Some companies also travel along a different path, a minimalist approach where many choices are made during the design process, presenting the consumer with fewer, more thought–through

Each chip is capable of stereo operation but is wired to provide a single channel for an extra decibels of decreased noise floor.

attributes and choices. Feature–wise, the frérot

handles the MSBs or most significant bits, the loud stuff, while another handles the quiet

LE COEUR DE MON FRÉROT The Burr–Brown division of Texas Instruments (TI) refers to their as an “ultra high performance DAC,” with a top sampling rate of kHz. After much listening, Merason chose it for its sound quality. It is a “segmented DAC” design, whereby two sub–DACs are used, with each optimized for a different role. One DAC

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MERASON FRÉROT DAC & POW1 LSBs or Least Significant Bits. The outputs of the two “segments” are then added together for the final signal. The implementation sits between delta–sigma and multibit, with a bit delta–sigma segment for MSBs and an bit, multibit approach for LSBs. The frérot presses

IN USE

a discreet Class A transimpedance amplifier into service to convert the DAC chip’s current output to a voltage with enough gain so your power amp is happy. Also serving the goal of better sound, all input signals are galvanically isolated to suppress noise, and the balanced outputs are realized electronically with, as distributor Mark Sossa wrote, “…four independent channels from the output of the two converter chips to the output of the

keyboard prodigy Joey Alexander. After digging into his wonderful (as my child would say, “Literally!”) release Warna to get my

frérot.”

soundstage with a more contemporary sonic

Discussing tech is one thing, but what does the frérot plus pow actually sound like? After level matching my exaSound with the frérot, I started my explorations by enlisting Malay jazz

bearings, I moved ahead to this year’s Origin [both Qobuz k]. The first thing that struck me was the differences between the two recordings. The older recording exhibited a compressed soundstage, with the piano snuggled up in front of the drums. Origin had a more believable, more defined, ambient

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signature. The frérot nicely delineated those differences, while presenting a relaxed, well balanced sound in keeping with Alexander’s evolving composition and band leadership.

What I first thought was loss of top-end extension and air turned out to be something far more subtle and interesting; texture and the “space around the notes.” Many folks hold the opinion that “digital” has a harsh and unpleasant sound quality relative to “analog.”

Comparing the Merason with my $ k exaSound, which is based on ESS Technology’s Sabre delta–sigma DAC chip, clearly illustrates the differences. On Tank and the Bangas’ R&B album Red Balloon

me like Pro Tools’ misshapen fingerprint. The Merason polishes off the raspiness without removing detail. At the same time, it spackles over some of that space in between the notes.

In comparison, the exaSound retains the unpleasant texture but communicates more of the emptiness between each aural event. Two contrasting approaches to rendering the same data, subjectively quite similar to a smoother DSD version when compared to a sharper PCM version of the same song.

One band I revisit a few times a year is Dire Straits. The newly released compilation, Money For Nothing [Qobuz

k], affords a fresh view into the brilliance of both band and Bob Ludwig’s mastering. The acerbic tongue in cheek title song, not to mention its pioneering Minecraft–style music video, is a perpetual delight. During this listen, I was focused on Mr. Stingy’s vocals when I noticed the cowbell that shows up near the end…more cowbell! Seriously, perceived transient response, guitar bite and vocal fry, are telegraphed from the frérot with a more [Qobuz . ], vocals on the track “Stolen Fruit” velvety touch that my converters with delta– sigma hearts. have a modern scratchiness, what sounds to

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There were two other aspects that I sought for a better understanding of Daniel Frauchiger’s view of sound quality; air and ambience. I think of air as the very top of our perception, those very high frequencies and yes, ultrasonics, through which I am informed of distances, room boundaries and a certain hint of reality. A . kHz sample rate will encode half that frequency, or . kHz, which captures ultrasonics nicely without undo temporal distortion. Listening to . kHz

pow deliver that essential and elusive audio quality; verisimilitude. Pair it with other better quality components, and you have the makings of a very high performance and potentially modestly priced two channel system.

Personally, I can attest to the match with a more forward speaker to provide some balance and restraint. In my case, it was the set of Starke Sound IC-H Elite bookshelfs I had in– house during this review, but could have just have easily been a pair of Joseph Audio or Von

HRA recordings from engineers Morten Lindberg ( L) and Dr. Keith Johnson (Reference Recordings), I found the frérot to not be the champ at conveying airiness, but it does paint a finely textured picture nonetheless. By the way, at the other end, the frérot holds its own in the bottom octave.

Schweikert speakers, examples with aggressive “detail.” As a self confessed effete digital audio snob, I was pleasantly surprised by the easy going presentation, welcome simplicity and outstanding value of Merason’s frérot and matching pow .

CONCLUSIONS Despite my misgivings about outdated tech, there were no instances where I felt the frérot + pow was left wanting. The design path that was taken results in a refreshingly straightforward solution for digital audio playback. The combination of very reasonable price and high performance should be embraced by the vast majority of audiophiles, who cannot afford to trade in their car to fund a DAC purchase. Plus, it’s the opposite of a typical budget priced DAC, where so many features are packed in by the marketing department that it purposefully boggles the mind of inexperienced buyers. The frérot +

ADDITIONAL GEAR: Source — Amarra Luxe Amplification — Parasound JC Conversion — exaSound e Mk. II Cabling — ANTICABLES Level . speaker, Soundstring GEN II Beta - S XLR, VUE Cables Digital VU- USB US IMPORTER: Merason Frérot $ Merason pow $ Mark Sossa, Well Pleased AV https://wellpleasedav.com/ AKRM

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QLN ONE

By Andre Marc

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QLN ONE

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here is no shortage of high performance, high end audiophile monitors on the market for astute listeners to choose from. Designers are going above and beyond to stand out from the crowd,

with the drive to innovate and offer a high value product having never been stronger.

One such company is Qln, based in Sweden, and they have been producing top shelf loudspeakers for decades. Mark Sossa—the Director Of Sales And Marketing—of Well Pleased AV brings Qln products into the USA,

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and offered us their newest product for review, the Oln One monitor, which retails for $ .

The One is a two way, pyramid shaped stand mount monitor that Sossa helped fine tune. The speaker is beautiful in appearance, with impressive workmanship and an attention to detail in the finish and execution. The binding posts are single wired WBT, and the whole package makes it appear a more expensive product than the list price. There are several finishes available, and our pair arrived in a very sweet looking walnut matte finish.

Qln outfits the One with a soft dome tweeter and a inch woofer. Qln’s published specs say the speaker reaches down to Hz, and is of medium sensitivity.

The company emphasizes that there is a constant impedance load, which makes the speaker more amplifier friendly and works especially well with tube amps. Qln believes in cabinet rigidity and uses proprietary bracing techniques, along with carefully situated dampening material. There is a trumpet shaped rear port designed for minimum resonance. Most unusually, Qln uses their own proprietary internal copper wiring.

The speakers are substantial for their size, weighing at approx. lbs each. Of note, Qln does sell a dedicated stand for the One. The stand is inches, which Qln says is optimal.

Grilles are supplied, but were left off during listening sessions.

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QLN ONE SET UP & LISTENING: We set the Qln One’s up in our main system, driven for the most part by the recently reviewed Audio Hungary Qualiton watt tube integrated amp, as well as several other amps. Our source was a Rega Planar turntable, and a Sonore microRendu

streamer / Bryston BDA- DAC combo.

Cabling was a mix of Black Cat and Audio Art Cable.

After a few days we settled on about degrees of toe in. This provided the best treble and midrange balance. The speakers were roughly feet apart and we sat approximately eight feet from the speakers. There was plenty of space around the monitors to keep room interaction at a minimum.

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What we heard after about a week of casual listening was what seemed like a very neutral, nicely balanced, and layered overall presentation. Our initial impressions were confirmed over the long term. There was lots of nuance at the top end, and the midrange was highly transparent, clean, and free from

any distinct coloration. This really came to light after listening to numerous recordings that had been in heavy rotation in the prior months. One such album, Retrospective, a brilliant sounding SACD of many of the Eric Burden and the Animals best ’s output, was amazingly analog sounding, and the amount of detail retrieval was stunning, but not to the point of distraction.

Tracks such as “Inside Looking Out”, “Don’t Bring Me Down”, and “See See Rider”

Love and Rainbow Bridge, both remastered

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for vinyl and CD by Bernie Grundman.

These two albums, released not long after Hendrix passed away, are filled with songs he was working on at his own Electric Ladyland studios in New York, and which were to appear on a double album he was conceptualizing. The material is powerful, drawing on funk, psychedelia, sound art, and blues. The Qln pair made these albums sound fresh and exciting a good years after their initial release.

Tracks like “Dolly Dagger”, “Freedom”, the often covered “Angel”, and “Ezy Rider” spill out of the speakers with ferocity and precision.

There were quite a few overdubs and layers to these recordings, and the One was able to navigate through all of them and provide a seamless, powerful window into Jimi’s last creative burst.

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are filled with tension and release, with fuzzed A recently released self titled LP by a Los guitars, organ, and Eric Burden’s commanding Angeles based group called Cadence Calling, is vocals. Chas Chandler’s iconic bass lines were distinct and powerful. (Chandler went on to manage and produce one Jimi Hendrix!) The Qln One did a superb job of presenting these raw recordings and everything just seemed to snap into focus, reminding me very much of the original vinyl I used to spin as an early teen, but with much higher fidelity.

Speaking of Hendrix, we revisited our two favorite posthumous albums, The Cry Of

a stunner through and through. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered for vinyl one hundred percent analog. They subsequently did release a kHz digital download as well. The group calls upon early ’s folk rock and the laid back California sound in the style of Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and others. We found the album enchanting, and the Qln’s beautifully captured the overall vintage vibe and warmth of the recording.

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Recently, I took a deep dive into the catalog of iconic Spanish songstress Rocio Durcal.

She had her heyday in the late ’s and early ’s combining flamenco, traditional latin styles, including Mexican ranchera, and pop music into a powerful, original blend. There are a number of good bit remastered anthologies to choose from, and all are well done, with Durcal’s sublime voice rendered lovingly via the Qln pair. The accompaniment on many of her best known songs is layered with strings, horns and percussion. Her flair for the dramatic comes through delightfully.

We had many requests to play some of these albums over and over again while the Qln’s were in the house!

No matter what the genre, or the vintage of the recording, the Qln One’s seemed to just be the messenger, offering a nice clean window into the music. They will not plumb the depths like a floor stander loaded with large drivers, but the bass performance was spot on, and highly accurate. The Qln One also was exceptional at handling transients, especially with drums, quick percussion instruments, and piano. Are the speakers perfect? No transducer is, but we found it very difficult to find any obvious sonic flaws. They held our attention, and never ceased to be engaging.

appearance. It is clear the Qln One should be matched with well chosen amplification and cables, as this will pay dividends. The more transparent the source, the more the One will rise to the occasion.

As noted, there is an endless array of two way monitors available for audiophiles to choose from, but Qln is definitely an ear opener with its highly accurate, transparent, and well balanced sound. The Qin’s are also well appointed in the coherence department.

These speakers are definitely not a flash in the pan. They reveal themselves to the listener and become more endearing over time, instead of dazzling with fireworks that then go on to lose their lustre over time.

For a smidge under k, the Oln One is seen to be full of good Swedish engineering, natural tonality, and is very high value. A must hear for those in the market for a reasonably priced high performance monitor. It is clear that a lot of thought went into the product. We also highly recommend inquiring about the dedicated stands. Well done Qln!

CONCLUSION:

Mark Sossa, Well Pleased AV

Product information: Manufacturer product page: https://qln.se/one/ US importer:

https://wellpleasedav.com/ The Qln One monitor is a beautifully designed stand mount that offers elegance in its sonic presentation, and class in its physical AKRM

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By Oliver Masciarotte

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he Playmate is an unassuming desktop digital–to–analog converter (DAC) plus unbalanced headphone amp (HPA) from Aussie operational amplifier specialists Burson Audio. The Playmate DAC/

HPA is available in two configurations; The $ basic package is populated with pairs of commodity dual and single op amps.

All four are socketed for easy swapping. The n family is perhaps the most common op amp used in pro audio products. They aren’t “high fidelity,” but they are a good compromise between cost and performance. Hence, their popularity. For a $ upcharge, the V version subs out the bog simple monolithic s for two pairs of Burson’s own fire engine red, fully

means that the op amps are created from individual parts as opposed to an “integrated circuit” or IC amp, in which the entire “chip” or device is fabricated on top of a tiny silicon substrate. A milled, four button aluminum remote is also included in the V package. The fancier version was my review example sans a remote. What are “op amps” you may ask? With their inherently balanced inputs, these tiny amplifiers are essential to most consumer and pro audio. Sold as single, dual or quad (four) amps in one “package,” think of a single op amp as a miniature monoblock, while a dual would be equivalent to a stereo amp.

The Playmate develops a quite hefty Watts into a typical load, enough to power some % of the dynamic headphones on Earth. When playing at moderate levels, the case gets warm to the touch, like a salmon–filled kitty curled on your desk. When I first received the ’mate, it is made in Australia after all, it exhibited a low amplitude noise whenever the unit was powered. The noise was present in the ⅛" headphone jack regardless of setting or whether the unit was plugged into a computer or not. I tried flipping the AC plug at the back, and also tried another AC wall outlet entirely; no difference. The manufacturer took their sweet time swapping out the main PCB or printed circuit board, which did solve the

discreet V Vivid op amps. the discreet label

problem.

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smaller the input amplitude, the larger the

distortion. Most amplifiers are Class A/B, starting out in Class A, then transition to the more efficient Class B when asked to play LOUD where that distortion I mentioned is subjectively masked. I let the Playmate warm

up and stabilize temperature for about minutes before critical listening.

The Playmate sports the new USB-C connector, which works well with most modern phones though older phones and computers will require an adapter. After wiring up both DACs, the first surprise was just how different the two products sound with exactly the same bitstream as input. The Burson speaks with a more authoritative low end leading into a touch of midrange emphasis, while the PHA- is voiced more for a natural

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For my listening, I started out with my old skool reference team; Audeze’s big wooden LCD- circumaural planar magnetics supplied by a bitstream courtesy of Sonic Studio’s Amarra Luxe with MAAT Labs’ thEQred enlisted for voicing.

The LCD- s are not the most efficient cans on earth, making them a good choice for testing. Trying to compare apples to apples, I grabbed my trusty Sony PHA- mobile DAC/HPA. The PHA- is battery– powered, while the Playmate is mains powered by a supplied inline switching supply.

Having a less powerful output, I ran the PHA- flat out while using the Playmate ’s volume control to bring its output down to match levels. The Playmate and the far smaller PHA- are —very— different internally, but cost about the same so I thought it a fair comparison. Since The Burson is a Class A design, it wastes most of its energy on heating its surroundings. In doing so, it eliminates crossover distortion, that peculiarity of Class B designs where the

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midrange and high end. Graham Nash’s I Used To Be A King from the recent Proper Records release, Live: Songs For Beginners [Qobuz / ] provides a good example. The pedal steel panned hard left was more prominent in

So as not to form an opinion based on one set of cans, I switched to my high sensitivity, most extended response earphones. beyerdynamic’s Xelento Remote are high magnetic flux, single Tesla driver in–ears in a sintered metal housing. Like the LCD- , they are hand made.

Apparently, they present a very different load to an amplifier when compared to the Audezes. Switching between the Burson and Sony products did point up the same differences I heard with my LCD- s, but the magnitude of the change was much smaller; Burson still made a more robust bottom and was a bit mid–forward, while the Burson version, part of a wider soundstage. the Sony was more equal across the frequency The soft drum count off at the beginning felt spectrum. Detail and transient response: the closer to the mic in the Burson version, while two units take a different subjective tack… the PHA- places it a bit back, surrounded by There’s a triangle down in the mix acting as more room response. This is a salient ear candy in the intro to The Waterboys’ track, difference between the two; The Burson offers The Southern Moon, from their All Souls Hill a wider, more forward by a few rows album [TIDAL . / ]. with the Burson, that presentation, while the PHA- seats you back delicate metallic percussion was more present, in the hall, bathed in slightly more reverb.

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BURSON AUDIO PLAYMATE 2 and a bit more substantial than with the Gain staging aside, I have two major PHA- . I have to point out that, when listening complaints about Miss Playmate…My biggest with the in–ears, these were small divergences beef is that the volume control is not velocity– that are best heard with a quick swap. Only the sensitive. In other words, the rate of change is

most acute listener, of which I am not one, would be able to discern the differences in isolation.

All is not sweetness and light…Let’s start with no gain switch. Yup, there’s no way to turn down the gain structure internally to optimize for highly sensitive in–ear monitors or, at the opposite end, for old skool Ω pro headphones that demand POWER. The Playmate has a one–size–fits–all approach to amplification, which is a pity.

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constant as you twiddle the knob. With more sophisticated products; if you spin the knob quickly, the rate of change is larger. It lets you rapidly make big changes, then slow the rotation and decrease the rate of change to fine tune your setting. With the Playmate , you have to slowly slog through the volume control’s entire range.

My second dislike is the laughably inadequate user manual. Let’s start with the factory’s own invitation to open the case up and start swapping integrated circuits. The

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documentation provides only a cursory mention, with no clear illustrations or written

description on how to accomplish that! I used to be an electronics production tech when I was starting out, so I know which way is up when it comes to such things. That said, the user manual should really be a Quick Start because it doesn’t even cover the device’s own menus. You are on you own when it comes to undocumented entries like “PRE LV”, “FIRFILTER”, “DPLL” and my favorite; “EMPHASIS”. What I assume is actually digital—de–emphasis—appears in the submenu as ON or OFF. Accidentally enabling that feature will shelf down everything above . kHz, making for mysteriously dull sounding

Sidebar

M

QA decoding is a two step process.

Even if you are a TIDAL subscriber, you can enjoy some if not all MQA benefits with only the right software player.

TIDAL’s own player app, along with better fidelity players like Audirvana Studio and Amarra Luxe, can perform the first decoding step. The second decode stage must happen in the DAC. With that in mind, I dove into the brilliant Robert Glasper’s latest, Black Radio III [TIDAL MQA / ], a heavily jazz–influenced R&B exploration. Still using Amarra, I queued up track four, Why We Speak, which features hard panned backing vocals, Glasper’s keyboard and several lovely rhythm guitar contributions.

Comparing the MQA–encoded stream from TIDAL, with the non–MQA FLAC stream delivered from Qobuz, I could clearly hear the subtle improvement in detail and transient response that the first MQA “unfolding” in software provided.

playback. DACs normally are able to recognize and act on a “flag” or marker embedded in a digital audio stream that indicates that de– emphasis is automatically needed.

Oh yeah, almost forgot…no MQA. Unless you’re a TIDAL subscriber, this should not worry you as that HRA pioneer is the only major streaming service that supports the

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Master Quality Authenticated format. While I do enjoy and appreciate the MQA format, the increased costs and complexity during production has and will most likely continue to hinder uptake to the point that TIDAL may be the only big league supporter. Yes, there are MQA–encoded CDs… I have a few, and that’s my point. There are way fewer shiny MQA discs out there even compared to the “dead” (hah!) SACD format.

Another important feature for me is Burson’s support for DSD or Direct Stream Digital, the same codec used in the SACD format. The Playmate does support all common versions of DSD. Extended listening to the Playmate rewarded me with oodles of sizzle without the metallic harshness and excessive dryness usually experienced with lesser DACs at this price. The Burson’s lower distortion offers a truer representation of the data than you’d expect from such a modest product.

Burson also offers a longer warrantee

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period than many, which engenders peace of mind in our world of planned obsolescence.

That big bottom I mentioned earlier derives, in part, from the Burson’s ability to deliver higher power to a load. More power translates into better LF grip, and those Watts of clean Class A goodness make for a delightful and affordable audio affair.

The Burson Playmate is a worthy choice for anyone wanting to dip their toes into personal listening waters and, with its line level RCA outputs, it can perform yeoman DAC duties in a desktop stereo rig as well. Just before I received my eval unit, I said goodbye to an allegedly fancy European two–piece HPA from Ferrum, the OOR + HYPSOS, that Kermit reviewed in March of this year. Though the Ferrum duo would set you back more than twice what the Burson costs, I would happily take a Playmate any day. The extreme dryness, the bleached character of the OOR was not at all to my liking. Plus, one would save quite a bit by going with the Aussie offering. As my Australian friends would say, “Good on ya, mate!” In this case, I’d go with “Good on ya, Playmate!”

THE COMPANY Buron Audio Playmate ($

)

https://www.bursonaudio.com/ contactZMF@gmail.com AKRM

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RECOMMENDED

COMPONENTS

W

elcome to AudioKeyREVIEWS Magazine’s

Recommended Components, which will become part and parcel of each of our various issues. The purpose of this section is to acquaint the reader with products—speakers, DACs, amplifiers, preamplifiers, turntables, headphones, IEMs, streamers, portable audio, etc.

—that we feel are quite exceptional and rise above their like brethren. There will be three categories—Budget, Mid-Tier, and Top-Of-The-Line. In our Budget Recommendations there will be products that compete far above their respective price point and are, generally, also built to reflect this.Our Mid-Tier Recommendations will encompass those products within arms reach, in terms of relative affordability, that present value and a challenge to the vanguard of their respective product niches. Finally, our TOTL Recommendations will be composed of those products that are at the cutting edge of technological advancement now happening across the world.

The three categories of recommendations will rotate across the various issues of our magazine and there will also be a fluidity to the products within the various lists. Things change and especially now given our current technological epoch.

The various lists, however, will be fixed on the AudioKeyReviews.com website.

Joan Shelly

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RECOMMENDED 30 29

UP TO $

. ASTELL&KERN SE $ : A DAP that travels and that does not leave one yearning for one’s home-based desktop or even one’s HiFi system! I would have thought the SE the TOTL DAP when judged by its abilities, but it’s not. . BURSON AUDIO CONDUCTOR XP $ : The Burson Audio Conductor XP delivers a transparent, natural, and highly engaging, musical experience, well beyond its price point. The Burson Conductor XP is highly recommended! . STAX SRMT$ : For those new to electrostatics the SRMT may serve as a beacon to a world that is immensely charming, musical, and communicates as if a breath of fresh air. It’s a great starting point. . ZMF ATTICUS $ : Absolutely gorgeous in aesthetic, prodigiously musical, mesmerizingly transparent, offering an immensity of soundstage second to very, very few. And then there is its beguiling camphor wood aroma… . TRI-ART P-SERIES $ : It is a component made by a music lover and artist and, in truth, a visionary, who sought to provide more for the Everyman/Woman, whose hard-earned dollars deserved more…

nordost.com

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RECOMMENDED

UP TO $

(CONT’D)

. SCHITT FREYA for $ : The Schiit Freya+ gets our highest recommendation. For $ you get a triple mode line stage, with a stepped attenuator, rarely used but beautiful sounding SN tubes and a nice metal remote control. . FIIO FD IEM $ : The FiiO FD from a design, aesthetic, build, and operational perspective is, indeed, a flagship product. It also provides a wealth of accessories that few flagships have, to date, matched. . iBASSO AM $ : The AM is very well made, aesthetically quite beautiful, and provides for one of the most easy to place and most comfortable fits for an IEMs that we have ever reviewed. . AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt $ : Music via the DragonFly Cobalt will very much engage heart and mind and soul, above that of both its brethren, with a rich, natural, and transparent musicality that is highly addictive. . Clarus Audio CODA $ : The Clarus CODA is much more than anticipated, For the price, its decoding Strengths, its musicality, solid build, the CODA has few if any competition at its price point., very highly recommended!

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MID TO HIGH-END Magical măjʹĭ-kəl▶ Of, relating to, or produced by magic.

Syn•er•gy sĭnʹər-jē▶ The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

F

or us a Magical Synergy represents two foremost and not professionals who produce components or more, that together music or movies for a living and require make music far above what either make different synergies, nor do measurements separately. Generally, we’ve discovered Magical come into determination for us of what is a Synergies via reviews, where we mix and good Magical Synergy and what is not. No, for match a good number of components to this we determine by ear, heart, and soul, that determine how one of the components—the which moves us, provides for that “vibrational” component under review—sounds. comfort food, and a rich and engaging musical And while there may be strengths and experience. The experience should, of course, weaknesses between the various combinations, come with sufficient detail and resolution and the Magical Synergy represents that fidelity to recreate venue and/or the experience combination which has very few if any of listening to live music, when appropriate. weaknesses and a wealth of combined After a long and trying day in this topsy-turvy strengths. world, wouldn’t it be wonderful if some small In this respect, we’ve done the homework measure of nirvana could be achieved through for the reader by evaluating numerous combinations to uncover the Magical Synergy, as many of you may not have the time, options, or financial wherewithal to make these determinations. And Magical Synergies are not always uncovered in our reviews and or our research, as they tend to be, well, rare.

A note on the various Magical Synergies that we uncover. We are music lovers first and

one’s music and the components that play it back?

In other words, our Magical Synergies do not render music that is dry, unengaging, subtractively neutral (see dry, boring, etc.), flat, or lacking in dynamics, when called for.

Please find for your review a number of Magical Synergies below.

, The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, th Edition.

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MAGICAL SYNERGIES

UNDER $ k

FERRUM OOR/HYPSOS & ZMF ATTICUS

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ransparency and resolution were quite good across the bass, especially good across the midrange, and exceptional at the edge of treble heights—cymbals, Hi-Hats, brushes drawn across cymbals—where it was clean, detailed and extended.

The Ferrum OOR and HYPSOS are two beautifully designed components that together render a truly transparent, highly resolving, neutral, though engaging platform that lets one’s music be. There is exceedingly little to no editorializing, though the combo offers a wealth of options should one seek to ‘editorialize’ one’s music. The Ferrum OOR and HYPSOS represent our latest HIGH NINES AWARD WINNER and together they are highly recommended!

The Atticus, undeniably, plays to the skill and abilities of its partnering components. Partner it with a Top-of-theLine DAC, headphone ampli er, integrated (as I did), and it will stand toe to toe with all comers and exhibit skills and abilities more closely related to another type of headphone altogether.

Should you, however, partner the Atticus with lesser components, what you will hear are the limitations of those components and not the Atticus. Though even in this respect it will lift all boats.

This is the classic case of Ying meets Yang and it’s brilliant!

MAGICAL SYNERGIES

UNDER $

k

ZMF VÉRÍTÉ & MOLA MOLA TAMBAQUI

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orgeous. Incredibly transparent, resolving, detail rich, fast, fast, fast, and astonishingly musical.

The sum of the Véríté’s talents speak to something other than a dynamic headphone, something imbued with a good measure of the planar magnetic tribe, and, at times, the electrostatic tribe as well. An exceptionally talented chameleon able to meet the task at hand with all its best skill forward!

The Véríté is a TOTL headphone that will sound marvelous with a DAP, but it will be at its very best with top- ight, read, TOTL components of uncompromising abilities A time and space machine, indeed, for the when and where the Mola Mola Tambaqui transports one. Impossible it is, to write the concluding notes of this review, to break away from the spellbinding music or magic that this DAC/Headphone ampli er creates.

Whether yours is a full- edged stereo system that spans the width of a room’s wall where the Tambaqui is DAC or your system sits on small table, beside your most favorite chair, with Tambaqui as Headphone Amp/DAC, you will be more than well served.

An internet connection to the Mola Mola Tambaqui, a USB cable from your computer, plug in the Véríté, and bliss! A simple TOTL system with few peers!

MAGICAL SYNERGIES STAX SR-X

UNDER $

k

& VIVA EGOISTA STX

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id I mention how extraordinarily immersive the STAX SR-X is? Well, you will experience the sounds, the emotion, the ambiance, the ease, and even the ‘sights’—silverware and dishes clinking, the muttered voices of the inconsiderate, a waitress taking orders, muf ed coughs, miscues, etc. It will all seem tangible and will be incredibly new to a great many. It was new to me and I have ‘mad’ years and much experience in this hi- thing. One listen.

“You-are-there” describes succinctly my experience with the Viva Egoista STX electrostatic headphone ampli er. And it is an experience that will not soon be forgotten. As mentioned, the Top-Of-the-Line STAX SRM-T is not a contender, though at approximately one third the price, it shouldn’t be. It isn’t. As I write this, there is no competition for the Viva Egoista STX electrostatic headphone ampli er. Where that contender may come from has yet to be discovered, but then competition is good, especially when the competition provides a different yet compelling perspective.

Sublime musical playback from these two components that will challenge easily systems at twice their price if not more.

In my experience there isn’t a better headphone system, to date, than this combination with TOTL components.

Vasily Kandinsky - Autumn Landscape with Boats

IN THE NEXT ISSUE

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. SCANSONIC MB2.5 B SPEAKERS 2. HEADAMP GS-X MINI MkII HPA . TRILOGY H1 ENERGIZER HPA\E 4. AUDIONET WATT INTEGRATED . SCANSONIC MB1 B SPEAKERS & MB10 SUB 6. TRI-ART AUDIO TA-2 TURNTABLE (not pictured) 7. DENAFRIPS TERMINATOR II DAC (not pictured) . SILENT ANGEL N8 STREAMER (not pictured) . AND other reviews, columns, interviews, videos, etc.

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End Notes Editor’s Letter - Music Heals! [ ]Felman, A. (n.d.). Mental health: De nition, common disorders, early signs, and more. Medical News Today. Retrieved June

,

, from https://

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ [ ]Ibid [ ]Davis, K. (

). Cognitive behavioral therapy: How does CBT

, September

work? Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/ [ ]Ibid [ ]British Association for Music Therapy :: Children and Young People. (n.d.).

Www.bamt.org. https://www.bamt.org/music-therapy/what-is-musictherapy/children-and-young-people

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