MERASON FRÉROT & POW1

between delta–sigma and multibit, with a 6 bit delta–sigma segment for MSBs and an 18 bit, multibit approach for LSBs. The frérot presses 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 frérot.”

In Use

Discussing tech is one thing, but what does the frérot plus pow1 actually sound like? After level matching my exaSound with the frérot, I started my explorations by enlisting Malay jazz keyboard prodigy Joey Alexander. After digging into his wonderful (as my child would say, “Literally!”) 2020 release Warna to get my bearings, I moved ahead to this year’s Origin [both Qobuz 96k]. 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 soundstage with a more contemporary sonic 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 $3k exaSound, which is based on ESS Technology’s Sabre delta–sigma DAC chip, clearly illustrates the differences. On Tank and the Bangas’ 2022 R&B album Red Balloon [Qobuz 44.1], vocals on the track “Stolen Fruit” have a modern scratchiness, what sounds to 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 192k], 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 velvety touch that my converters with delta–sigma hearts. 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 176.4kHz sample rate will encode half that frequency, or 88.2kHz, which captures ultrasonics nicely without undo temporal distortion. Listening to 176.4kHz

HRA recordings from engineers Morten Lindberg (2L) 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.

Conclusions

Despite my misgivings about outdated tech, there were no instances where I felt the frérot + pow1 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 + pow1 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-H1 Elite bookshelfs I had in–house during this review, but could have just have easily been a pair of Joseph Audio or Von 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 pow1.

ADDITIONAL GEAR:

Source — Amarra Luxe

Amplification — Parasound JC 5

Conversion — exaSound e22 Mk. II

Cabling — ANTICABLES Level 3.1 speaker, Soundstring GEN II Beta 2-22S XLR, VUE

Cables Digital VU-3 USB MERASON merason.com

By K. E.Heartsong