THE AUDIOKEY REVIEWS! MAGAZINE CANADA - JANUARY 2024 - ISSUE 6

AudioKeyREVIEWS! HIGH FIDELITY PERSONAL AUDIO & STEREO MAGAZINE

Canada

PASS LABS HPA-1 HEADPHONE AMP

ATMA-SPHERE CLASS D AMPLIFIERS

EXASOUND S82 STREAMING DAC

AUDIENCE HIDDEN TREASURE ETHERNET CABLE

AND MORE…

ENGLISH

JANUARY 2024

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E LECTRIFIED S TABILIZATION P LATFORM

The Last Platform You’ll Ever Need

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Music is art, art is music.

Welcome

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Ansel Adams - Before the Bridge (Golden Gate)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE… MUSICIANS

52

30

60 ART

HI-FI REVIEWS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 21

EDITOR'S LETTER

30

EXASOUND S82 STREAMING DAC

40

ATMA-SPHERE CLASS D AMPLIFIERS

52

GRACE NOTES - GÉRARD REJSKIND

60

PASS LABS HPA-1 HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER

74

THE OVERVIEW - THE RISE AND FALL OF CD

82

MUSICIAN AUDIO PHOENIX DAC

92

AUDIENCE HIDDEN TREASURE CAT7 CABLE

INTERVIEWS

MUSIC

Copyright AudioKeyReviews 2023

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Vincent Van Gogh - Sunset at Wheat Field, 1888

THEATER

RECOMMENDED COMPONENTS

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IN THE NEXT ISSUE

108

REVIEWS ON OUR WEBSITE

Front Inside Cover: Wayne Thiebaud - Park Place Back Inside Cover: Wassily Kandinsky - Composition 1910 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.

MUSIC REVIEWS Copyright AudioKeyReviews 2023

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - SEND HERE

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VIDEO REVIEWS

102

INSIDE THIS ISSUE…

AUDIO

92

40

82

COLUMNS

“

There was more “there, there” with the Kubala Sosna cable loom and in every respect, than any other cable heard to date.

”

K. E. Heartsong AudioKeyReviews.com

“

The Kubala-Sosna Emotion interconnects connected me to the music like no other interconnects I've heard, at anywhere near the price.

Robert H. Levi Positive Feedback Online

”

“

The Expressions present music without noticeable boundaries to a stage; sound stages don't erupt from a black background, but from an invisible and expanding one…

”

Larry Cox Positive Feedback Online

Wayne Thiebaud - Mountain Split

E DI TO R’s CHA IR

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nteresting. The word “interesting” can mean so very many things—truly interesting, concerning, problematic, indescribable, or it can be a kindly rejoinder in the face of perhaps a rather bizarre or an enlightened comment.

This year has indeed been interesting for me and for AKRMedia.

On the one hand, it has been our best year to date in terms of overall exposure—views, reads, followed links—which have totaled 25 million for the year—partnerships continuing and new, exceptional component discoveries and their subsequent reviews, and new friendships with a few good folks and a kindred spirit or two.

On the other hand, we were sad to say farewell to several family members, loved ones, and friends who died over this past year. We recently lost Gérard Rejskind, a fellow editor and columnist who for several decades had published the Canadian audio magazine UHF and who had been a columnist for AudioKeyREVIEWS Magazine Canada for the past year. Sincere condolences to their families, friends, and colleagues.

I am truly grateful for the varied experiences, the good people met, the lessons learned (and there have been plenty), the laughter and good cheer, and the opportunity to spend time with those who leave us with fond memories. Good bless. Happy New Year!bless.

Sincerely,

K.E. Heartsong Editor-in-Chief

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THE CREW

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief K. E. Heartsong Managing Editor Kathe Lieber

Andre Marc Gérard Rejskind - RIP Reviewer Charles Brown Andre Marc Columnists Kathe Lieber Gérard Rejskind

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MASTHEAD

Senior Editor(s)

HermanMiller

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Claude Monet - The Promenade

HermanMiller

EXASOUND AUDIO S82 STREAMING DAC

By K. E. Heartsong

EXASOUND AUDIO S82 STREAMING DAC

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here are numerous digital options directly to a preamp, integrated, or, out there these days, from media potentially, amplifiers (if volume control is players to streamers to digital part of the media player). The streamer and transports, as well as CD players and CD the digital transport can receive data from a transports, of course, which should not be computer and both can be connected to a forgotten in the event of a momentary internet DAC and in some cases, the streamer can glitch—just saying. And in truth, streamers also receive input from a CD transport or and their like have come a very long way in other device (Grimm Audio MU1). The

terms of their technical abilities and sound media player, with its built-in DAC, can quality. When matched to a Top of the Line receive input from other streamers or (TOTL) DAC (Mola Mola, Bricasti Audio, transports as well as, if given such etc.), the resulting sound can challenge all functionality, input from analog devices formats. (turntable, tuner). That being said, there is However, for those not in the know, the great variability between the various devices. differences between streamers, digital This brings us to the focus of this review, transports, and media players are rather the Exasound Audio s82 Streaming DAC. In straightforward. A streamer is basically a terms of the above nomenclature, the network player that may have internal storage Exasound s82 is a media player that, while capability. A networked transport has no such offering limited USB connectivity, can take internal memory applicability. And a media digital inputs—SPDIF, Toslink—from both player has both internal storage capability streamers and transports. Those who require and a DAC to boot, which connects it a one-box solution to their digital music

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Paul Cezanne - The House of Dr. Gachet in Auvers sur

EXASOUND AUDIO S82 STREAMING DAC needs, with millions of tracks instantly at • TORUS POWER AVR ELITE Power Conditioner their disposal via a growing list of streaming services—Qobuz, Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, etc. THE SOUND —will be well served.

There was not a musical genre—classical, jazz, REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review blues, electronica, folk, R&B—where the s82 will be non-sequential, as it will start with how did not comport itself well. This translates to the headphones actually sound and not the the s82 as a media player that bats far above its process of physically “undressing” them and/or price point, making it competitive with other

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.

media players at its price point and a good deal above.

The Exasound Audio s82 ($6,599), however, as compared to our two channel reference pair—Grimm Audio MU1 and Bricasti Design M1SE ($27,500)—was not at all their match or equal in any respect, nor THE REVIEW SYSTEM should it have been. The differences were • Grimm Audio MU1 Streamer quite clear, as our reference pair far exceeded • Exasound s82 Streamer/DAC the abilities of the s82. That said, our combo • Silent Angel Bonn NX Network Switch was not four times better than the Exasound • Silent Angel Genesis GX Master Clock s82, which managed to breach the 50 percent • Bricasti Design M1SE DAC/Streamer barrier at a quarter of the cost.

• Lyric Audio Ti-100 MkII SET Integrated The Exasound s82 volumetric cube—its • Vivid Audio Kaya45 Speakers soundstage—connected directly to the Lyric • Kubala Sosna Cables/Wires/Power Cords Audio Ti 100 MkII SET Integrated, • RSX Power Cords (Beyond, MAX) projected a broad soundstage with quite good audiokeyreviews.com

depth, exceptional placement of performers “anemia” with regard to the weight of bass on stage, and good height as well. Tone and notes across the bass region and into the lower timbre were very good, only falling short in midrange. And in doing this, the s82 easily comparison to our reference Streamer/DAC sidestepped the loss of transparency or detail. combo, which were more natural, possessed On Charlie Haden and John Taylor’s Nightfall of greater timbral and tonal shadings, and (Naim Records), the track “Chairman Mao” is demonstrated more weight across the entirety beautifully and richly captured and all of its of the frequency spectrum. At four times the quiet intricacies, its microdynamics, and the cost, however, this comes as no surprise—and deep quiet between notes are top-shelf. Few it shouldn’t. Overall, staging—positioning, media players at the s82’s price point can separation, layering—was very good. capture the nuance, bring the clarity or push The one-box media player that is the forward the music’s progression—Pacing, Exasound s82 is an exceptionally competent Rhythm, and Timing (PRaT). The s82 source, which brings both a wonderful competently proved the latter with Delfaeyo musicality and noteworthy technical acumen Marsalis’ “The Secret Love Affair” (The Last to the reproduction of music. That its Southern Gentleman, Troubadour Jazz Records) umbilicus—ethernet input—allows it to tap where PRaT was, indeed, beautifully served. into literally millions of tracks will be for The music was propulsive, as referred to earlier, most all that is needed in the early 21st with players and their instruments—clearly century. delineated across and at depth in the Toward the end of the Exasound Audio soundstage. While the Exasound s82 is not s82 review, the Grimm Audio MU2 our reference combo—Grimm Audio MU1 ($17,500) media player arrived in-house for and Bricasti Design M1SE (Special Edition) its upcoming review. As it was placed into the —it easily pushes past 50% of their system for burn-in, it was clear from the start performance for a quarter of their combined that it could clearly rival our reference price. separates, unlike the very good s82, though MIDRANGE again, at nearly two and a half times the cost, The s82 is very proficient at capturing not only it should be. More on that later. the detail, but the nuance and decay, while BASS laying bare the intricacies of a singer’s The s82’s bass is resolute, tight, detailed, and articulation. Voices are indeed forward with very nicely resolving. There is no bloat or

EXASOUND AUDIO S82 STREAMING DAC the s82, and those wedded to the human voice will be well served. Shirley Horn’s “Beautiful Love” (You Won’t Forget Me, Verve) is superbly rendered by the s82. Toots Thielemans’ harmonica is tactile, ethereal, as it emerges from a black-quiet background. Shirley’s voice is rich, intimate, beautifully resolved, which finds her articulations and their intricacies detailed and transparent. The Exasound s82

Hahn’s quite short (27 minutes) but incredibly engaging Rest album (Deutsche Grammophon) is rendered beautifully from both a technical and musical perspective. All the technical intricacies—transparency, resolution, detail, microdynamics/transients, etc.—of her performance and its wonderfully engaging, poignant musicality are intact. To date, only our reference DAC/Streamers—

Mola Mola Tambaqui, Bricasti Audio MU1 captured “Beautiful Love” and its various musicians with technical and musical prowess. —perform at a much higher level, as well they should, given that their respective prices are at TREBLE+ least twice that of the Exasound s82. But The treble of the s82 is well extended and it again, the s82 will easily take you to 50% of does not shy away from the nosebleed heights their ability and many will be satisfied to stay of reproduction within this frequency range. here and enjoy this quite talented Streaming Thus, it is by no means agoraphobic. Hilary DAC.

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CONCLUSIONS

THE COMPANY

Before you go for the big-buck TOTL media players from other well-known brands, you will definitely want to audition the Exasound Audio s82 Streaming DAC. It’s that good, and it may well save you several thousand dollars while giving you similar or even better sound performance.

Ergonomically, it’s light, one-hand portable, nice to look at, especially sitting on top of a shelf or cabinet, with a multitude of functionally appropriate bells and whistles— ROON Ready, MQA, DSD, wireless, etc.— that will easily meet your various streaming needs in one box.

When we come across components that are batting above their price point and doing so while embracing technical acumen and musicality, we can’t help but recognize them for doing so. That said, the Exasound Audio s82 has easily attained our HIGH NINES Award for performing above the various components in its price class.

eXAsound AUDIO design Exasound Audio s82 Streaming DAC ($6,599) George Klissarov 3219 Yonge Street, Suite 354 Toronto, Ontario Canada M4N 3S1 www.exasound.com

Pros: Wonderful musicality, technically skilled, a one-box powerhouse that will easily fit and coalesce into most if not all audio systems.

Cons: To be picky, the two-pronged power connection (though George Klissarov has said it provides better sound than the three-prong grounded connector).

AKRM/C

Pierre Auguste Renoir - Le Bouquet

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JULY 2022

21

ATMA-SPHERE CLASS D AMPS

By Oliver Masciarotte

ATMA-SPHERE CLASS D AMPLIFIERS

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n a perfect world, an amplifier would be a “wire with gain,” a box that magically increases voltage or current or both, without adding or subtracting anything.

Trouble is, nothing is perfect. That said, modern amplifiers of canny design, whether they be solid or hollow state, approach that ideal quite nicely. Typically, the more money you throw at the problem, the closer you come to that golden ideal. For this review, we have that rare beast; an audiophile separate that

share of bogus beliefs and misguided choices.

For a long time, I was one of those who thought DSP was an inherent degradation in a hi–fi system. Only later did I realize that it was the poor implementation that was at fault, not the foundational technology itself.

Back at the turn of the millennium, I was working for loudspeaker wizard Ken Kantor on various projects, including his groundbreaking IA-643 active subwoofer. At the time, Ken was fascinated by both DSP

exhibits excellent execution without a and Class D amplifiers, but the off–the–shelf stratospheric price tag… versions then available were decidedly low Ralph Karsten and his merry men at fidelity. In the ensuing 20 years, Class D Atma–Sphere have been building fabulous moved from smirk-worthy to seriously hollow state amplifiers since the bicentennial. sublime. Hypex, Purifi, AGD, Orchard His products are known for their rugged and Audio, and GaN Systems have all moved the reliable designs, their sonic transparency and technology forward, but it’s the latter three very reasonable prices. Who could ask for that have advanced to incorporating GaN or more? I could! In 2017, he began work on a Gallium Nitride semiconductors. project that would change the face of his FETs or Field Effect Transistors have product lines. been used by many talented designers to All of us have taken missteps on the path create some memorable amplifier products. to better quality. Lord knows, I have had my “Pappa” Nelson Pass has been a marvellous audiokeyreviews.com

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Vincent Van Gogh - Carafe and Dish with Citrus Fruit

ATMA-SPHERE CLASS D AMPLIFIERS proponent of FET technology for amps, having used rare silicon nitride FETs to good effect, but it’s GaN or gallium nitride devices that have changed the Class D landscape.

surprisingly like a vacuum tube. This made them perfect for the high speed “chopping” or proportional on/off cycling† that makes Class D work.

Originally commercialized for those blue LEDs we all now take for granted, GaN FETs found a place in radar circuits and motor controllers—think electric cars, where their extreme switching speed and tolerance of high current made them an exemplary match. As it turned out, their response to varying voltage and current also looks

If you are a clever designer, you can create a low distortion, low power, wide bandwidth amplifier using vacuum tubes. However, if you want more than flea strength or clean robust low frequencies, it’ll cost you.

Running a tube amp will also cost you in expendables and power bills, in that vacuum

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tubes have a decidedly short service life also, for me, a strong selling point. At idle, compared to transistors, and tubes are far only 10 Watts of power are drawn from the from efficient in converting power from the wall for a stereo pair of his Class D wall outlet into music from your speakers. monoblocks, about the same as a typical Class A transistor designs address the LED lightbulb. reliability issue but still eat sadly large Karsten noted that his new amps offer a amounts of energy transmuting raw lot of power for difficult speakers. “…even alternating current into musically pleasing though our Class D easily doubles power as AC. the load impedance is halved (right up to its Enter Class D…not really “digital” but current limit protection) I’m of the opinion sharing some similarities, Class D amplifiers that the easier the speaker is to drive the work like really clever light dimmers, except better, especially since (our) Class D has a that instead of dimming a bulb, they vary the really nice first Watt.” Let’s explore that first raw power being delivered to your speakers in Watt…I’ll begin my listening observations a binary fashion such that music comes out. with a hoary old prog rock classic, Yes’ 1971 In the past 10 years, Class D tech has reached The Yes Album [Qobuz 2023]. Newly re– some semblance of a plateau, with deep released as a 192k “super deluxe edition,” the engineering transforming what was once a rambling fourth track has been a perennial rather grating and rough approximation into fave for me. With its very artificial mix and something quite wonderful. Then came GaN slightly dirty analog sound, plus real doubleFETs. tracked Anderson vocals, extreme swings of In a popular online forum, Ralph noted loudness and extra long fade at the end, I've that, “The result is a solid state amp that has Seen All Good People is a bit of a toughie to all the smoothness in the mids and highs that reproduce. The Class Ds present as good a you expect from an excellent tube amp but rendition as I’ve heard, especially when paired with considerably lower distortion, (lower) with Silversmith Audio’s wonderful output impedance and obviously higher FIDELIUM speaker cables feeding efficiency. Class D…isn't going to be as Scansonic HD’s MB2.5 B towers. More on romantic as a zero feedback tube amp, even if that in a moment, but the midrange was, dare it has the same distortion profile, simply I say, lovely. The low end was solidly quick because it has so much less distortion overall!” and tuneful, and the top, well, the top was As with other Class D amplifiers, efficiency is somehow tamed, velvety and extended. To

ATMA-SPHERE CLASS D AMPLIFIERS digress a moment: if there’s one down side to Scansonic’s MB line, it’s their very thin veneer of distortion, which to my ears announces itself as a high frequency resonance. With lesser electronics and cabling, they can be slightly raspy, unduly emphasizing sibilance. Ralph’s little amps are a synergistic fit for the minitowers, somehow

spectral and panning pocket. As I listened, I became fascinated with mixer Pat Dillett’s clever handling of the snare and bongos as they move horizontally and shift in volume from verse to chorus. Another old skool fave, Stan Getz’s classic Desafinado [Qobuz 192k Verve Reissues] beckoned with crack players in a beautifully recorded, stripped-down

suppressing that bite, which makes for a magical, marvellous combination.

Moving from the slightly lo–fi Brit rock to a more modern and much higher fidelity neo–folk track, I dug into the layered and engaging A Perfect Hand from David Byrne’s masterful 2010 Nonesuch release Here Lies Love [Qobuz 96k]. In particular, the Class Ds tamed Steve Earle’s rough and road– weary vocal without dullness, while each instrument in the mix sat comfortably in its

production. More nuanced than The Girl From Ipanema, Jazz Samba through the Class Ds speaks to me with a lush, relaxed and beguiling beauty in keeping with the swaying palms and caipirinha vibe that the samba exudes.

Time for a comparison…My high bias Parasound JC 5 afforded a more forward upper bottom, with a slightly more spare and immediate midrange. The Class Ds seemed “bottom up” while the JC 5 was more “top

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ATMA-SPHERE CLASS D AMPLIFIERS down”in voicing. Though I feel the monoblocks. Also, the soundstage wasn’t as Parasound presents a more honest widely expansive, which was equally representation, perfect for reviewing, I have enigmatic, though I dare say the complex to grimace slightly (’cause I love my JC 5 and interaction of loudspeaker, cables, and desire to throw no shade) and state that the amplifier can result in some unexpected Atma–Spheres, being more euphonious, were responses. I’m not saying that they weren’t more fun! The more I thought on that quite enjoyable. It’s just that, unlike the conclusion, the less surprised I was. During MB2.5 B pair, which made for a celestial our conversations, Karsten said he thought match, I much preferred the JC 5 driving that tube power amps are “…on borrowed those cables and speakers. With that time.” He rhetorically asked online, “…why realization, I retreated back to the Scansonic bother with (tube amps) when you can get HDs. sound just as good and not worry about tube Beethoven’s hoary old Sixth Symphony replacement?” I have to agree. I love his may be overly familiar to some, but I for one valve–based wares, but now I have to say, why luxuriate in that first “Pastoral” movement. A bother? Why heat the planet and screw the recent release, Beethoven: Symphonies Nos 6 & pooch for your kids, why pay for short-lived 8 from the National Symphony Orchestra parts, why piss off your significant other with with Gianandrea Noseda on their own label large homey though usually homely tubes? I [Qobuz 192k 2023], affords an up-close very know, because they can sound good. Ralph high-resolution view into the performance.

Karsten has been building exceptional hollow What the Class Ds lack in sizzle and sparkle, state amps for quite some time now. He’s they more than make up for in clarity and distilled all his knowledge, as well as his fullness. Their beguiling propensity to involve house sound, into a solid state product that the listener is simply remarkable, and this competes with costly high-end vacuum tube Beethoven piece demonstrates that clearly. amplifiers and offers the same rich, polished Were textures a touch dialled down on and full spectrum sound quality without the strings and brass? Yes, ma’am. Did I care? drawbacks.

Not one iota.

Since I had them in the house for an By the way, as I was listening, I not only upcoming review, I wanted to try the stylish switched amplifiers and speakers to have a little Boenicke W5 stand–mounters. contrasting alternate, I also swapped player Surprisingly, the W5s seemed leaner, more apps. With lesser electronics and cabling, spare in the upper bass when driven by the player apps do not seem to make any audiokeyreviews.com

difference at all. During these listening Atma–Sphere sessions, the darker, slightly veiled voice of Saint Paul MN Audirvana Studio was easily found wanting http://www.atma-sphere.com/ in the fine detail department when compared Class D power amplifier — $2920 to Amarra Luxe. They both deliver the exact same bit–perfect stream to my reference exaSound e22 Mk. II, but what is the cause? I conjecture it’s their signature eye pattern, how † — Light dimmers and Class D amplifiers both employ PWM or Pulse Width they modulate the DAC’s power supply, or Modulation, which works by varying a square both. Frankly, I do not yet know the mechanism, but I clearly heard the difference wave’s pulse width or “duty cycle.” This is simply the amount of time the square wave is through the Class Ds. “high” and the output is “on.” Mostly off From old favourites Wolf Alice and results in small power; while on a lot yields lots Waxahatchee to new crushes Ludwig of power delivered to the load. As with digital, Göransson and Duo Deloro, the Atma– both DSD or PCM, you do have to “smooth” Sphere Class D is a class act. When I was or integrate that square wave so it’s away cooking in the kitchen, they would transformed into music. draw me in and invite me to sit a spell and listen. They made for a difficult review because all I wanted to do was let go of my analytical side and enjoy my catalogue of best–loved tracks and albums. We audiophiles come to the table for music, not audio. Atma–Sphere’s hand-built Class D amps represent over five years’ worth of work.

Karsten is focused on how the human ear/ brain system perceives distortion, having tuned his products to be fast and transparent without being bleached or analytical. “I hope we can agree that what we really want is something that sounds like music rather than a particular technology.” Amen, brother. Go AKRM/C give a listen.

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GRACE NOTES By Kathe Lieber GÉRARD REJSKIND

Our contributor Gérard Rejskind died on December 7, 2023, after a short illness, surrounded by his loved ones. As the longtime editor of UHF Magazine, he was a prominent figure in the Canadian audio industry for decades, and he will be missed by his many friends and colleagues. A celebration of life will be held in Montreal in the spring.

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Cezanne - Quatre poires

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Vincent Van Gogh- Daises and Poppies

Wassily Kandinsky - Untitled

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Wayne Thiebaud - Street with Apartments

PASS LABS HPA-1

By K. E. Heartsong

PASS LABS HPA-1

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uite some time ago, I owned a full PASS LABS system, complete with its XP-30 preamplifier, XP-25 phonostage preamplifier, and XA200.5 monoblock amplifiers, if I remember correctly. The balance of the system was the Transroter Fat Bob Special turntable, a pair of Eggleston Works Andra II speakers, and the Audio Aero Capitole CD player. I don’t actually remember the cartridge.

I believed it was a good system at the time, though wholly dependent on the proper setup of the Andra IIs, which were more musical than accurate and which could be problematic if not set up properly, not unlike most speakers. Though once dialled in, the system was very musical and engaging. It did, however, heat up the room by at least 15 to 20 degrees, making it nice and toasty in my San Francisco digs. Too bad I wasn’t living in Montreal or Minnesota then.

In the interim, I have owned many twochannel stereo systems, from the quite simple, with a pair of stand-mounted speakers, to the quite kitted-out, with speakers standing nearly six feet above the floor. In recent years, I have discovered the headphone world in its many flavors— electrostatic, dynamic, planar, In-EarMonitors and the amplification that favors them. It has been a wonderful education, audiokeyreviews.com

and I have discovered some true gems—the Blue Hawaii Special Edition electrostatic headphone amplifier, the Aurorasound HEADA headphone amplifier, the Dan Clark CORINA electrostatic headphone, Meze Audio Empyrean planar magnetic headphones, the ABYSS AB1266 Phi TC planar headphones—that still top our “Best of ” categories.

The topic of this review represents a return to PASS LABS and its long-standing headphone amplifier, the HPA-1. It is kittedout as one would expect of PASS LABS, in a simple, clear, straight-to-business way that is neither kitschy nor overly serious, but very practical. But how does it sound?

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the component actually sounds and not the process of physically “undressing” it and/or laying out its 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 SYSTEM

• Headphone System • Baetis Audio 4 Reference Mingo Streamer • Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Streamer • Silent Angel Bonn Pro Network Switch

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Eduard Degas - Ballerina

PASS LABS HPA-1 • Bricasti Design M1SE DAC • ALLNIC OTL/OCL DAC-10000 DAC • ALLNIC OTL/OCL HPA-10000 Headphone Amp • Aurorasound HEADA Headphone Amp • Abyss AB1266 Phi TC Headphones • Meze Empyrean Headphones • ZMF Véríté Headphones

Ohms), which presented a far easier load for the HPA-1. This was a test of sorts to see the HPA-1 sailing easily in an efficient sea, as well as the HPA-1 in a roiling storm on an inefficient and tumultuous sea.

When initially placed into the system, before any burn-in, I took a “sounding” of the HPA-1 and was concerned as to its

• • • •

abilities. However, once it was burned-in, those concerns evaporated quickly and completely. The HPA-1 had risen to the level that I indeed expected of PASS LABS. I began with the ABYSS AB1266 and my various treble, midrange, and bass playlists, with which I am very familiar. The volume knob of the HPA-1 was set to 2 o’clock, which provided the necessary juice to power the AB1266, though far above where the Empyrean would be set (9 o’clock). Suffice to say that the PASS LABS

Audience Front Row Cables/Wires Kubala-Sosna Cables Black Cat TRØN Signature Digital Cable TORUS AUDIO RM20 Power Conditioner

THE SOUND

The PASS LABS HPA-1 is rated to have 3.5 watts into 20 Ohms, which I believed sufficient to drive the, well, inefficient ABYSS AB1266 Phi TC (88 dB/mW, 50 Ohms) planar headphones. I also utilized Meze Audio’s Empyreans (100 dB/mW, 31.6 audiokeyreviews.com

HPA-1 could drive the ABYSS AB1266 Phi TC, and it drove them well. Not only did the HPA-1 drive the AB1266 but it was perhaps one of the best pairings I have experienced.

Again, I did not at all expect this.

The HPA-1 then proceeded to move beyond a great number of headphone amps with skill, technical chops, drive (see PRaT— Pacing Rhythm and Timing), and unquestioned musicality. As an optimistic skeptic, I often downplay the praise heaped upon a given component until I have had the opportunity to personally review said product. I have returned far too many products over the past several years that were highly touted—some quite expensive, but they did not cut it, so to speak. However, in the case of the PASS LABS HPA-1 it appears that the high praise over a good number of years since its introduction still rings true.

There is a beautiful musicality embodied by the PASS LABS HPA-1 that in many instances rivals the best of the best headphone amplifiers. The HPA-1 also possesses exceptional holography relative to electrostatics, and while its layering does not match the best electrostatic amplifiers, it does give them a good run for the money. That said, its transparency and resolution are truly superb across the entirety of the frequency range, as is its ability to dig deep while unearthing a surfeit of detail and air in every

performance. Further, the PASS LABS HPA-1 will draw you in as the very best headphone amps tend to do.

The PASS LABS HPA-1’s volumetric cube—its soundstage—is nicely wide and deep when called for, with very good height.

Positioning and layering are exceptional.

Detail is easily unearthed and when combined with the HPA-1’s other technical abilities, its musicality, and its gravitas and refinement, there is a very natural and engaging presentation.

BASS

Charlie Haden and Chris Anderson’s “CC Blues” (None But the Lonely, Naim Records) is beautifully rendered by the HPA-1, with a surprising transparency, attendant resolution, and heaps of detail that look deep into Haden’s play in the opening moments. The HPA-1 lays Haden’s performance bare as fewer than a handful of headphone amps have even attempted. In this respect, the HPA-1 competes confidently and easily with our current in-house reference amplifier, the Aurorasound HEADA. Let it be said that the HPA-1’s musicality is unquestioned and compels one to just listen while not taking the notes when one should absolutely be taking notes! As Delfeayo Marsalis’ “The Secret Love Affair” (The Last Southern Gentleman, Troubadour Jazz Records) rolls in, its dynamics are alive,

PASS LABS HPA-1 beautifully resolved, and driving, while the bass notes are taut, clearly differentiated, and piano and trombone are presented with natural tone and timbre, which suffuses the presentation with dimension and texture and palpability.

MIDRANGE

I listen to the entirety of Joan Shelly’s eponymous album (No Quarter) and am immediately drawn into the music; more often than not, I am compelled to just listen.

This appears to be a first-class trait of the

HPA-1—listenability. That I know this album so well allows me to easily pinpoint the HPA-1’s many abilities. Shelly’s voice is natural, imbued with emotion, and the articulation of her every lyric is clear and easily discerned. Tone and timbre as well are easily differentiated and well rendered.

Andy Bey’s “Angel Eyes” (American Song, Savoy) via the HPA-1 has more audiokeyreviews.com

weight and texture and truth than many a headphone amp has given this track. Did I mention the superb transparency that lends rather incredible insight to track after track?

While the HeadAmp GS-X MkII headphone amplifier is better outfitted for balanced inputs and balanced headphone outputs, the musical and technical acumen and the transparency presented by the PASS LABS HPA-1, in my opinion, moves it beyond the GS-X MkII. Further, the HPA-1 is a good bit more engaging, which allows one to settle into the music for long hours.

TREBLE+

Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (Time Out, Columbia-Legacy) cues and there is drive, energy, a wide openness, and goodly amounts of air to Morello’s cymbals that are very well resolved by the HPA-1, as Paul Desmond’s holographic alto sax sings at center stage, clear and prominent, its tone/timbre natural and textured superbly resolved.

PASS LABS HPA-1 Camille Thomas’ “Orfeo ed Euridice” (Voice of Hope, Deutsche Grammophon) is portrayed via the HPA-1 with all of the musical beauty and insight into the performance that easily draws you into the performance. From a technical perspective, detail is easily freed, resolution and transparency easily available, and the performance somber yet beautiful. Above all, it is organic and natural.

CONCLUSIONS

I did not expect to be as impressed as I am with the PASS LABS HPA-1, given its 2016-17 introduction and the various technical improvements that have come to other headphone amplifiers made in the interim, but time has not touched the viability, technical prowess, or wonderful musicality of the PASS LABS HPA-1. In truth, it has few rivals among those I’ve reviewed in recent years, regardless of price.

As mentioned earlier, the HPA-1 paired with the ABYSS AB1266 Phi TC beautifully and with more of a synergy than nearly all amplifiers that have driven the ABYSS to date. Again, I did not expect this and was curious as to whether the HPA-1 would drive the ABYSS at all. Indeed it did.

The Meze was a breeze and the two also paired beautifully, though the HPA-1/ ABYSS were, well, transcendent.

The PASS LABS HPA-1 is an easy audiokeyreviews.com

GOLD KEYNOTE AWARD winner and a prize even for those who plan to spend a good deal more on a headphone amp. No, it does not have remote control or balanced inputs/outputs, but it more than makes up for those functionalities in its refined and truly inspired technical capabilities and exceptional musicality. Highly recommended.

Pros: Exceptional technical abilities— transparent, resolving, detailed, and dynamic, with superb musicality and refinement far above its price point. The HPA-1 is as competitive today as when it was introduced.

In this respect, it has lost not a whit of its overall and competitive capabilities.

Cons: No balanced inputs or headphone outputs or remote control.

THE COMPANY

PASS LABS PASS LABS HPA-1 Headphone Amp ($3,675) info@passlabs.com (530) 878-5350 www.passlabs.com

AKRM/C

Henri Matisse - Étretat Interior, 1920

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Edward Hopper - Country Road

THE OVERVIEW REPRISE

By Gérard (RIP)

THE RISE AND FALL OF CD

D

id anyone think the reign of the Compact Disc would be so brief?

Certainly not Sony, the format’s coinventor, who billed the shiny discs as offering “perfect sound forever.”

Audiophiles who were skeptical of instrument measurements took issue with the perfection claim. But it looks as though “forever” might not be a slam-dunk either.

Oh, the CD is still around…sort of, but its vital signs are not strong. Last month, the giant electronics chain Best Buy announced that it will stop selling Compact Discs (and, for good measure, DVDs and Blu-Ray films as well). The major sources for CDs in North America would seem to

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be Walmart and Amazon…for now. But these profit-driven companies can see the writing on the wall as well.

And there have been other clues. Go into a big-box store and look for a CD player. The pickings will be slim. Worse, most players won’t have analog outputs, only HDMI, suitable for receivers and TV sets.

Some premium brands, like Oppo, have gotten out of the disc player business altogether.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Let’s begin with the origins of the CD, which was born in response to an economic crisis. In the early 1980s, a sharp economic downturn affected much of the industrialized world. It was less devastating than the meltdown that would come in 2008, but it had a major impact on consumer

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Imogene Cunningham

spending. As consumers tightened their belts, a major victim of the situation was the music industry. When food and rent compete for scarce money, there is less room for records and concerts. The record companies had been working on the idea of a new digital record format, but now it was urgent. The engineers were told to bring out the new format, ready or not…stat!

It was quite a challenge. Digital music recording was already a thing, but it wasn’t ready for consumer release. When digital tape was demonstrated at consumer shows, there would be constant glitches.

The digital circuits were unforgiving, and if they encountered digital information they couldn’t read, they would substitute a blast of ugly noise. Or they would mute, which wasn’t any more helpful. The consumer format would need a system of error detection and correction, or at least error concealment.

Engineers at Sony and Philips found elegant solutions. Data was scattered across

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the disc surface, to make it less vulnerable to glitches, to allow the new laser-read optical disc to hold the 700 Mb of data required (far more than common computer hard drives could then hold). To keep the data compact, the engineers developed the Reed-Solomon code. The pits and lands of the CD substrate did not directly encode the ones and zeroes of the digital recording. Rather, as the laser scanned the disc, it would generate a one digit if it encountered a transition from a pit to a land, and zeroes otherwise. There is no denying the brilliance of this innovation. Canadian audio engineer Ed Meitner told me he thought its designers deserved a Nobel prize.

Developing playback equipment was another challenge, however. Lasers were still too expensive to be used in consumer products. The decoding chips were expensive too. Sony’s solution was to use just one chip for both channels, alternating them, and then using an analog delay line to get the two channels into sync. This Rube-Goldberg

solution enabled the birth of the CD, with the success that followed.

BUT DID THE CD INDEED OFFER PERFECT SOUND?

Audiophiles were divided on this difficult question. Some audio magazines (which often carried Sony and Philips advertising) praised the new disc, pointing to the marvellous technical measurements in its tests. Others heard odd imperfections. One such magazine used the slogan “Stop the digital madness.”

But once the initial high prices of discs and players had settled down somewhat (and the shaky economics had recovered), consumers were enchanted. The new discs were convenient to use, with the next track only a button press away. Their old LPs had grown noisy, sometimes having passed more time on the carpet than in their sleeves. The CD was quiet, and the music was often praised as “crisp,” though music is seldom described that way. The sound was perfect enough for most purposes, but what about the “forever” part?

CD engineers had performed a near miracle in encoding so much music on a small optical disc, but they had not thought of protecting the valuable music files against unauthorized copying. Ex post facto attempts to do so turned into disasters. The genie was out of the bottle.

We all know what happened after that. A then-proprietary compression system known as MP3 allowed users to scrunch down music files to sizes that would allow them to be transmitted through ad hoc networks and then the burgeoning Internet. Though MP3 was referred to as a “compression” system, in fact it discarded most of the information: 82% or even 92%. And as junk audio products sold in ever greater numbers, that was good enough… Close enough for rock’n’roll.

But then the digital revolution born of the Compact Disc rolled on. Apple revolutionized music distribution with its iPod player, not the first MP3 player by any means, but the first that worked hand in hand with an electronic record store. MP3s were everywhere, but there was more to come. As the Internet grew and many users now had access to unlimited high-speed Internet, it became possible to transmit music files without the dreaded MP3 compression. Some companies offered highdefinition (uncompressed) recordings.

Beyond that, companies like Qobuz offered subscriptions to unlimited libraries of uncompressed music, either CD-quality (44 bits/44.1 kHz), or up to 24/192.

Subsequently, Apple Music made its vast library available in lossless or better

resolution at no extra cost. So we had a choice: the CD or the streaming service.

Notwithstanding the bold Sony claim, the CD was not perfect, and it was not its sound that fuelled its success. True, a CD player would sound better than a primitive turntable with a chipped stylus and records that had known decades of abuse. But it was convenience that really sold the CD. Push the play button to hear the first song, push another if you want to move on. No turning the record over after 20 minutes either. But digital files were every bit as convenient, and they didn’t require shelf space.

And then there’s the vinyl record. It was still around, and in fact it had never gone away. Turntables were still being made, in either luxury or economy price ranges. New releases were difficult to find, but not everyone liked newer music styles anyway.

There were new pressings, and there was a booming market for used records. The pressings were not always pristine, but they had been made when the master tapes were still new, and before they had succumbed to the dread “sticky tape” syndrome that had destroyed so many priceless performances.

Online services such as Discogs let users buy and sell this vinyl gold.

The record companies took notice.

More and more new releases from artists like Taylor Swift and Adele are now offered

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in vinyl, sometimes before they appear on digital platforms. The presentation is better than ever, with large gatefold sleeves and heavy gauge vinyl. The CD, if indeed there is one at all, is clearly an afterthought.

At the recent Toronto Audiofest, there were few CD players but plenty of turntables, and of course laptop computers tuned to services like Qobuz and Apple Music. Several exhibitors had brought their large open-reel recorders and were playing tapes. In the large hall, two companies were selling used LPs. Some of the buyers were exhibitors from the same show.

I’ve referred to the “sticky tape” syndrome, which destroyed so many priceless masters.

That wasn’t the only catastrophe befalling these priceless recordings. Magnetism is not always permanent. With time, the higher frequencies fade away. If you boost the highs to compensate, noise levels come up. I know of at least one audiophile record company that remastered its catalog with the best masters available. They didn’t use the original tapes, even if they were still usable. Their masters are their own LPs, scrupulously cleaned, and played on one of the new super turntables.

AKRM/C

HEARING IS BELIEVING

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Joan Miro -Woman-and Man

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Minor White

MUSICIAN AUDIO PHOENIX DAC

By Oliver Masciarotte

MUSICIAN AUDIO PHOENIX DAC Cast your mind back a few months, when our intrepid hero was testing the Pegasus DAC from the folks at MUSICIAN Audio. In that piece, I mentioned that, “…the Pegasus represents a solid investment in mellow digital audio conversion. The overall careful construction, effortless ease of use, plethora of input choices and ability to upgrade the

For this installment of OMas Learns Something New, I bring to your attention the MUSICIAN Audio Phoenix, a $1,699 “digital interface” being the middle child in the MUSICIAN Audio interface hierarchy. The Phoenix accepts a wide variety of digital input types, reframing and reclocking those streams before transmitting on a wide variety of

performance via I²S all make for a compelling package.” Noticed that I did not dwell on its sound quality, only stating that it could be upgraded to a higher calibre. Since the Pegasus was the first DAC I’ve had in house that includes an external I²S in, I was very curious to hear if that input choice was worth more than double one’s initial investment…

outputs. By all appearances, the Phoenix is a wide version of Pegasus. Only self–colored aluminum buttons and red LEDs grace the spartan front panel, which is half again as wide as the DAC. For those used to fancy plain English displays, LCD and most other display technologies generate electrical and radio frequency noise which must be suppressed elsewhere in the design. No display, so no

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Paul Strand

MUSICIAN AUDIO PHOENIX DAC additional noise. That said, one of the main issues I have with the whole MUSICIAN design approach is that lack of a plain text display! Yes, it is quite difficult to incorporate a display In an audio product without adding a significant noise source inside the case.

Thing is, other manufacturers manage to include a readout I can easily parse from my listening position.

For my tests, I needed an up–to–date HDMI cable and, after going through my inventory, I decided to purchase a 0.5m Silversonic HDMI cable from DH Labs. That particular interconnect was recommended by my vendor representative Rob Fritz at Audio Art Cable as it cleanly delivers the bandwidth needed for current and future HDMI connections. Once I had the proper cable in hand, setup was a snap…simply connect my Mac mini server to

front panel, then select Phoenix as the playback target in Amarra Luxe. The Phoenix is a capable and future–proof box, able to cope with sample rates from the “Red Book” or CD rate of 44.1kHz all the way up to 32 times 48kHz or 1,536,000 samples per second. [SR Choices.png] That’s over four time higher than even the extremely high 8x rate (352.8kHz) of DXD or Digital Extreme Definition.

It appears in macOS’ Audio MIDI Setup with the same label, “MUSICIAN USB HiRes Audio,” as does its Pegasus brother.

During my listening, I always had either the Pegasus alone as one of two references, or the Phoenix feeding the Pegasus. With the Pegasus alone, one would never mistake that you are listening to canned music, even at very high sample rates. Call it linearity or distortion, call it what you like, but the Pegasus by its lonesome does not possess the chops to

the Phoenix via USB, select “I2S” on Pegasus’

decode a data stream without placing its own

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stamp on the outcome. Phoenix + Pegasus removes a scrim of distortion, a sort of ersatz unreality. With Pegasus alone, instruments are presented as wrought from polymer instead of wood and metal. Phoenix strips away that prominent artifice, restoring a sense of corporeal players with their genuine instruments. The MUSICIAN combo brings the listener closer to that audiophile ideal of a “straight wire with gain” we all long for. Mind you, the combo will still never fool you into mistaking the output for other than a recording, but the Phoenix significantly lowers the distortion, while adding a touch of welcome warmth.

Long ago and far away, I once visited the Bay Area development home of Sony’s Sonoma project, a rather dark and dreary subterranean crib where their best and brightest toiled away on the original SACD authoring system which, not long after my visit, was mothballed forever. While there, a colleague and I were discussing higher rate Direct Stream Digital, that single bit delta modulation encoding scheme employed in the Super Audio CD format. I mentioned to those present that double speed DSD, referred to as DSD2 or the confusing DSD128, had just appeared on the market. In reply, one of the folks gathered in our discussion mentioned, with a sparkle in his eye, that their tests indicated “something magical” happens at

resemble reality rather than canned audio.

Phoenix can handle sample rates higher even than DSD8, if there were commercial music releases in that format. Maybe there are but, unfortunately for me, I had “only” DXD recordings and MQA packed files which, when completely decoded, would also be at DXD’s 8 times the CD sample rate.

I seem to remember that there are double DXD releases available, at 705.6kHz, but I have been unable to locate any for this review.

Fortunately, during this review period, Apple Corps released my fave Beatles album, the incomparable Revolver. That allowed me the distinct pleasure of curling up with the expanded 96k track selections while studying the hirsute filigreed cover art by none other than the visual artist, producer and bassist Klaus Voorman.

Transitioning from classic pop into popular classical territory, I cued up Gautier Capuçon’s 2022 release Sensations [Qobuz, 96k Warner Classics/Erato]. On track two, “Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights” from “Romeo and Juliet”, Capuçon’s brash and assertive cello subjectively sits well in front of Jerome Ducros’ piano. Listening solely through the Pegasus, I was brought back to that unprepossessing presentation; a fairly shallow soundstage with a veil of vagueness as to details, not in the 4 to 7k crispness sense, but the “air around the notes” and spatial cues

DSD8. He said the audio subjectively begins to sense. With the Phoenix feeding the Pegasus

MUSICIAN AUDIO PHOENIX DAC via USB (this entire review utilized only USB inputs), a credible reverb returned, and the cello became less a caustic annoyance and more a romantic gut–on–strings.

A pure plastic confection of cheesy synth delight, Donna Summer at 192k [Love To Love You Baby, Qobuz, 1975 Island Def Jam] is a bumpin’ thing of beauty. The dynamic duo of Pegasus + Phoenix got my good woman up off the couch and dancing, with a big grin on her cute little face. The prominent synthesizer stylings of Giorgio Moroder are smeared all over this track like digital butta’, and that bass line; four on the floor kick and sequenced rhythm line make for a compelling reason to get up off that thing; not something I heard or saw with winged Pegasus alone.

For a more classy, contemporary approach, I turned to the 2022 Gondwana Records release of Matthew Halsall’s Changing Earth

Halsall and his sextet of high skill sidemen and women. Translating the bits and bytes through the Pegasus + Phoenix union, I could discern that the star attraction, Halsall’s trumpet, was given its own reverberation, setting it perceptually “back” in the mix while keeping the amplitude and timbre prominently “forward.” While listening to the MUSICIAN combo, I thought that all players were clearly outlined, and the harp and percussion possessed a clean transient snap.

Switching to my competitively priced exaSound e22 Mk. II DAC, I wasn’t too surprised to hear that each instrument was more distinctly defined in the now more expansive artificial soundstage that the engineer had created, but also that those same percussive elements were more snappy and alive.

Yesterday, I was listening more for pleasure than analysis, and came across Brendan Benson’s latest (2022) Schnitzel Records release; Low Key [Qobuz 44.1]. When a cover of

[Qobuz 88.2k]. The third track, “Yogic Flying", is a smooth, almost ECM–styled jazz piece,

Gerry Rafferty’s “Right Down the Line” came on, I thought, “You know, that’s a pretty good song!” In the way that streaming services

with a lovely balance between bandleader

facilitate, I immediately jumped to the

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reference 1978 release of the tune [Qobuz, Parlophone UK] to compare. Having heard that song waaay too many times on the radio during my formative years, I was frankly shocked at how enjoyable and expertly crafted it was. Pleasantly engaged by its analog warmth, I listened with a whole new perspective. Even through Pegasus + Phoenix, the Benson cover exhibited undifferentiated players inhabiting a shallow, all–in–a–line soundstage painted with a sadly crunchy Pro Tools brush, whereas the Rafferty benchmark was deep, lush and velvety even though it was also streaming at 44.1k. Oh yeah, did I mention the modern cover is LOUD as only bad production can be. The Scot’s AOR City to City version had me singing background harmony vocals right along with the studio musicians. Factoid: I used to play at being a pop vocalist before I went off to engineering school. At least the Benson version replicated the double tracked vocal style of the original.

Although I mentioned that, at no time, was I deluded by my rig into thinking I was listening to flesh and blood musicians, frankly I wasn’t expecting to. As with all things in audio, every piece of the playback puzzle contributes to the overall sound quality and, in the case of my quite modest systems, that was not an anticipated outcome. Also like its brother, Phoenix’s fit and finish are not quite up to what I would expect at its price but the gaps and slight misalignments are only noticed on close inspection. What I have concluded is

that Pegasus + Phoenix is a solid option for those who cannot commit to a highly resolving R-2R DAC due to budget constraints. Purchase a Pegasus then, at a later date, add on a Phoenix which brings the total base cost to $2,798. If all you need is USB in, then Pegasus + Pisces comes in at a far less painful $1,618.

You can start with Pegasus alone, then later kick the performance up two notches with Pisces.

Phoenix Digital Interface $1699 Baiyun District, Guangzhou City Guangdong CN +86 20-39293669 https://www.musician-audio.com/ US Representative: Audio Art Cable San Diego CA +1 619-417-3035 https://www.audioartcable.com/

Silversonic HDMI 2.1 (0.5m) $95 DH Labs, Inc. Alachua FL +1 386-418-0560 https://silversonic.com/

AKRM/C

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Edvard Munch - Beach in Åsgårdstrand, 1895

AUDIENCE HIDDEN TREASURE CAT7 E T H E R N E T

By K.E. Heartsong

C A B L E

AUDIENCE HIDDEN TREASURE CAT7

Y

ep, it’s tweaks again, and I have gradually come to understand that certain so-called tweaks are not tweaks at all, but necessary components for

risers that keep cables above the floor. Tweaks can be isolation platforms or stands or isolation feet or pucks or cones. Tweaks can also be spiked feet (surface-mounted or

achieving the best performance from your screwed-in) or certain inert materials— high-end stereo or headphone system. Ever try particular kinds of wood or carbon fibre or connecting up your system with chicken wire? stones or a composite material. Tweaks can How did that work out? also be devices purposed with diminishing Tweaks? What are tweaks, those new to Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) or the magazine may ask. Well, as I’ve Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), etc. Or mentioned across the various reviews of perhaps tweaks can be the combination of an tweaks, they are: inert, composite material embedded with, say, “First, tweaks are things that can electronic innards—internal trap circuits— ostensibly improve the fidelity—the overall that defeat EMI and/or RFI.” sound—of your audio system for relatively Yes, I’ve been reviewing what many little money. Tweaks can be wires or cables or consider tweaks for the past several issues,

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Claude Monet - Red Water Lillies

AUDIENCE HIDDEN TREASURE CAT7 and I have found some real winners and returned a few products that didn’t quite fit the bill, or more precisely, products whose relevance I was unable to understand or discern. And in some cases their relevance was, well, counterproductive.

The tweak currently under review is the Audience Hidden Treasure CAT7 ethernet cable, a very nicely designed cable that provided some truly exceptional results.

“We’d Be Home” ( Joan Shelly, No Quarter).

My familiarity with the various pieces would make the evaluation all the easier.

REFERENCE SYSTEM

Two-Channel System

• • • • REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review • will be non-sequential, as it will start with how • • the equipment actually sounds and not the • process of physically “undressing” it and/or • laying out its various accoutrement, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as •

Grimm Audio MU1 Streamer Grimm Audio MU2 Streaming DAC Silent Angel Bonn NX Network Switch Silent Angel Genesis GX Master Clock Bricasti Design M1SE DAC/Streamer Lyric Audio Ti-100 MkII SET Integrated Vivid Audio Kaya45 Speakers Kubala Sosna Cables/Wires/Power Cords RSX Power Cords (Beyond, MAX) TORUS POWER AVR ELITE Power Conditioner

a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless THE SOUND Mind, The Queen’s Gambit, In the Shadow of The previous ethernet cable of choice— the Moon, etc.—that likewise starts at the end Platinum Starlight 8 Twinax—has been and winds its way to the beginning. supplanted by the Audience Hidden Treasure THE SETUP

For this review, I again used my two-channel and headphone reference systems to more easily determine the differences between the Audience Hidden Treasure CAT7 and all other in-house ethernet cables.

As in all my cable reviews, I kept things simple in terms of the streams that would be used for evaluation. I used Dave Brubeck’s “Time Out” (Take Five, Columbia), Ólafur Arnalds’ “Árbakkinn,” and Joan Shelly’s audiokeyreviews.com

CAT7 ethernet cable. And while they did have some things in common, the Hidden Treasure cable excelled in literally every category and with an electrostatic-like openness, transparency, air and timbral beauty, much like its TOTL brethren—Audience FrontRow cables.

The Audience Hidden Treasure CAT7 ethernet cable provided a full digital banquet for all downline components—streamers, DAC/streamers, streaming DAC, etc.—that

encompassed exceptional resolution of the and system the best possible signal, allowing incoming signal, a level of detail retrieval that them to bring their best to each performance. had no rival in terms of any other ethernet NOTE: For those who may be less able to cable to date. And the naturalness, the

musicality, and the technological bona fides parse differences in a given cable’s abilities on are superb. the fly, I’d suggest the Long Term Trade Out Its performance, in turn, lifted the (LTTO). That is, live with the cable for a performance of every other component in the while—several days, a week, month, etc.— system, and this too was easy to discern with then remove it and replace it with your the plug and replacement of any other previous ethernet cable. After that, you should ethernet cable. The systems—reference two- have a pretty good idea what’s what in terms channel, reference headphone—in fact, both of sound. came alive and after that there was absolutely CONCLUSION no going back. The Audience Hidden When I discovered just how good the Treasure CAT7 will feed into components Audience Hidden Treasure CAT7 ethernet

AUDIENCE HIDDEN TREASURE CAT7 cable was, I made an immediate note that it Cons: None. was time to upgrade the ethernet cable across COMPANY both of my reference systems. And several of the cables in those two systems were either the Audience Audience Hidden Treasure CAT 7 Ethernet same price as the Hidden Treasure or more expensive, but it didn’t matter, as the Audience Cable: $1,150 (2m) audience-av.com Hidden Treasure CAT7 waltzed by them all in performance after performance, which they info@audience-av.com could not attain. The Hidden Treasure cable is 760-471-0202 a two-metre run of cable—it seems impossible that it would affect the sound of your system, but it does, and demonstrably so.

The Audience Hidden Treasure CAT7 ethernet cable is a must. If you’re using another high-end ethernet cable, you will want to try Audience’s Top-of-the-Line ethernet cable to see how much you’ve been missing. And God forbid if you’ve been using standard black or white cable for your highend headphone or two-channel system, as what you’re hearing is, well, off and not anything close to what it should be.

That said, the Audience Hidden Treasure CAT7 ethernet cable now sits at the very top of our cable category and this, easily, finds them more than worthy of our GOLD KEYNOTE AWARD for excellence. Highly recommended.

Pros: An exceptional ethernet cable that will immediately cue you in to what’s been missing, in some cases entirely, from your music, and in AKRM/C no small measure, a revelation.

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Joan Miro - The Gold of the Azure

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Vincent Van Gogh - Trees

RECOMMENDED

COMPONENTS

W

elcome to AudioKeyREVIEWS Magazine Canada’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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Wassily Kandinsky - 25

RECOMMENDED

COMPONENTS AURORASOUND HEADA $2999: If you’re looking for an endgame headphone amplifier and even if your headphone amplifier is more expensive, try this one, you may be quite surprised. That said, the Aurorasound HEADA headphone amplifier is a top echelon component and an easy DIAMOND AWARD winner.

SILENT ANGEL RHEIN Z1 $2299: The Rhein Z1 and Forester F2 combo played far above the league that their combined price would indicate. For many, this $3,900 combo may well represent an endgame streamer/ power supply capable of exceptional fidelity with DACs from entry level to those on the cutting edge.

ABYSS AB1266 PHI TC $5999: I think that I’ve said it all. The Abyss AB1266 Phi TC is a phenomenal headphone. It brings an undying passion for musicality and a ferocity for transparency and clarity and detail retrieval, formerly the domain of the best electrostatic headphones. But this planar headphone speaks that language—electrostatic—fluently and well.

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RECOMMENDED

COMPONENTS TORUS RM20 $3999: Can you say pristine, natural, open, and unhindered frequency response? Wide dynamic range? And there were oceans of detail, air, microdynamics, and ambience rendered by the Torus RM 20. It was not subtle. On the contrary, it was stunning.

RSX POWER8 $399: The RSX Power8 clearly holds to the dictum, “Do no Harm,” to the system in which it is being utilized. What it, in fact, offers is pure, clean power, a testament to the meticulous parts selection, research, and conscious minimalism all employed in its design. suffice to say, that it has no competitors at 3 to 4 times is cost.

GESHELLI LABS ERISH2 [E2] $219.99, JNOG2 [J2] $249.99: Disinterested in ostentation, Geshelli Labs believes in real world pricing with high fidelity performance. Their JNOG2 plus ERISH2 are a petite and potent bargain. With just enough character to put flesh on bone, the classy little twosome sets your music free without excessive color or dispensable features.

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