Mastersound 845 Compact integrated amplifier Page 2

The 845–O/96 combination
I began my audition with the two-way DeVore Fidelity O/96 loudspeaker (footnote 1), a rich, warm, incisive speaker that uses a 1" silk-dome tweeter and a 10" paper-cone woofer and sounds good with every amplifier and in every room I've heard it in. It was a natural fit for the Mastersound.

I had to push my reference DeVore Fidelity O/96 loudspeakers back 6" to optimize coherence and clarity; once I did that, the system sang. The 845 wowed me with its immense soundstage, which I attribute partly to its aforementioned silence: the long decay of reverb tails contrasting that outer-space–blackness each enhancing the other. Against this backdrop, music blossomed, consistently creating a you-are-there, live-performance quality that made my DeVore Fidelity O/96s resemble Quad ESL-57s. Music had energy, speed, dynamics, punch, and depth. The Compact 845 ran hot, and so did the music that flowed from its mighty triodes.

The Compact 845 inspired me to audition some new LPs and a few old ones. I listened to Wayne Shorter (may he rest in peace), Tony Rice, and Maki Asakawa—to Renata Tebaldi, the Beatles, and ZZ Top. The Compact 845 did not favor one genre of music over another. It rendered a sense of intimacy on operatic vocals, jazz, and bluegrass; it was equally generous with rock, electronic, and classical works. Its broad, deep soundstage framed each record in its unique space and time, encouraging repeated playback.

The Contemporary Records recordings of engineer Roy DuNann are the most natural-sounding small-group jazz recordings I've ever heard. For 50-year-old recordings, they sound oddly modern and immediate; these are perfect records to audition hi-fi equipment with. I started with "Custard Puff" from Barney Kessel, Ray Brown, and Shelly Manne's The Poll Winners Ride Again! (LP, Contemporary Records S7556). A buoyant, bubbly performance, the Mastersound played it with great weight, air-moving dynamics, and tangible textures, especially on guitar and drums. The dry ride cymbal, taut snare drum, and all the other pieces of Manne's drums came to life with the Mastersound/DeVore pairing: I felt like I was sitting right in front of the kit. As I jotted in my notes, again and again, the soundstage was extremely deep, the backgrounds dead quiet. The music was full-toned and populated with dramatic stop-start rests. The sound was warm and lush but not syrupy, detailed but not analytical.

The Mastersound Compact 845, like my Shindo Labs separates, veers toward the dark side of neutral, yet it is faster and somewhat more transparent than the Shindo separates. In this respect, it fell somewhere between the rich, opulent tone of the Shindos and the detailed transparency of the Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister, which I reviewed in the February 2023 issue. The Mastersound, though, cast a wider, deeper soundstage than either of the other amplifiers.

The 845–O/96 pairing (re)created a dense, finely layered stage on Vincent d'Indy's Symphony on a French Mountain Air (LP, EMI ASD 3480). On Roy Haynes's engrossing We Three (LP, New Jazz NJ-8210), it pulled an intimacy-and-bangers feat similar to what it did on The Poll Winners disc. On jazz-vocal great Betty Carter's Inside Betty Carter (LP, United Artists Records UAL 3379), it cut through the poor recording quality to extract gut-punch dynamics.

The 845–O/96 duo produced sweet tone, lush, transparent mids, and satisfying bass—of the full-bodied variety, not carved-in-space tight. To my ears, perfect balance.

The 845 with the Volti Razz
The Volti Audio Razz loudspeaker is a three-way, hybrid bass reflex/horn loudspeaker that combines a 1" horn-loaded tweeter, a wide-dispersion, metal midrange horn with a 2" composite-diaphragm compression driver, and a 12" paper-cone woofer paired to a front-firing rectangular port. I've reviewed the Volti Rival; the Razz is cut from a similar cloth. The Razz is considerably heavier than the DeVore Fidelity O/96, although its cabinet volume is slightly smaller. And where richness, sweetness, and detail are the DeVore's strengths, what's most notable about the Razz is a clear-blue-sky top end and earth-rumbling lows.

On record after record, with the Compact 845 in the driver's seat, the Razz produced deep, clean, copious low end, a sparkling, neutral midrange, and brilliant, wide-open treble. On Art Pepper's Smack Up (LP, Contemporary Records S7602), Pepper's tone was tart and fast, Jack Sheldon's trumpet spun his Schoolhouse Rock! days on their head, and the rhythm section of bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Frank Butler delivered dancing cadences at a measured pace, with appropriate momentum.

This combination also ran the table with classical vinyl due to its exceptional clarity, beautiful layering of instruments, impressive speed, and deep soundstage. On Boulez Conducts Stravinsky: Firebird Suite (Columbia MS 7206), the pairing heightened the sense of drama and urgency of the piece. A rip-roaring Night on Bald Mountain, with the Cleveland Orchestra under Lorin Maazel, from Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition / Night on Bald Mountain (LP, Telarc 10042), played with such spirited power that I felt as if I myself were being chased down the mountain, the devil at my heels. The 845/Razz combination had tone and texture as well, amply heard in Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra's recording of Shostakovich's 5th Symphony (LP, RCA Red Seal ARL1- 1149).

The 845/SourcePoint duo
Just as I was finishing this review, I received the MoFi Electronics SourcePoint 10 loudspeakers, which Technical Editor John Atkinson reviewed in the January 2023 issue. John used a variety of solid state amplifiers to drive the SourcePoint 10, from Parasound, Schitt, and Benchmark. I wanted to audition the MoFi speaker with tubes.

With the Mastersound driving the SourcePoint 10s, I heard nothing tipped up—but I did hear a treble that was lit, clear, dense, and super-detailed. Tony Williams's hi-hat and ride cymbals, on "Love for Sale," the title song of an album by the Great Jazz Trio (LP, East Wind EW-8046), played with detail, silken texture, and clean, full-bodied attack—more so than I'd ever heard it. On the same track, Ron Carter's bass was incredibly deep and tight. The Mastersound and the SourcePoints played together like friends in a hi-fi sandbox.

Conclusion
The Mastersound Compact 845 hits all my sonic sweet spots: gorgeous, burnished tube tone, palpable instrumental texture, unerring naturalism, lush, rich, transparent midrange, solid bass, open treble, black background, precise layering of instruments and vocals—and the deepest, punchiest soundstage I've heard. It was also eerily quiet. Like the Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister integrated amplifier, I would be happy to live with this amplifier for the rest of my days. With the Compact 845, Mastersound moves to the front row in the hallowed hall of master tube-amplifier manufacturers, alongside Shindo, Audio Note, Air Tight, Line Magnetic, Luxman, and PrimaLuna.


Footnote 1: See Art Dudley's review here, his follow-up three years later here, and Jim Austin's follow-up here.

COMPANY INFO
Mastersound SRL
Via Galileo Galilei 2/2 – 36057
Arcugnano VI
Italy
info@mastersoundsas.it
39-392-997-6159
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
ChrisS's picture

...no longer "here"!

https://www.stereophile.com/%20content/devore-fidelity-orangutan-o96-loudspeaker-jim-austin-september-2017

John Atkinson's picture
Sorry about that. There was a wayward space character in the URL. Fixed now and the follow-up can also be found here.

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

DavidMA's picture

I enjoyed this review. But I'm always curious about how the review aligns to the measurements.

I've read through the final two paragraphs of the Measurements section of some of the more recent tube amps/integrated amps. Whereas the measurements for solid state amps often will conclude that this piece of equipment is "well engineered", the Measurements section for tube amps often has a statement along the lines of, "...the amp performs along the lines of what one would expect for a tube amp with zero negative feedback..."

The commentary always seems to imply that there are negative sonic consequences to these amplifier designs that are not commented upon by the reviewer of the equipment that a buyer should be wary of. It is as if Stereophile has two minds about tube designs. I did not find any reviews of tube electronics without this dichotomy.

I'll admit that I do not understand the testing section - I don't have a background to understand the tests and the interpretation of the graphs - If Stereophile has a lay-person's guide to the Measurements section and could make it available on-line, that would be helpful!. But I do read the last couple of paragraphs summarizing the Measurements as I am curious to see how the measurements align to the review. I find it interesting.

I have two amps - one solid state, and one tube. I enjoy them both.

John Atkinson's picture
DavidMA wrote:
The commentary always seems to imply that there are negative sonic consequences to these amplifier designs that are not commented upon by the reviewer of the equipment that a buyer should be wary of.

That is correct. When I write "The amp performs along the lines of what one would expect for a tube amp with zero negative feedback," the measured performance predicts departures from a neutral sonic character that will be audible.

For example, the interaction between the amplifier's high output impedance and the loudspeaker's impedance modifies the speaker's frequency response. The high level of second harmonic distortion will add "warmth" to the amplifier's sonic signature.

This behavior, of course, may well be perceived as positive by a listener, particularly if it compensates for something elsewhere in the system. But it still needs to be pointed out in a review.

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

Jim Austin's picture

I just want to make it clear that the opinion expressed by JA1 here, though very well-supported, is not universally shared.

It's true--no one connected with reality can deny it--that certain features in old-school tube amps cause departures from neutrality, especially with loudspeakers with impedance curves that drop below, let us say, 4 ohms, which is most modern loudspeakers. No one can deny it because they are measurable at clearly audible levels. But there's another school of thought--embraced by certain other Stereophile writers--that believes that something less tangible is retained in some such amplifiers that is lost in demonstrably more accurate ones. Such opinions are based on subjective experience--self-perceived connection with the music. This makes them literally irrefutable--they cannot be tested objectively, so they cannot be contradicted, which is annoying--yet (and this is my opinion, as the magazine's editor), in a magazine committed to subjective experience--to listening--above all else, such opinions must not be dismissed out of hand.

Edit: I thought I should add that the opinions/beliefs I'm referring to are held by many of the most experienced, devoted, passionate audiophiles. I do not take that lightly.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

Lars Bo's picture

Thanks, Jim.

I agree: While "picky" and no surefire thing, good SET amps can be musically magical.

To quote Art Dudley (who felt SET could be something very special indeed (obviously, despite some drawbacks)):

"The fact is, there's an archetypal high-end audio sound and an archetypal SET sound. At its best, high-end audio sound is impressively open and clear, with deep bass, shimmering highs, and a flair for thrilling spatial effects; at its worst, it's lifeless, boring, constricted, undramatic, uninvolving, and incapable of any suggestion of flow in the music.

At its best, SET sound has the kind of punch and drama that can startle you out of your pants—plus real musical drive, momentum, presence, and tone; at its worst, it has no bass, no treble, and a level of coloration and sheer fuzz that could drive you out of the house after just a few songs." *

And:

"(Single-ended typically convey) An almost scary sense of presence on voices and solo instruments. Superb immediacy in terms of musical nuance. Equally superb drama, with the greatest dynamic contrasts available in home playback when mated to the right speakers. At least good to very good performance in terms of getting the notes and the beats right. A sense of flow and momentum in musical lines that is second to none. And an uncannily natural way with textures and colors—that beguilingly beautiful, gooshy feel that makes it easy to forget you're listening to electricity imitate people playing music." **

*https://www.stereophile.com/artdudleylistening/1107listen/index.html
**https://www.stereophile.com/content/listening-25-page-2

Jim Austin's picture

Are you Lars Bo the musician? I suspect that this is a fairly common Danish name.

I've noticed an interesting phenomenon: These comment threads are carefully monitored by denizens of a certain hi-fi discussion site. Whenever I write anything here, especially if it seems to contradict one of our reviewers, my comment is copied and posted on that other website and potshots are taken. Many of the posts are ignorant and poorly informed. Almost all are ungenerous. A few are intelligent enough but lack wisdom. I thought I'd write a little bit more and see if the new information provided here is conveyed.

I have no tubes in my main system. When I wrote what I wrote above, in my reply to JA1, I was not describing myself but others whose views I respect. I'm not a tube guy. My main reason is that tubes are unreliable, which undermines my confidence in my system: Do I have a tube going bad, or is it something I ate?

There are many passionate audiophiles--again, not me--who have been on a lifelong journey seeking the best sound--the most musically expressive, humanly communicative sound. They are like artists, or, at a minimum, seriously engaged art lovers, people for whom music is daily sustenance. They relate to their music (and musicians), via their hi-fi systems, in a deeply human way. A lifetime of listening has made them astute observers, far beyond what most of us, who dabble in a hobby and limit our thinking to DBTs, will ever achieve.

When they say there's something going on beyond second-order distortion and output-impedance-induced deviations from neutrality, I take that seriously. To repeat: This is worthy of respect.

In serious pursuit of a musical connection, some may choose to limit themselves to verifiable fact--to approach the reproduction of recorded music as if it were an intellectual exercise. Others treat it as an art form--one they are deeply committed to. In pursuit of connection to music, each approach has merit.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

Lars Bo's picture

Hi Jim,

Yes, Lars Bo is not an uncommon name in Denmark (either as a given or full name). I do play various instruments, though only for my pleasure for many years. But I spend way more time listening to and engaging in playback music (mostly as an art form you describe so well).

I agree with you: I have many friends whose approach and gratification in hi-fi are somewhat different than my own. Once in a while, some may even not like Bourgogne... We can discuss our "paradigms" and preferences passionately, but genuine interest in and respect for each other's perspectives make all the difference.

georgehifi's picture

JA what's with the Mars attack test sweep tones automatically played in the background when the measurements page on this amp is first opened up?? Or is it the new audible intro to say we're now in measurement mode?

Cheers George

John Atkinson's picture
georgehifi wrote:
JA what's with the Mars attack test sweep tones automatically played in the background when the measurements page on this amp is first opened up??

What browser are you using? The audio file - the recording I made of the low-level sound the Mastersound amplifier made when I measured its frequency response - should only play when you click on the "Play" button.

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

teched58's picture

Yes, JA1, the Mars Attack of whistling not dixie autoplays for me, too. I'm using Chrome on Win10.

JRT's picture

...on Chrome browser on Android.

Charles E Flynn's picture

Safari 16.4.1: File does not appear on the Measurements page at all (!)

Brave Version 1.51.110 Chromium: 113.0.5672.77 (Official Build) (arm64): File autoplays and its controls do not display properly.

Firefox 113.0 (64-bit): File played only when Play button was clicked.

John Atkinson's picture
Charles E Flynn wrote:
Safari 16.4.1: File does not appear on the Measurements page at all (!)

Brave Version 1.51.110 Chromium: 113.0.5672.77 (Official Build) (arm64): File autoplays and its controls do not display properly.

Firefox 113.0 (64-bit): File played only when Play button was clicked.

Thanks. Webmaster Jon Iverson fixed my buggy code. The file now plays correctly in Safari as well as Firefox. Don't have Chrome or Microsoft Edge installed, however.

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

Charles E Flynn's picture

You are welcome, and thanks for letting us know that the code has been fixed.

georgehifi's picture

It's kinda good, like having Sheldon Cooper intro you into the believable section of Stereophile.
To have this when you open up measurements page, reminds you that your now leaving the subjective and entering the objective part of the review.
BTW mines Chrome also on Win 10.
Cheers George

georgehifi's picture

I liked it, an audible que that you were now entering into the realm of reality/truth, without any subjective fairy tales to sway you.
I say bring it back JA!

Cheers George

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