The 7' Pipedreams with four (count 'em, four) subwoofers were sounding mighty impressive driven by an Audio Aero Capitole CD player ($8500) and a pair of $19,000 Tenor 75Wpc amps (a Plinius 250Wpc amp drove the woofers). The Pipedreams recreated the transient attack of a trumpet with such staggering realism that they could have probably blown out a candle with all that tightly focused air.
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Wandering around the show, we were struck by how good most of the speakers we were hearing were. Not just the cost-no-logic designs, but pretty much all of them. Are we audiophiles lucky or what?
First, let's list what is in the photo (left stack first, top to bottom): EVO PhonoDAC Two ($1,600), EVO Clock Two ($640), HiFace EVO Two ($640), EVO Supply Two ($500), EVO Plus DAC Two ($890), and the EVO DAC Two ($630). Common to the DAC products: 32/384 PCM and DSD 256 processing, while the EVO Plus DAC Two has an additional clock input. Go to their website to check all the other little differences, but with pricing like this, I think listeners are in for a treat. I loved the pricier M2Tech Young DAC when I reviewed it a couple years back, so I trust their ears are in the right place with…
Air Tight Managing Director Yutaka "Jack" Miura was in Munich to introduce the new Air Tight Stereo Power Amplifier ATM-1 (price TBD).
A Primary Control Kinea turntable (€17,900) with new Primary Control Solaris Tonearm (TBD) and Air Tight Opus-1 cartridge (€13,500) fed an Air Tight ATH-3 S SUT (€2677) then an Air Tight Reference Phono Stage ATE-3011 (€27,500).
An Air Tight Control Amplifier ATC-7 (€30,000)) drove the same company's new ATM 1E Mono Power Amplifier (TBD) or the not-as-new ATM-3211 Mono Power Amplifiers (€78,000).
Speakers…
Sidebar 1: Ancillary Components
Analog sources were my Linn/Ittok/Sumiko SHO (or the ELAC ESG 896 H) and the Well Tempered Reference Turntable and Arm, with the same cartridges. Digital sources included McCormack's Digital Drive SST/DAC-1, the Assemblage DAC-1, Audio Alchemy DDE v1.1, and Audio Research CD-1.
Preamplifiers employed included Conrad-Johnson's EV20SE, Audio Research's SP-9 Mk.III, Audio Alchemy's DLC, and McCormack's Micro Line Drive, with Creek's OBH-8 or McCormack's Micro Phono Drive phono preamps where needed. Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven A, VAC PA-80/80, Audio…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid state class-AB mono power amplifier. Inputs: XLR. Outputs: Custom binding posts. Power: 550W into 8 ohms, 1100W into 4 ohm, 2200W into 2 ohms (all 27.4dBW). Frequency response: 1Hz–80kHz, –1dB; 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.01dB. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Output impedance: 0.1 ohm. S/N ratio: 105dB A-weighted, 75dB unweighted. (These are transposed on the manufacturer's website.) Distortion: 0.15% at 1kHz at 550W into 8 ohms. Power draw at idle: 80W.
Dimensions: 17.875" (454mm) W × 9.0" (230 mm) H × 23" (584mm) D. Weight: 115lb (52.2kg).
Finish:…
Whenever my system is suddenly producing copious amounts of tight bass, I feel a need to gorge myself on it until I can't stand it anymore. So I reached for Daft Punk's Homework (CD, Virgin) and played it through twice. Still bingeing, I played Sunn O)))'s Black One (CD, Southern Lord SUNN50) all the way through. Then I tried the bass orgy of Aphex Twin's I Care Because You Do (CD, Sire 61790-2). King Sunny Ade and His African Beats' Juju Music (LP, Island MLPS 9712) immersed me knee-deep in waves of pulsing bass guitar. The Sphinx supported the party mood, the low power of the talking drums…
Roy Hall has been Creek Audio's US importer for more than 20 years. Did you know that all Creek gear is now made in China? Just like Cambridge Audio, Quad, and many B&W models. Just like some US speaker brands, for which virtually all parts are made in China but are assembled, it's claimed, in the US. Three cheers for brands like LFD, Rega, Sugden, and Harbeth—all still made in the UK. For French marques made in France. For Italian products produced in Italy. Etc.
Cambridge Audio has been manufacturing in China for more than a decade. Its parent company, The Audio Partnership…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
LP playback: Rega Planar 2 turntable, Rega Bias and Sumiko Blue Point Special phono cartridges.
CD playback: Arcam Alpha 9, Audio Research CD2.
Integrated amplifier: Creek 4330R.
Loudspeakers: B&W DM 302, B&W Silver Signature, KEF RDM-2, Polk RT-5, Paradigm Reference Studio/20.
Cables: Siltech interconnects, WireWorld Gold Eclipse III speaker cables.
Accessories: CinePro PowerPro 20 AC line conditioner, Salamander Synergy Stand, Sound Organisation two-tier equipment rack.
Room treatment: ASC Tube Traps, Studio Traps, Bass Traps…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
LP playback: Rega Planar 2 turntable, Rega Bias and Sumiko Blue Point Special cartridges.
CD playback: Arcam Alpha 9, Audio Research CD2.
Preamplifier: McCormack Micro Integrated Drive.
Integrated amplifiers: Creek 4330R, Rega Brio.
Loudspeakers: B&W DM-302, B&W Silver Signature, KEF RDM-Two, Polk RT-5, Paradigm Reference Studio/20.
Cables: Siltech, WireWorld Gold Eclipse III.
Accessories: Cinepro PowerPRO 20 balanced line conditioner, Salamander Synergy stand, Sound Organisation two-tier rack.
Room Treatment: ASC Tube Traps,…
Whisky, music, and chatter were all flowing, not necessarily in that order of priority, in the Music Hall room. Actual order of importance was determined by the visitors, of whom there were plenty, with a little boost from the high-proof atmosphere. Nonetheless, amidst a din too intense for serious listening, and preparations for the evening's dance party in the hotel Atrium that Music Hall was co-sponsoring with Chicago's Tweak Studio, Roy Hall and Leland Leard were managing to give complete and cogent raps about the equipment playing through the din.
The featured system, which costs $…