I entered the Immedia room and followed Perkins to the floorstanding Sonics by Joachim Gerhard Allegrias ($15,000/pair). Yes, baby! I thought. But Perkins kept walking, all the way to a table in the rear of the showroom. He waved at a pair of tiny boxes.
"They're, um, small," I said.
"Yes. I think the Anima is my favorite speaker in the Sonics by Joachim Gerhard product line."
"Is Sonics by Joachim Gerhard really the brand name? I think…
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted, ported loudspeaker. Drive-units: 0.86" (22mm) metal-dome tweeter, 5.9" (150mm) anodized-aluminum woofer. Crossover frequency: 2.7kHz . Frequency responses: 70Hz–33kHz, –3dB; 100Hz–30kHz, –2dB. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 86dB/m/2.83V/m.
Dimensions: 13" (330mm) H by 7" (180mm) W by 9" (240mm) D. Weight: 11.7 lbs (5.3kg).
Finishes: Birdseye maple, Maccassa ebony, pear wood.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 118 A/B.
Price: $2600/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 7.
Manufacturer: Sonics by Joachim…
Digital Sources: Oppo Digital DV-970HD universal player, Slim Devices Transporter digital network player.
Preamplifier: Krell Evolution 202.
Power Amplifiers: Channel Island Audio D-100, Portal Paladin (both monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Special Twenty-Five, Wilson Audio Specialties WATT/Puppy 8.
Cables: Interconnect: Kimber KCAG, Shunyata Research Aries & Antares. Speaker: Shunyata Research Lyra.
Accessories: Foundation speaker stands, Furutech eTP-609 distribution box & FP-20A(R) duplex outlets, RealTrap Mini & Mondo…
The little Sonics by Joachim Gerhard Anima is of slightly below-average voltage sensitivity, at an estimated 85dB(B)/2.83V/m. Its impedance varies around an average of 8 ohms in the midrange and bass, but falls to a minimum of 3.6 ohms in the mid-treble (fig.1). As a result, it might sound a little more laid-back with tube amplifiers having a high source impedance than it will with typical solid-state amps. The electrical phase angle is generally modest, so the Anima should be fairly easy to drive.
Fig.1 Sonics Anima, electrical impedance (solid)…
Still, it must be a tough sell; it seems a novelty, along the lines of the $100 Kobe beef burger or the $1000 caviar omelet offered at certain Manhattan restaurants. The kind of people who…
Sound
As noted, I spent a few months last year listening to Krell's FPB-400cx, the beefier version of the 300cx that serves as the FBI's foundation. Certain things about the FBI sounded familiar: the tight deep bass, thunderous dynamics, and snappy transients. But, even at the outset, when I was using the single-ended inputs, there was something new: greater detail, even delicacy, in the timbres and textures of instruments.
Long gone are the days when…
Description: Two-channel, solid-state integrated amplifier with 1 pair CAST inputs via 4-pin bayonet connectors, 1 pair balanced via XLR connectors, 3 pairs single-ended via RCA connectors, 1 pair tape via RCA connectors. Speaker outputs: 4 on binding posts. Preamp output: 1 pair single-ended via RCA connectors. Preamplifier section: Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, +0.0/–0.05dB. Power amplifier section: Maximum output power: 300Wpc into 8 ohms (24.8dBW), 600Wpc into 4 ohms (24.8dBW), 1200Wpc into 2 ohms (24.8dBW). Maximum output voltage: 138V peak–peak. Voltage…
Analog Source: VPI HW-19 Mk.14 turntable with JMW Memorial tonearm, Clearaudio Victory H cartridge.
Digital Sources: Krell Evolution 505 SACD/CD player, Simaudio Moon CD5.3 CD player.
Preamplification: Audible Illusions Modulus 3a (used only as phono-stage).
Loudspeakers: Verity Audio Parsifal Ovation.
Cables: Nirvana interconnects and speaker cables; Krell CAST interconnects.
Accessories: Bybee Technologies Signature Power Purifier, Monster Cable AVS-2000 voltage regulator; Black Diamond Mk.4 Racing Cones, Mapleshade pucks; VPI HW-19 record…
Before performing any test on an amplifier, I precondition it by running both channels for 60 minutes at one-third the specified power into 8 ohms, which is thermally the worst case for an amplifier with a class-B or-AB output stage. At the end of that hour, the Krell FBI's entire chassis—not just the large vertical heatsinks on its sides—was too hot to touch. This is an amplifier that needs plenty of ventilation. The THD+noise percentage with the amplifier stone cold was 0.0142%; by the end of the hour's warmup, this had dropped to 0.0067%.
Without a…