German Physiks Unicorn MKII speakers ($27,000-$31,000/pair, depending on finish) were driven by an Accuphase A-80 ($25,975), a pure class A 60Wpc amplifier.
The preamp for the system is an Ypsilon PST-100 MKII ($37,000) which offers active and passive modes.
The Accuphase DP-770 ($26,575) was tasked with immaculate CD and SACD playback. An EMM Labs NS1 network streamer ($4500) served digital tunes…
In 1998, while developing the eight-channel A/D and D/A DSD converters still used to create most SACDs, Ed founded EMM Labs (footnote 1) and became head of design, with…
The sound
Of all the amps I've reviewed in recent memory, the MTRS immediately and continually struck me as the most honest and neutral of the lot. It neither glamorized nor warmed the sound. Every acoustic instrument sounded as I knew it to sound; every distinctive voice sounded unique and timbrally true. The inherently sweet sounded sweet; rasping rasped; emphatic exclamations resounded with force.
Music intended to tug at the heart or break it open, such as the Adagietto from Mahler Symphony No.5 is wont to do, did precisely that. When I played Rafael Payare and the…
Description: Solid state class-AB power amplifier with custom Kimber Kable PK10 Ascent 30A power cable. Inputs: 1 pair each balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA). Output: 2 pairs Furutech loudspeaker binding posts. System: RS-232 communication port. Rated output power: 400Wpc peak power, 330W RMS continuous power per channel into 4 ohms (22.18dBW). Voltage gain: 30dB. Frequency response: 0.1Hz– 200kHz (full rated power). S/N ratio: >120dB (A-weighted). Both THD+N and IMD: <0.01% (20Hz–20kHz at full rated power). Slew rate: >100V/µS. Damping factor: >…
Digital sources: dCS Vivaldi Apex, Vivaldi Upsampler Plus, and Vivaldi Master Clock; EMM Labs DV2 Integrated DAC; Innuos Statement Next-Gen Music Server; Small Green Computer Sonore Deluxe opticalModule; Uptone Audio EtherRegen with SOtM sCLK-OCX10 Master Clock and sPS-500 power supply; Nordost QNet Ethernet Switch; Nordost QSource (2); Sonore Audiophile Linear Power Supply; Synology 5-bay 1019+ NAS with Ferrum HYPSOS linear/switching hybrid power supply; Linksys MR9000 mesh router and Arris modem; Apple 2023 iPad Pro and 2017 MacBook Pro laptop with 2.8GHz…
I examined the EMM Labs MTRS's measured behavior with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. After connecting the amplifier to the wall supply with the supplied Kimber Ascent cable, I preconditioned the MTRS, following the CEA's recommendation of running it at one-eighth the maximum power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, the temperature of the top panel was 80.6°F (27.0°C) and that of the heatsinks 94.4°F (34.7°C). Given the relatively low heatsink temperatures and the amplifier's massive size, I subsequently ran it for an hour at one-third the…
The front end digital source components by Ideon are interesting for how the Greek company overbuilds its gear, with a philosophy that digital audio equipment should be built like an amplifier. Its Absolute Epsilon DAC ($49,500) notably uses 17 separate…
I was not proud. Our band was hot, booked year-round in hotel lounges and standalone clubs from Florida to Virginia Beach.
"Beach music" was a popular southeastern style then, an R&B variation on '40s swing and doo-wop, with close vocal harmonies, popping brass, and…
After aligning the EMT cart with my Feickert Universal Protractor, I slid the aluminum counterweight over the aft stub of the tonearm and set the tracking force using my Riverstone Audio Precision Record-Level VTF Gauge. A small auxiliary weight was supplied for use with heavier carts; it cleverly screwed directly into the butt end of the tonearm. Technics also supplied their classic thick rubber mat; I felt no need to experiment. I did, however, replace the flimsy interconnects provided with a pair of Triode Wire Labs Spirit II RCA interconnects, which fit very loosely on the GR2's gold…
Description: Direct drive turntable with 5.51lb (2.5kg), 13 5/64" (332mm)–diameter two-layer die-cast aluminum platter; two-layer vibration-damped plinth, iron-coreless, brushless AC motor running at 33 1/3, 45, 78rpm; "S" shaped gimbal tonearm, detachable bayonet headshell. One pair RCA jacks, ground terminal. Speed adjustment range: ±8%, ±16%. Starting torque: 2.2kg-cm, adjustable. Build-up characteristics: 0.7s from standstill to 33 1/3 rpm. W&F: 0.025% WRMS. Power consumption: 11W in use, approx. 0.3W on standby. Included in the box: turntable, tonearm,…