Enter the full-function Soulution 727 preamplifier ($74,975; footnote 1), whose optional MC/MM phono section ($11,975) will be evaluated in a future issue (footnote 2).…
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Almost 14 years have passed since a review of a Soulution product appeared in the pages of Stereophile. Given the Swiss company's steady ascent in the high-end pantheon, it is high time that we again reached into the German-speaking region of Switzerland north of the Swiss Alps to evaluate another of the reference products from a company equally renowned for its sonic achievements and refined and elegant design aesthetic.
Putting Soulution's best to the test
Depending on how high on your rack you wish to place the 727, you may need assistance hoisting its 62lb into place. Although it comes with its own specially designed feet, I placed Wilson Audio Pedestals beneath it because (a) I use them under my reference preamp and other components, and (b) listening confirmed that they contributed a bit more air and depth to the sonic presentation. Depending on the sonic isolation and sound of your rack—few supports have no sound of their own—your results may differ.
During the review, I auditioned the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Dual-mono, two-channel preamplifier with home theater bypass, remote control, and optional field-upgradable phono module. Inputs: 3 pairs balanced (XLR), 2 pairs unbalanced (RCA). Outputs: 2 pairs balanced (XLR), 1 pair unbalanced (RCA). Optional phono input: moving magnet/moving coil with adjustable gain and loading. Frequency response: DC–20MHz, –3dB. Phase shift: 0.2° at 20kHz. Channel separation: >135dB, 20Hz–20kHz. Input impedance: 4.4M ohms balanced (XLR), 4.4M ohms, unbalanced (RCA). Maximum input voltage: 9Vpp. Maximum output voltage:…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: dCS Vivaldi Apex DAC, Vivaldi Upsampler Plus, and Vivaldi Master Clock; Innuos Statement Next-Gen Music Server and PhoenixNET network switch; Small Green Computer Sonore opticalModule Deluxe (2); Broadcom/Avago AFBR-5718PZ 1GB SX-SFP, Gen 5 Fiber Optic modules; Nordost QSource linear power supply (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 Intel i7, SSD,…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured a different sample of the Soulution 727 preamplifier than that auditioned by JVS. Mine had the serial number 727-0053. I primarily used my Audio Precision SYS2722 system to measure the Soulution, repeating some tests with the magazine's higher-performance APx555.
Looking first at the performance of the 727's line-level inputs, the maximum gain for the balanced and unbalanced inputs to the balanced outputs was a little lower than the specified 4dB, at 3.7dB. The maximum gain from the balanced and unbalanced input to the unbalanced outputs was –2.…
Totem Acoustic was founded in 1987, in Montreal, Canada, by a former high school math teacher named Vince Bruzzese. The company's first product, the Model 1 loudspeaker, impressed me so much I bought a pair.
My old pal George Stanwick, who worked at Stereo Exchange, spotted me walking up Broadway through the store's window, whereupon he ran out and literally dragged me off the street pulling me by the arm—against my mumbled protests.
I followed George into Stereo Exchange's luxurious back room, where, spotlighted in front of me, I saw what looked like an expat's spin on trad-…
Listening
I collect black discs from the early 1950s because back then the vinyl was thick and heavy and its labels and covers used superior quality inks with super-saturated colors, often with gold or silver metallic lettering. My favorites among these classic beauties are discs made in Britain by EMI, Decca, and Argo. Lately, I've developed a special fondness for mono Argos pressed in England during the late '50s to early '60s. Their sound has a burnished gleam I find uniquely appealing.
On the first day of my Totem Element Fire auditions, I played my favorite composer,…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, standmount loudspeaker. Drive units: 1" (25mm) titanium-dome tweeter, 7" (178mm) Torrent-cone woofer. Crossover: no low-pass filter on woofer, first-order high-pass filter on tweeter. Frequency range: 30Hz–22kHz. Sensitivity: 88dB. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Recommended amplification: 50–150W.
Dimensions: 16.6" (421.6mm) H × 8.81" W (224mm) W × 11.7" (297.1mm) D. Weight: 32.4lb (14.7kg).
Finish: Black or White Gloss.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: ESF1526, ESF1527. Manufactured in Canada.
Price: $8450/pair.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird turntable with EMT 912-HI tonearm and EMT JSD 6 moving coil cartridge, Sorane SA-1.2 tonearm with Dynavector XX2A, Audio-Technica ART20, and Hana Umami Blue moving coil cartridges; Technics SL-1300G turntable with Nagaoka MP-200 cartridge; SunValley EQ-1616D phono equalizer, MoFi MasterPhono and Prima Luna EVO 100 phono stages. EM/IA SUT.
Digital sources: dCS Lina DAC with Master Clock, HoloAudio Spring 3 KTE, and Denafrips Terminator Plus DACs; TEAC CRDS-701T and Sparkler Audio S515t CD transports.
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Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system, a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone, and an Earthworks microphone preamplifier to measure the Totem Element Fire V2's quasi-anechoic frequency- and time-domain behavior in the farfield. I used an Earthworks QTC-40 microphone, which has a small, ¼" diameter capsule, for the nearfield responses and Dayton Audio's DATS V2 system to measure the impedance magnitude and phase.
While the…