At Stereophile, we're no strangers to UPS troubles, but this was something we'd never seen before. The package vanished mid-shipment! Thornberry sent me an email, "I’m going to just guess that it has been damaged or lost." While I was shocked, I assured him to not lose hope. We filed a missing package report.
The next day, the record cleaner showed up…
In a CD player?
Century-old technology embedded in a modern digital design?
I realize that Aesthetix's Saturn Romulus is not the first disc player or D/A processor with tubes, nor will it be the last—but does combining these technologies even make sense? Are audiophiles working at cross purposes to themselves, looking for modern perfection but preferring a little old-school sweetening here and there?
To date, I've stuck with purely solid-state DACs and disc players, but I was curious enough to jump at a chance to audition the Aesthetix Romulus DAC/CD…
Back to the Sooloos and some recent releases from HDtracks.com. First the classics: the entire Rush catalog has been issued in 24/96. The sound ranges…
Description: Tubed CD player with S/PDIF (coaxial and TosLink), AES/EBU and USB digital inputs. Tube complement: two 12AX7, two 6DJ8 or 6922. Audio data accepted: 16, 20, 24-bit word length with sample rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz. Maximum output level without optional volume control installed, RMS: 4.8V balanced, 2.4V single-ended. With volume control installed: the volume setting for standard 2V (SE)/4V (balanced) output is 80. Setting for the same output level as a non–volume-control unit is 82 (2.5V SE, 5V balanced). Output impedance: 300 ohms…
Digital Sources: Apple MacBook Pro computer (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD) running OS 10.6.7, iTunes 10.6, Sonic Studios Amarra 2.5, Songbird 1.9.3, XLD; Western Digital 2TB NAS Device; Oppo BDP-103 universal Blu-ray player; Sooloos/Meridian Digital Media System (Control 15, TwinStore x3); Apple iPad 2, 3 (or "New iPad" or latest or HD or Retina or whatever); Apple iPod Touch 1G; Apple iPhone 4S.
Digital Processors: Benchmark DAC1 USB, M2Tech Young & Palmer DAC & power supply, AudioQuest DragonFly USB DAC, Wadia 121decoding…
I examined the Aesthetix Saturn Romulus's electrical performance with Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It"); for some tests, I also used my vintage Audio Precision System One Dual Domain. For USB tests, I used my MacBook Pro running on battery power and the Romulus set to USB2.0. I played back test-signal files with Bias Peak Pro, using Apple's AudioMIDI utility to make sure that the sample rate and bit depth were correctly set for each file.
The Romulus's error…
When I did my first A/B comparison of the players and found them sounding more similar than any two components of any sort that I'd ever heard in my system, I dug…
Description: Top-loading, remote-control, tubed CD player with optional upsampling, two digital reconstruction filters, and digital inputs/outputs. Tube complement: four 6H30 dual triodes (analog stage), one 6H30 and one 6550C (power regulation). Digital inputs: S/PDIF (TosLink, BNC, RCA), AES/EBU (XLR), and USB. Bit depths handled: 16 and 24 bits. Sample rates handled: 44.1, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192kHz. Digital outputs: BNC, AES/EBU. Analog outputs: single-ended (RCA), balanced (XLR). Frequency responses: 3Hz–96kHz, +0/–3dB; 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.15dB. Signal/noise:…
Analog Source: VPI Classic turntable & tonearm, Lyra Delos cartridge.
Digital Source: Krell Cipher SACD/CD player.
Phono Preamplifier: Nagra BPS (battery-powered).
Integrated Amplifier: Simaudio Moon Evolution 700i.
Loudspeakers: Revel Ultima Studio2.
Cables: Nirvana
Accessories: Bybee Technologies Signature Power Purifier (not with amplifier or, sometimes, CD players), Black Diamond Mk.4 Racing Cones (sometimes not used), Audio Desk Systeme LP cleaner.—Fred Kaplan