At AXPONA 2022, I eagerly…
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Of all the brand lines I've reviewed, none's sound has changed as much over time as Esoteric's top-tier Grandioso series. When I first encountered Grandioso setups at shows, they consistently sounded dark. That in itself is not necessarily bad; the darker presentations of some concert venues and hi-fi systems often enhance detail. But I prefer my music more illumined, with all the color and brilliance that instruments and voices can offer. And over the last three years or so, Esoteric's sound has become better lit, as though a 40W bulb was replaced by a 75W bulb.
The warm-up issue
For more than two weeks, I played and tinkered with the new M1X setup, trying to get the sound a newly redesigned $71,000/pair monoblock duo can reasonably be expected to deliver. At first I found it unnaturally warm, bass shy, and monotonic. Boring. Undeniably, the M1Xs exhibited exceptional natural flow and a smooth top, but nothing sounded quite as I thought it should.
For more than two weeks, I played and tinkered with the new M1X setup, trying to get the sound a newly redesigned $71,000/pair monoblock duo can reasonably be expected to deliver. At first I found it unnaturally warm, bass shy, and monotonic. Boring. Undeniably, the M1Xs exhibited exceptional natural flow and a smooth top, but nothing sounded quite as I thought it should.
I changed brands of speaker cable and interconnects, but inasmuch as I could hear changes, the sound remained dull. To make sure I hadn't inadvertently made some other important change in the system…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Class-AB mono power amplifier. Analog inputs: Balanced (XLR), single-ended (RCA), and Esoteric ESL-A (for connecting other Esoteric components). Outputs: 1 pair binding posts. Input impedance: 100k ohms for XLR, 10k ohms for RCA. Rated output power: 300W into 8 ohms (24.8dBW), 600W into 4 ohms (24.8dBW). Power consumption: 400W, 55W when no signal. Frequency response: 5Hz–100kHz, +0dB/–3dB into 8 ohms. S/N ratio: 119dB (IHF-A, XLR). THD: 0.006% (1kHz, 8 ohms, 300W). Compatible speaker impedance: 4 ohms to 16 ohms (see explanation in review text).…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: dCS Rossini Apex DAC and Vivaldi Master Clock; Innuos Statement NextGen Music Server; Uptone Audio EtherRegen, AfterDark Giesemann Emperor Double Crown Master Clock, and Nordost QNet Ethernet Switch, all powered by Nordost QSource linear power supplies (2); Synology 5-bay 1019+ NAS, Small Green Computer Sonore Deluxe opticalModule, Linksys mesh router and Arris modem, all powered by HDPlex 300 linear power supply; Apple 2017 iPad Pro and 2017 MacBook Pro laptop with 2.8GHz Intel i7, SSD, 16GB RAM.
Preamplifier: Dan D'Agostino Momentum…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Before I tested one of the Esoteric M1X amplifiers, serial number 20014, with my Audio Precision SYS2722, I preconditioned the amplifier, following the CEA's recommendation of operating it at one-eighth the specified power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, the internal heatsinks were fairly warm, at 105.7°F (40.8°C), though the top panel's temperature was just 82.6°F (28.1°C). As JVS had told me that the M1X's sound quality improved after a lengthy break-in, I then ran the amplifier at one-third the specified power into 8 ohms for another 30…
Got plans for Saturday afternoon? How 'bout a visit to the dark side? The dark side of the moon, that is—or, rather, The Dark Side of the Moon?
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of that audiophile favorite, music enthusiast Philip O'Hanlon, of audio distributor On a Higher Note (and also MORMusic; MOR is short for Magnum Opus Rediscovered), has organized DSotM listening parties to take place 3–6pm Saturday, 25 March, at hi-fi dens across the USA. If you want to attend, you can (hopefully) find a venue near you at this link. (Scroll and find a location on the US map.)…
Sunny? Spring-y? Even more bizarre: No snow is predicted for the entire weekend of the 34th Montreal Audiofest, which runs from March 24 to March 26.
It always snows during the 'fest. It’s tradition!, like watching the ducks on the rooftop pond leap out of the water to snatch a beak-full of grain before leaping back into their watery trenches. Like people in elevators talking about how nippy it is outside.
There's none of that this time: It was so warm out on Friday that the ducks were floating as nonchalant as duckies bobbing in a (warm) bath. I didn’t hear anything…
Friday—opening day—was crazy. I've never visited so many rooms in one day at an audio show—14, to be exact. That's a lot of rooms to cover. As a show reporter, you must take the time to listen to the gear, evaluate its sound, jot down legible impressions, make sense of exhibitors' explanations, get product names and prices, take photos of the gear, and ask for business cards so you can contact someone later if you're missing information. Then, despite my best efforts, I often must make a repeat visit because I forgot to take a particular photo or pick up a price list or ask for the…
Making its North American premiere—perhaps its world premiere, according to Le Studio du Son's Olivier Fragman—was the Aperion Verus III Concert V8T Tower speaker ($5000/pair, the big ones in the photo above). The sensitivity of the V8T, with its dual-8"-woofers, is specified at 91dB (specific units not, um, specified) into 4 ohms, yet the minimum recommended maximum power is a formidable 250Wpc. Powering the speakers was a New Zealand–made, Bluetooth-equipped, 400Wpc integrated amplifier by Java Hi-Fi ($15,000), which is among the first class-D amps to market that employ GaN-FET (Gallium…
When I spotted—on a poster affixed to Heaven 11's exhibit room door—Charlton Heston as Moses (?) holding tubes in his arms instead of those famous stone plates, I knew going in I was in for something a little different. Visions of single-ended triodes were dancing in my head.
I wasn't wrong, but I wasn't quite right, either. When I entered the dimly lit room, with a slightly hippy vibe, I spotted a pair of standmounts with two similar-looking drivers and what looked like a bare-bones amplifier with four items protruding from its chassis, including what looked like two dual triodes…