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Lotus Hifi of London, in conjunction with distributors Boyer Audio, bring Wadax to the UK

23 March 2024 – “Lotus Hifi of London, in conjunction with distributors Boyer Audio, bring Wadax to the UK.

The superlative, state of the art range of Atlantis Reference digital equipment from Wadax, is now for the very first time, available through London High End dealer Lotus Hifi. In support and partnership, distribution for this and all future Wadax products will be managed by Boyer Audio.

Brandon Lauer, Director of Sales and Marketing for Wadax, writes:

“Boyer Audio have demonstrated a clear dedication to the best in high end audio, in the selection of curated brands as well as providing excellent customer service. Lotus Hifi continues this excellence with the capacity to create systems personalised for each individual and their musical ambitions. We are extremely excited to embark on this journey together to bring some of the finest products to the UK market as well as show you what is in store for the future of state-of-the-art music playback.”

The full suite of products from the remarkable level 4 Atlantis Reference digital suite are now on permanent demo at Lotus.”

Audio Show Deluxe 2024: A photo show report

The second annual Audio Show Deluxe took place this weekend. Whittlebury Hall, near Silverstone racetrack in the heart of England, has hosted several audio events in the last two decades. Few have been as friendly or well-organised as Audio Show Deluxe. It’s organised by Kris Sawicki (of North West Audio Show fame), and Stuart and Linette Smith (from Hi-Fi Pig).

Deliberately small, with just 26 rooms across two floors, the event lives up to the name ‘Deluxe’. The accent is on quality rather than quantity, with lectures, timed demonstrations, and even the occasional live event. The rooms are not great for audio, with large conference rooms or smaller square cubes, all with very high ceilings. However, the exhibitors often rose to the challenge, making good sounds throughout the hotel.

This is not a show for launches… yet. Nevertheless, there were new products on show. However, rather than our usual “what’s new?” show coverage, the event is curated enough to cover virtually everything…

 

Absolute Sounds

Absolute Sounds
Absolute Sounds had three main rooms (with additional equipment in several others – most notably Innuos and the Wellness Strategist gong-bath relaxation room). Last year, the high-end distributor showed the Döhmann Helix One turntable, ably demonstrated by Mark Döhmann himself. This year, the Helix One Mk III was joined by the laser-guided Reed 5T tangential tracking arm and Analog Relax EX 500 cartridge. This was played through the HSE Masterline 7 phono stage, dCS and Innuos digital audio, Robert Koda, DarTZeel and Constellation Audio amplifiers and Magico loudspeakers, with Transparent Audio cables and Artesania Audio equipment supports.

 

Absolute Sounds, dCS
Absolute Sounds also had a full dCS Vivaldi APEX stack (once again with an Innuos server) alongside a D’Agostino MxV Momentum Integrated amplifier and into a pair of Wilson Audio Sasha V loudspeakers, once again with Transparent Audio power and signal cables and Artesania Audio equipment supports.

 

It doesn’t have to be big to sound good. In the smallest of the Absolute Sounds rooms, a Thiele TT01/TA01 ZERO turntable and arm with an Analog Relax EX 300 cartridge, an EAT E-Glo 5 phono stage, a dCS Lina Network DAC, Trafomatic Rhapsody integrated amp, and a pair of DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 speakers made great sound in a difficult room.

Airt Audio

Airt Audio
Airt Audio’s demonstrations centred around its ‘LTNF’ ( Lowering The Noise Floor) concept, using Acustica Applicata room treatment and Entreq grounding on a small but sophisticated system featuring a Metronome/Kalista source, Waversa streaming and amplification, and Avalon Acoustics loudspeakers.

Auden Distribution

Auden Distribution had two rooms. The larger had a Merason DAC1 mkII processor with a Hegel Viking CD and P30A preamp and two Hegel H30A power amps, with EgglestonWorks Virginti floorstanders, Audiomica Silver Signature cables, and MusicWorks power and support systems.

 

Newcomer to the Auden Distribution line, Luphonic turntables from Germany include the clever H2 Sens. This features a magnetic puck that controls turntable speed. Flip it over, and it plays 33rpm!

 

In the second—and smaller—Auden Distribution room, Audiomica demonstrated the differences between its cables, using another Hegel Viking CD player into the Hegel H600 integrated amp. The loudspeakers were EgglestonWorks Oso.

Audio Group Denmark

Audio Group Denmark
The most expensive system at the show was Audio Group Denmark’s £1.5m combination of Aavik 880 series electronics, Børresen’s top loudspeaker, and Ansuz power, cable, and isolation systems.

Audio Note

Always making good sound, Audio Note showed its Field Coil E loudspeakers, which were shown in prototype form at last year’s show. These sounded great through an all-Audio Note system.

Black Rhodium

In a static display, Black Rhodium showed its Flamenco loudspeaker cables; the flagship of the line.

Blackwood

New to the UK but a fixture on the Warsaw Audio Show circuit, Blackwood makes an extremely fine-sounding active loudspeaker system in the Armani’s. The company came to the show looking for UK distribution, and judging by the performance, we look forward to hearing more about it.

 

Boyer Audio

Boyer Audio launched two new products from Kroma Atelier; the floorstanding Matilde and stand-mount Macbeth, both featuring PURIFI drive units. The rest of the system was no slouch, either, featuring a Brinkmann analogue and Wadax digital front-ends, Engström amplification, Shunyata Research’s cables and power distributors and Bassocontinuo stands. Judging by how long people stayed in this room, this was one of the stand-outs at the show.

Connected Fidelity

Connected Fidelity showed its prototype TT Hub turntable, complete with Sorane tonearm and Hana Umami Red cartridge. This was played through a Trichord phono stage, Moor Amps electronics and loudspeakers and Connected Fidelity’s range of power, cable and equipment isolation products.

 

Connecting Music

Distributor Connecting Music made a lovely sound centred around the Italian amplifier company MastersounD. Its Evolution 845 integrated amplifier was fed music by a Bricasti digital front end and played into a pair of Maxima Amator loudspeakers from fellow Vicenza resident Sonus Faber.

Cyrus Audio

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, Cyrus Audio showed a very similar system to its Bristol Audio Show set-up, with the TTP turntable fronting a full XR system into Audio Physic Codex floorstanding loudspeakers.

 

Decent Audio

Decent Audio had a lot on show. It demonstrated a system featuring Audio Analogue electronics, van den Hul cables, and Raidho loudspeakers, but it also showed models from Ayre Acoustics, Advance Paris, Scansonic, and the first audio amplifiers from headphone amp experts SPL.

 

Electromod

Personal Audio was not strongly represented at Audio Show Deluxe, but Electromod showed off its newest brand: a Violectric/Niimbus headphone amplifier driving Dan Clark Audio’s new E3 headphones.

House of Linn

Manchester-based experts House of Linn were—perhaps understandably—playing a largely Linn-based system, comprising a Linn Klimax LP12 turntable and Klimax DSM/3 streaming preamp into the new Klimax Solo 800 power amps, but into a pair of ATC SCM100PSLT passive loudspeakers and an ATC C4 Sub Mk2. Melco and Innuos brought the streaming sounds while Puritan purified power.

 

Innuos

Innuos showed its Statement Next Gen server and Phoenix Net network switch in a remarkably revealing system comprising dCS Vivaldi APEX DAC and Upsampler, Audio Research Reference preamp and monoblocks, Wilson Benesch floorstanders and Infrasonic generator, the new Lateral Audio Stands Counterpoint equipment supports and Shunyata Research power and cable systems.

Karma AV

Karma AV showed music and movies can sit comfortably together with a demonstration featuring Primare multichannel electronics, Perlisten loudspeakers, SVS subwoofers, and Inakustik cables. Norah Jones’s singing in Ronnie Scotts was as graceful as the atom bomb from Oppenheimer was jump-out-of-your-seat dynamic.

KEF

KEF rarely gets to show off its Muon flagship loudspeaker, but the shiny art-meets-science tower can still stun people with its performance, especially when fed by a top Innuos and Soulution system.

 

Lateral Audio Stands/Willowtree Audio

Lateral Audio Stands showed off its new Counterpoint flagship stand in a room shared with Willowtree Audio. The combination of Lector and CenGrand digital front end, Dayens amplification, JMR loudspeakers, and Lateral Audio Stands made a genuinely global and attainably priced system that sounded excellent.

 

Luxman/DALI

Luxman is a rare – but welcome – sight in a UK audio show. This complete analogue and digital electronics collection from the brand (comprising PD-191A turntable, E-250 phono stage, D-10X disc player and NT-07 network player, C-10X preamp and M-10X power amplifier was met with a pair of DALI Epikore 11 loudspeakers and a complete loom of Chord Company Sarum T cables.

 

In addition to the systems on show, Jonathan Billington from Music First Audio was on hand to answer questions about the company’s products. This was a departure from its usual demonstrations, but sometimes you just have to meet and greet!

 

Puritan Audio Laboratories

While several brands used the company’s products at the show (most notably House of Linn), Puritan Audio Labs was exhibiting but not demonstrating. Puritan’s range of power and star-earthing products is refreshingly engineering-led.

 

Reference Audio Distribution

Reference Audio Distribution covers Acoustic Solid turntables, Audia Flight electronics, Diapason loudspeakers, and Spirit Torino headphones. However, it also makes its line of Titan Audio power products and Titanic Audio cartridges. The company’s latest newcomer is the Titanic Audio Newton record clamp. It features a spring-loaded suspension system to apply just the right amount of downforce.

 

Stratton Acoustics/Vertere Acoustics

Playing in the awe-inspiring Vertere Acoustics room, Stratton Acoustics launched its second loudspeaker, the Element 12. Following the company’s Elypsis 1512, the Element 12 is a twin-reflex loaded two-way high-sensitivity stand-mount loudspeaker. It sports a 300mm mid/woofer and a 29mm soft dome tweeter in a substantial 57-litre bamboo ply enclosure.

 

Symmetry

For the second year, Mike Valentine of Chasing the Dragon Records gave fascinating lectures in the Symmetry room. His direct-cut LPs were replayed on a complete Brinkmann analogue, digital, and amplifier system. There was also a studio master tape, Sonus faber Stradivari loudspeakers, HRS stands, and a full Shunyata Research power and signal cable system.

 

Technics

Technics had a compact but surprisingly thorough room. This included the new Delta Sigma drive SL-1200GR2 turntable, an SA-C600 Network CD Receiver, and SB-C600 loudspeakers. There was also a SL-1210G and a pair of G700 Series products.

 

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Music Interview: Jah Wobble

For almost half a century, English bassist, Jah Wobble, who was one of the founding members of post-punk band, Public Image Ltd (PiL), has been making music inspired by influences from all over the globe.

A brilliant new four-CD digipak compilation, Dark Luminosity – The 21st Century Collection (Cherry Red Records), shows just how diverse his output has been, taking in dub, jazz, folk, dark and cinematic compositions, ambient, film scores, world music, Asian sounds and spoken word.

It includes his work with his band The Invaders of the Heart, as well as collaborations with female vocalists Natacha Atlas, Liz Carter and Julie Campbell (alias LoneLady), North African-born duo MoMo (Music Of Moroccan Origin), electronic band Marconi Union and Shakatak’s Bill Sharpe, plus tracks he wrote and recorded during lockdown for the moody, late-night album Nocturne In The City and the more celebratory and ecstatic record, End of Lockdown Dub.

Jah Wobble
Image: Alex Hurst

The collection has been co-compiled by Wobble and he’s written the sleeve notes, which provide details of his recording techniques and some of the people he’s worked with.

hi-fi+ got him on the phone to talk about putting the compilation together and some of his influences and inspirations.

“I’m very lucky to be able to do my own sleeve notes and explain what I’m about to people,” he says. “So much time passes, you release stuff and you should say something. It’s genuine and I’m a very honest kind of guy.”

SH: This box set focus on your work in the 21st century – in 1999, you had a massive change in your life, when you and your family moved from the East End of London, where you were born and raised, to Stockport, up north. Why did you do that and how was it?

JW: It was like, ‘Oh my God – what am I doing?’ I had no idea, but we needed a bigger gaff. I’m sitting in my front room now and we’ve got a harp in here.

I run a label – the law is that no matter how much you plan with distributors, you’ll always end up with cardboard boxes in your hall.

We had to bite the bullet and go – it was a bit hairy where we were living too. You know London – you can be within two or three streets away of it getting heavy.

To be quite honest, you had a lot of people moving in because it was trendy – it was an ‘artists’ area.’ You’d hear these stats… ‘There are 45,000 artists…’

Oh, f*** off! Says who? And why are they artists? It all got a bit daft and it felt like it was time to go. It [Stockport] was also near to my wife’s mum and dad – active grandparents are very important.

I only had one active grandfather and he was a pisshead, God bless him. He loved me – he was great – but he was rough as f***. He’d give you a florin and a tangerine and a Bounty bar at Christmas.

You’ve been closely involved with putting the new CD collection together, haven’t you?

Yeah – John Reed started it. He really got it and understood it – we deliberately made it a bit left field. We left off a few tracks that would be considered potentially more populist. In essence, that’s where I was at the time, going into the 21st century, he says, grandly.

Was it hard to decide what to include and were there any nice surprises when you were going through all the music, or things you’d forgotten about?

There were loads, like the Alpha One Free album. There were a few albums that were pretty obscure and I was like, ‘Wow – I’d completely forgotten about that.’ Most importantly, I’d forgotten where I was at when I did it and how ecstatic I was. I worked upstairs in the loft at that point – half of it was a studio space. I used to work there until the early hours of the morning. It was very solitary and it was quite spooky – you could really feel a presence. It was probably the presence of my consciousness – it’s like a force looking over your shoulder.

You sometimes go to some dark places for your musical inspirations, don’t you, as well some lighter areas? The title of the compilation is Dark Luminosity…

Yeah – maybe it’s like those f***ing people who are in recovery. It’s like picking a stone up and seeing what lies underneath – shining a light on the darkness. As my mate Billy used to say, many years ago: ‘If you don’t go down to get the demons, they will come up and get you.’ That’s very much dark luminosity – dusk is a time in nature which is brooding. The night is about to start – a whole new shift of animals come on. It can be a very dangerous place if the darkness isn’t your friend. Darkness is a kind of friend to me in a way – I’ve always liked moving around the city, late at night.

There’s a real soundtrack feel to some of the tracks on the compilation…

There are lots of cinematic things – I did the Fureur soundtrack. I just knew at the time that it was special.

I really like the music you did with Marconi Union, which has that John Barry and Ennio Morricone feel, and the Nocturne In The City album, which you made during lockdown and is also very cinematic…

Jah Wobble

That’s right. I’m a big John Barry fan. I often do a stupid quiz on stage: ‘Where did the British composer of ‘Midnight Cowboy’ hail from?’ People never guess it’s York…

His dad was a cinema projectionist…

That’s it – that’s where he got his love of soundtracks from. I came to John Barry quite late and then I realised that what I was doing was cinematic. Doing film music comes with its own price – a lot of musicians don’t realise that. It’s as much a straitjacket as writing pop songs.

For me, what I’m writing for a lot of the time is a soundtrack to life – reality. There’s no difference to me because life is like a movie.

Jah Wobble
Image: Alex Hurst

If you look at it like old celluloid film being projected, the thing that interests me most is the bright, white light that shines through the celluloid onto the screen. That whole process – we are the light and we are the screen. The things we aren’t are the characters – the things we think we are, we’re not, in essence. Which would make a good case for the defence in court, I suppose…

Who would play you in the Jah Wobble biopic?

That’s the thing – it doesn’t matter. It’s the music that matters and I’ve very much gone that down path. I’ve stuck to my guns and it keeps everything simple.

I can remember, back in the day, when everybody was trying to get onto soundtracks – it’s easier to just f***ing relax, make the music and have faith in that and the long haul.

I was surprised by how eclectic the new collection is – you’ve done so much diverse stuff, including dub, ambient, cinematic music, jazz, world music, folk, spoken word… The box set is a treasure trove…

Yeah – it’s very varied. At the moment what sticks out for me is the solitary stuff – I was really on a bit of a solitary sort of trip for a lot of it. Having said that, lots of it is ensemble because I can never stay away from working with people for too long.

Some of the tracks that stand out for me are from the 2003 English Roots Music album – folk songs, like ‘Unquiet Grave’, which you did with The Invaders of the Heart and vocalist Liz Carter. How did that project come about?

It was very simple – if you like world music, you like folk and roots music. I’ve got Irish ancestry – I grew up listening to Irish folk and then I heard Scottish and English folk and thought, ‘Oh my God – why is English folk so prissy?’ It was like a parody of folk – Cecil Sharp and the whole Victorian attitude to folk music. It was almost like butterfly collecting, where you get it in the net, put chemicals in it and then put it under glass – it’s a dead thing now, well done…

Obviously, there were people like the Carthy family… I realised there was a scene and started taking an interest in it. I thought it would be nice to just make a simple little record, probably up north, and do some folk.

I was staying in Hartlepool and I met Liz Carter – we tended to do shows at a place called The Studio, so I stayed there and recorded a folk record. It was a fun and low budget recording – it’s a unique little record and it’s off-the-wall. It achieved what we wanted, which was to make rootsy, dubby and passionate versions of some of those ancient songs that were hundreds of years old.

I like the English Roots Band’s version of Dawn Penn’s reggae song, ‘No No No’, that’s on the collection – it’s a spacy dub. You’ve put your own stamp on it…

That’s right – it was a question of working with the musicians I had around me at the time, who were a bit folky and a bit jazzy. I also did a thing called Deep Space – a lot of people hated it, by the way. It was like Metal Box [the second PiL album] – probably more people hated it than loved it at the time.

When people hate something, you have to take it with a healthy amount of cynicism and a pinch of salt.

We took a lot of stick from traditional folk fans and because we weren’t doing more commercial world music things.

The box set shows that… You’re doing some Metal Box Rebuilt In Dub shows this year…

We’re doing Metal Box again. It came out in ’79 – I started to get a bit of a fascination with it again. I started playing a Fender Precision again and it got me back into those basslines and the unique sound of Fender.

With The Invaders, we’ve been doing numbers off Metal Box for a few years and I went out with Keith Levene [founding member of PiL] in 2012 and we did half a dozen shows. Keith was ill and sadly passed away.

I’ve been working with Jon Klein [Siouxsie and The Banshees] – if you want a post-punk guitarist, he’s your man. He’s a very talented guy – he’s very good technically and he’s very creative. We’ve also made an album and it’s coming out on Cleopatra in the fall, as they say in America. It’s called A Brief History of Now and it’s pretty commercial.

How was it revisiting and rebuilding Metal Box in dub?

It’s more than dub. There are a lot of strings on it. I love strings – the Philly Sound – they do the job.

Are you pleased with the new box set?

Very much – there’s some great attention to detail. They’ve used some of my artwork but for the front cover, I said, ‘Stick a photo of me on it.’

It’s you, wearing your Apple headphones…

I’m Apple’s f***ing bitch! That’s where I’m at – I’ve always got headphones on.

Dark Luminosity – The 21st Century Collection is out now on Cherry Red Records. It’s a four-CD digipak set.

Jah Wobble is on tour this year: www.jahwobble.com

Back to Music

Reiki Audio SuperSwitch Master Pro + Servant Pro

On opening the distinctly plush packaging and extracting these attractively hewn devices, I was a little surprised to find that neither of Reiki Audio’s SuperSwitches resemble the examples that other audio manufacturers, and the world of networking, describe as a ‘switch’. All of the latter have multiple ports; some like the Innuos PhoenixNET only have four but the majority stick with the eight found on the commercial switches that they are usually based on. Reiki’s switches have a single input and an equal amount of outputs so they function more like a filter but are in fact network switches under the skin.

It has become apparent that using multiple network switches in a cascade has positive effects in a streaming audio system because each one reduces the high frequency noise that abounds on data networks, noise which inevitably infiltrates our streaming devices and makes its way into the audio signal. The best way to improve the sound of a streaming system is to reduce this noise by whatever means possible, some such as Network Acoustics do it with a passive filter while rather more – including Ansuz, Melco, and English Electric – have taken the switch route.

Eureka

Reiki founder Nigel Bell comes from an IT background and like many others doubted the benefit of using a network switch in a streaming system until he tried a cheap example and had an epiphany. He expected to hear nothing or nothing more than a subtle change but in his words “it simply wasn’t”. That was in 2019 when he was working on an equipment rack that not only sounded good but looked good enough to put in a living room, and this revelation forced a change of approach and resulted in the Reiki SuperSwitch range.

Nigel’s thinking is that an audio streaming switch does not need multiple ports. In many instances there is only a streamer in the system so all it needs is a feed from the network. So he takes a regular eight port switch and shields the unused ports to stop the EMI/RFI noise from getting inside the switch, then removes any indicator lights because of noise that they might create within the circuitry and because RFI gets into the casework via the holes around the lights. Hence the solid appearance of the Reiki casework.

There are two variants on the Reiki SuperSwitch, the Master and Servant. They look identical but the Master incorporates copper shielding and an RFI/EMI absorber within the aluminium casing whereas the Servant does not. The latter is designed for use close to the router and the Master close to the streamer. Both units do the same job of reducing the amount of noise on the Ethernet connection but the extra shielding and RFI/EMI absorber in the Master make it a more effective noise killer.

Power Supplies

The SuperSwitches are available with a basic 5V power supply at £649 for the Servant or £949 for the Master but Reiki make the Pro 5V linear power supply which sells for £849 on its own or £1,399 with a Servant and £1,699 with a Master. The ultimate Reiki package is what we are considering here, the SuperSwitch Master Pro and Servant Pro which comes in at £2,999 for the four boxes. As yet, Reiki do not offer its own Ethernet cable but it holds that plastic plugs are generally superior to the metal ones found on most high end cables because metal breaks the galvanic isolation that is incorporated in each switch.

Build quality is to a high standard with 3mm thick aluminium casework in an anodised black finish. Both Master and Servant look identical so there are labels on the base of each to indicate which is which. Connection between the Pro power supply and switch is with a 50cm braided cable that locks onto the PSU. The in/out indicators on the switch are laser cut into the casework next to each port but it should work either way round.

Reiki Audio

The presence of just two connections on the SuperSwitch means that those of us with music servers to include in the network have to use an output from the router to connect the server, with a second cable going to the SuperSwitch and thence to the streamer. Alternatively with servers that have a player output you could place the SuperSwitch between it and the streamer, but this would require that the server be on in order to play Qobuz, Tidal etc. I started by putting the SuperSwitch Master in the former arrangement with both SuperSwitch and Melco N10 server connected to an English Electric 8Switch (with Chord GroundARAY onboard) so that the SuperSwitch ended up close to my Lumin U2 Mini streamer. In this situation adding the Master brought openness, clarity, air and shine to ‘Babylon Sisters’ (Steely Dan). It clearly drops the noise floor and gets you a step closer to the music.

Profound Change

In a more conventional arrangement without the EE 8Switch and with both streamer and server connected to a Cisco 2960 switch, introducing the SuperSwitch brought about a more profound change with backgrounds becoming notably quieter and the sound being purer, more relaxed and with greater focus to the imaging. The latter took on a distinctly three dimensional character and nuances came out in the performance that were not clear without the Master in the network. Adding the SuperSwitch Servant to this arrangement also proved highly beneficial with a further increase in image solidity alongside a tremendous sense of presence, it felt like the vocalist was in the room. Going back to ‘Babylon Sisters’ revealed that timing too had become clearer and that it was easier to differentiate between the two guitars in the mix.

Introducing the SuperSwitch Master into a Qobuz stream made Bonnie Raitt’s ‘Too Long at the Fair’ even more beautiful thanks to enhanced dynamics, greater clarity and all round separation and transparency. Adding the Slave to this chain brought more intricacy to the sound, greater purity of voice and a better sense of involvement. It essentially does the same thing as the Master but to a lesser degree, which given that they are so similar is no surprise, what it does prove is that cascading switches works and works well. Introducing the EE 8Switch/GroundARAY into this same network had more of a darkening and calming effect while also enhancing timing which is a classic Chord Co/English Electric characteristic.

Opening Up

Approaching this the other way round with the 8Switch in circuit and adding the SuperSwitch Master brought about an opening up of the sound thanks to a more detailed and better timed presentation. Adding the Servant to this chain increased image width and relaxed the sound, which was a different result to that heard earlier but similar to adding the 8Switch to Master and Servant, wherein you go from two switches to three. Cascading clearly works.

I had one issue with the SuperSwitches however which is that, when sitting atop their accompanying power supplies, they aren’t heavy enough to offset the weight of the chunkier Ethernet cables, and can end up tipped back. I guess the thing would be to support the cables (not always easy with this type of cabling), or use the lighter cabling that typically comes with the non-metal RJ45 plugs found on unshielded cables, or simply to move the switch to the front of the PSU top. I was using the opposite which might have undermined results although all they need is for the shielding not to be connected at one end to maintain galvanic isolation.

What it says on the box

I also listened to the Reiki switches with an AURALiC ARIES G1 streamer and found that they are very good at unearthing quieter details in almost any piece of music, especially leading edges which are picked from instruments even when they are low in the mix. This was apparent on the cymbal in Arab Strap’s ‘Packs of Three’ and has the effect of making the tempo more clear. Adding just the SuperSwitch Master to the link between Cisco switch and a Melco N5 (USB out to iFi Pro iDSD Signature DAC) had the same effect of adding definition to leading edges which produced a tighter, more solid sound in which it was easier to hear details like effects on the vocal.

The build and finish on the Reiki SuperSwitches is impressive. I particularly like the way that the symbol is laser cut into the lid for instance, and more importantly they do what it says on the website. They reduce the amount of RF/EMI noise that gets from the network into the audio signal that comes out of your streamer or DAC, and that in turn means a more natural and engaging sound that makes you want to listen louder and longer.

Technical specifications

  • Type Streaming audio network switch
  • LAN Ethernet ports Two (via RJ45)
  • Fibre optic ports none
  • Clock 25MHz
  • Packet data buffer 128KB
  • Features Separate linear power supply
  • Finish Anodised black
  • Dimensions (H×W×D) SuperSwitch: 45 × 182 × 100mm
    Power supply: 68 × 250 × 138mm
  • Weight SuperSwitch Servant: 600g
    SuperSwitch Master: 650g
  • Power supply 2.5kg
  • Price £2,999

Manufacturer

Reiki Audio Ltd

www.reikiaudio.com

+44(0)7880 500999

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Melco Audio N1-S38 music server

Music servers should be universal, but when Melco Audio first re-emerged as an audio brand with its original N1, things didn’t quite go as planned. Although Melco’s debut HDD-based N1 was available in the USA from day one, a complication with SSD-technology libraries meant solid-state Melcos got off to a slower start. This is why when the Melco Audio N1-S38 server hit town recently, on this side of the pond, it was met with praise and interest, but in the Americas, the response was more “Who’s Melco?”

Melco was founded in 1975 by Makoto Maki. The Japanese brand first made turntables but looked to diversify. One of Melco’s first products outside of audio was a printer buffer, which helped give the subsidiary its name: Buffalo. Fast-forward to today, Buffalo makes a massive range of computer peripherals and has extensive expertise in computers, networks, and solid-state hard drives.

Melco never wholly shook off the love of music, though, and the Melco name reemerged in the 2010s. But no longer making turntables. With its background in music reproduction and an entire computer division to hand, Melco Audio was destined to become a maker of fine music servers.

Home team advantage

The music server was considered particularly important in the home market because—despite Japan’s technological reputation—personal computers are comparatively rare in Japanese homes. However, until recently, Japanese people mainly bought CDs and SACDs. That’s all starting to change, and the N1-S38 represents the pinnacle of server performance from Melco, so there’s some confluence.

The N1-S38 – and, in the broader context, all of Melco’s servers – are an extremely ambitious project. They are servers for those who don’t want a retasked computer doing the job. Instead, Melco has designed its music server from scratch. Granted, it uses parts and connections used in the computer industry. But where many servers are a Windows or Linux ‘box’ with server software running on top of that operating system, Melco made dedicated hardware to its exacting design. It can do that because… Buffalo. Melco can specially select 3.84TB SSD drives – choosing the quietest samples to keep vibration and RFI low – because it has a whole division dealing with SSD. It can access the best network connections and SFP ports for the same reasons.

Melco Audio N1-S38 music server

As the name suggests, the N1-S38 is a reimagining of the original N1 flagship from Melco, with the S38 suffix to differentiate old from new; at least in stock control terms, they look almost entirely unlike one another. It also denotes using that internal 3.84TB SSD drive (enough for 6,000 albums). Everything about the N1 has changed; from the thicker aluminium chassis and elegant side-cheek look (with blue lights running down the sides, it’s slightly reminiscent of the current Marantz line, but with an up to 5mm thick case and machined-from-solid design, the Melco bows to no man).

Densely packed

Under the lid, there’s a more densely packed and thicker main board, the same time-proven CPU and more flash memory. While the primary screen and button layout remains the same, both are changed for the better. SFP is an exciting development for music servers, and while it has been done before, previous users were more ‘kludge’ than ‘integrated into the unit itself’. SFP is a fibre-based Gigabit Ethernet connection (1000BASE-T), which you can use for a fast (and more importantly, galvanically isolated) connection to the outside world. You can’t simply connect this to a 10/100BASE-T or RJ45 network connector; you need a router or hub with an SFP port. Fortunately, Melco has this covered with the S10 and S100/2 data switches.

What have the Romans ever done for us?

So, aside from the case, the display, the buttons, the hard drive and its data path, the system electronics, mainboard, memory, transformer, power regulation system, connectors, the addition of SFP, and provision for a clock… it’s the same as its predecessor!

In their early days, Melco’s servers were excellent at dealing with a local network but less good regarding streaming and Internet radio replay. That all changed (for the better) with the development of the Melco Music HD App, which helped integrate streaming services like Qubuz and Tidal into the Melco ecosystem. The Melco Audio product line is now pre-loaded with TwonkyMedia and MinimServer 2 software. Meanwhile, the metadata tag-editing tool SongKong offer additional features for those wanting to fine-tune a collection. Even Roon Readiness has come to Melco Audio now.

What hasn’t changed is Melco’s devotion to making music served or streamed by the N1-S38 sound as good as it gets. Or at least, as good as it gets this side of a Taiko or top Pink Faun, both of which make the £11,995 price tag of the N1-S38 read like a small change!

The sound is dynamic, expressive and lithe. It’s got authority and presence and plenty of detail. Music played through the Melco N1-S38 is a very impressive thing, not overly so, and I don’t mean that even the smallest voice is amplified and overblown. Instead, that track is presented like new. And, in the manner of a good server, it doesn’t matter where those tracks come from. It will perform good track husbandry to make them sound at their best.

Stacked out network

I stacked out the network with a range of storage, everything from a NAS drive through an older Melco N100 to the Innuos Statement and Naim Uniti Core, and a couple of USB drives thrown in for good measure. There were a few glitches, primarily caused by having the same ripped version of Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks on all of these devices at once, but the N1-S38 made ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ perfectly full of the angst of someone going through a breakup.

Melco Audio N1-S38 music server

Tracks sounded best when stored on Melco’s SSD drive, giving them a snap and immediacy alongside the detail and authority. A rip of ‘Celestial Echo’ by Malia and Boris Blank [Convergence, Boutique] showed off everything the Melco Audio N1-S38 does well, placing her voice rock-solid in between the speakers, with almost perfect articulation (you can not only hear just how close the microphone is, but the mild compression used). This is backed by some powerful and deep synth work, which is spatially correct, very deep, and fast enough to sound natural.

Though considerably improved, I still maintain that the Melco App is behind the curve. While many will migrate to other ways of driving the Melco, this App needs to be as good as the hardware. But elsewhere, the N1-S38 is a product of exceptional sophistication, matched by outstanding sound quality.

You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!

Truthfully, many of my prior feelings about Melco Audio’s products were based on previous generations of devices. They’ve come a long way in a few years. This is still a configurable and sophisticated server, meaning it’s perhaps not as immediately ‘out of the box’ ready as something like an Innuos Statement. However, the basic setup is just setting the date and time zine. The Melco Audio N1-S38 needs a little love to make it sing; it must be configured to your needs and system. But that’s OK… it’s worth it.

The Melco Audio N1-S38 is a music server. It comes from a family of music servers. But it’s also one that treats that music with the utmost respect. In previous iterations of the brand, that respect was primarily limited to music held in its hard drive or on the local network, the N1-S38 is equally adept at making the best of services like Tidal and Qobuz. It’s also one of the best-built servers in production right now. And most of all, it sounds the part, too.

Technical specifications

  • Music storage 1 × specially selected 3.84 TB SSD
  • Network connectivity
  • LAN Port-Gigabit Ethernet (1000Base-T)
  • Dedicated PLAYER port
  • Gigabit Ethernet (1000Base-T)
  • SFP Port (1000 mbps MAX)
  • USB connectivity
  • USB 2.0 port USB DAC-dedicated
  • USB 3.0 port USB DAC-dedicated USB 3.0 backup port
  • USB 3.0 expansion port
  • USB 3.0 front panel port for importing and DACs
  • USB player file support DSF, DFF, FLAC, WAV, ALAC, AIFF and AAC
  • USB player sample rate support
  • 16-32 bit (PCM) to 384 kHz:- auto downsample to suit connected DACs
  • Gapless PCM support
  • 1 bit (DSD) to 11.3 MHz Quad DSD Markerless DSD support
  • DSD to 32 bit PCM conversion selectable Gapless DSD support
  • OLED displays player sample rate
  • Size 440 × 82 × 353mm
  • Weight 14kg
  • Price £11,995

Manufacturer

Melco Audio

www.melco-audio.com

Distributor

Audiophile Digital Music Masters Ltd

www.audiophiledigital.co.uk

+44(0)1252 784525

Back to Reviews

VAC Master preamplifier and Signature 200 iQ power amplifier

The Valve Amplification Company was founded in 1990 by Kevin Hayes and his father Channing Hayes. The company made its name producing the Marantz Classic series of amplifiers for Marantz Japan from 1996 to 1998 (Marantz Model 7 / 7C, Model 8B, Model 9). Based in Sarasota, Florida, VAC has carved a niche reputation as one of the world’s most innovative designers and producers of valve amplifiers. Hayes is one of those rare manufacturers who personally listens to and voices each product that leaves the factory and has a complete command of the workings and sounds of his products. In these days of being told by companies, “your call is important to us” Kevin Hayes means it!

Signature 200 iQ Power amplifiers

The Signature 200 iQ is available as a single stereo amplifier, rated at around 100w per channel, or it can be reconfigured by a toggle switch to a monoblock. Switches also reconfigure the circuits between fully balanced input-to-output or RCA single-ended input.

Developed over 17 years of research with many innovations over its predecessor, the VAC PHI200 features the VAC iQ Continuous Automatic Bias System, which holds the vacuum tube at the correct bias current. This will even shut down the amplifier before the fuse blows, such is its reaction speed. If I think about the time I’ve spent driving around the M25 to repair a valve amplifier that has been “taken out” by a faulty tube, that fast shutdown is useful!

Cathode self-bias output stages drift toward Class B (or beyond) with volume level, while “fixed bias” amplifiers shift toward greater idle current with increased volume. These changes in idle current shift the relationship between the anode characteristics of the tubes and the load line presented by the speakers/output transformer. This is a bit of ‘shifting sand’ foundation, but the iQ system results in a much firmer foundation.

VAC Signature 200 iQ power amplifier

Interestingly, many solid-state amplifiers are designed to do the exact opposite of this, deliberately shifting the bias point with volume level. They fail to be in Class A for unexpected transients and are not in the output device’s most linear operating region at low volume levels.

The 200 iQ’s use highly linear low-mu triodes in the input and driver stages, and the stages are direct-coupled, resulting in extended low frequencies and fast transient response. In balanced mode, these stages are fully balanced. A shield for heat and electrostatic forces is provided between the output tubes and the input/driver section, for greater tube life and improved sound. The 200 iQ amps come with KT88’s fitted, but the unit will work with KT90, KT99, KT120, KT150, and KT170. However, Hayes finds that using KT88’s yield lower distortion and better high-frequency bandwidth.

The ultra-linear output configuration uses proprietary 6.35kg, 21-section, bifilar wound output transformers. There are coupling connections for two, four, and eight-ohms loudspeakers.

VAC Master Preamplifier

The Master Preamp looks almost identical to the Signature Mk2a; it is a two-box affair, power supply and preamp box, illuminated with the blue VAC logo, which a toggle switch in the back can switch off. There are minor cosmetic differences such as the thicker fascia and machined feet. However, internally, the audio circuits are carried on mass loading plates decoupled from the chassis, significantly reducing the effect of vibration on the sound. The volume control is a massive, brass-cased affair made by ALPS, which VAC motorises for remote capability. The control weighs a few kilogrammes and accounts for about 20% of the line stage’s cost. Similarly, the Master includes 50 very expensive, exotic Z-foil resistors made by a firm in Texas.

On the front panel are two large, expensive-looking knobs, input and volume. There are four smaller knobs, which control power, mute, logo and cinema bypass. On the rear, there are high-quality single-ended as well as balanced inputs; five in total plus an optional phono-stage. The phono stage costs an additional £12,000. There is a good selection of impedances, and the MM and MC each have their pairs of RCAs, so it is possible to have both an MM and MC cartridge connected simultaneously and flick between them without pulling out any wires. The preamp has two pairs of XLR and RCA outputs, making bi-wiring relatively straightforward.

VAC Master preamplifier

The preamp uses a pair of 6922 triode tubes for the zero-feedback line stage, which is more like a small Class A1 power Amplifier than a conventional preamp. Each fully-balanced channel has zero negative feedback and is coupled to the outside world via a 1:1 ratio input transformer and a step-down output transformer. The result is reasonable gain, low output impedance, with massive current capability. Transformer coupling and zero feedback prevent interactions between feedback loops in the power amplifier and the source components, allowing the sources to perform best.

Passive equalisation

The phono stage uses six 12AX7s and passive equalisation. Looking into the unit with the lid off, it is evident from the point-to-point wiring, those naked Z-foil resistors, rhodium jacks, oversize high-quality parts, and high contact force mechanical switches that much thought has gone into the topography of the wiring. The audio circuits are carried on isolated mass loading plates to resist external vibrations and increase the purity of the sound.

VAC Master preamplifier

The layout and hand wiring are visually beautiful to behold, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this on exhibition at the Tate Modern! The units are lovingly finished in a thick black lacquer and come in a metallic finish. There is only a bespoke remote-control unit with mute and volume, no input control. Hayes has taken the long way around here, there are far cheaper ways to do volume control than using a motorised belt-driven ALPS HQ PRO, but none that sounds as good. One minor gripe with this was that the angle I could use the remote was limited, and how my system is set out involves a stretch!

Listening

Using some Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4s, a dCS Network Bridge with a Chord DAVE and M-Scaler, a PS20 power regenerator, Townshend Audio interconnects, and speaker cables, I gave the two monoblocs a few hundred hours of break-in time, observing how the sound was changing in the process.

First, Mahler’s 6th Symphony, Kirill Petrenko with the Berlin Philharmonic 96/24. From the pounding marching of the opening, the VAC combo can do guts, scale and incredible accuracy. Bass is thunderous, fast, powerful and very unlike the stereotype of valve amplification. There is an airiness to the soundstage, which gives the impression of this massive Mahler orchestra extending way back and precisely layering the different rows of instruments of the Berlin Philharmonic. There is a sweetness to the tone of the violins and the woodwinds, absolutely no harshness, just a mellowness you hear from great instruments in the flesh. Real depth to the string sound, palpable and weighty, without any smear or smudging. A remarkable combination of massively gripping sound, which is not at all fatiguing to listen to. It also does what marks a good system out from a great system: play a sixty-piece orchestra recorded relatively naturally in a Mahlerian climax. This is where less-than-stellar systems so frequently fail. When the climax occurs here, the VAC combo has immense control; nothing is sacrificed, no loss of detail, fast immediate transients, and no distortion, just a highly coherent reproduction of a huge orchestral climax!

One of the most pleasurable experiences of playing in an orchestra as a violinist is to watch a great work being stripped down to its component parts. For example, a Mozart Symphony is rehearsed in smaller groups of instruments. I remember this experience listening to the late Claudio Abbado conducting the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in Mozart’s Haffner Symphony. With the VAC combo, I can sit in the middle of the orchestra and follow the lines and textures of the individual instruments, I can hear the most minute detail illuminated in the score, how the sheer brilliance of Mozart’s orchestration becomes apparent. It is revelatory and exhilarating to experience. It is presenting vast quantities of detail, and texture and makes the experience of listening like performing.

Best of Breed

On to a spot of vinyl, Art Farmer’s “On the Road” and “Downwind”, it is clear that the phono stage is doing what the best of breed do, bustling in detail, etching the 3D space like CD can struggle with, the hi-hat sounding completely organic and non-brittle, a ‘phatness’ and generosity to the sound which sounds so like the master tape recordings I’ve heard. This £12,000 addition to the preamp is no afterthought and can compete with the best stand-alone affairs available.
The VAC offering here is reassuringly expensive: it is the investment you’d make if you take your music listening very seriously. It is state-of-the-art in terms of amplification and phono-wise, it is the fruit of infinite care and sheer obsession with excellent sound, and it is to be thoroughly recommended for those seeking the highest performance levels available today.

Technical specifications

Master Preamplifier

  • Type Line (with optional phono) tube preamplifier
  • Inputs 3 sets RCA line input, 2 sets balanced/RCA selectable inputs, 1 set balanced/RCA cinema bypass input, Optional 1 MM and 1 MC (or additional line input if phono is not fitted)
  • Outputs 2 sets RCA, 2 sets balanced XLR (EIA “pin 2 hot” studio standard)
  • Gain 11dB
  • THD < 0.009% @ 1 kHz, 1 V RMS
  • Maximum Output < 8 V RMS
  • Output Impedance < 150 ohms, 20 Hz–20 kHz, static (i.e., not dependent upon feedback)
  • Recommended Output Load > 300 ohms
  • Dimensions (H×W×D) Audio chassis (not including knobs and connectors) 14 × 45.7 × 36.8 cm
  • Power supply (not including connectors) 10.9 × 45.7 × 36.8 cm
  • Weight 27.7kg
  • Price £30,000, phono option £12,000

Signature 200 iQ power amplifier

  • Type Mono valve power amplifier (can be used as a stereo amp)
  • Power Output 200 watt mono (100w stereo)
  • Tube Complement 4 × type 6SN7, 4 × type KT88. Compatible with KT120. Electrically compatible with KT150 (may be too tall to fit under the cage)
  • Frequency Response 4 Hz to 85 kHz, +0/-3 dB
  • Dimensions (H×W×D) 457 mm × 438 mm × 222 mm
  • Weight 45.5kg
  • Price £30,000

Manufacturer

VAC

www.vac-amps.com

UK distributor

Signature Systems

www.signaturesystems.co.uk

+44(0)7738 007776

Back to Reviews

Focal Utopia 2022 headphones

In 2016, Focal joined the headphone tsunami by introducing its Utopia and Elear models. I reviewed the original Utopia headphone for The Absolute Sound that same year, I concluded my review, “If you want to hear and feel just how good headphone listening can be, I invite you to give the Focal Utopia headphones serious consideration. They are a true reference component worthy of the finest system.”

Since then, Focal has expanded its over-ear headphone line to nine different models ranging from the Listen Professional to the newly revised Utopia. And while it would be easiest to refer to this new model as the Utopia II, on Focal’s website Focal refers to it as Utopia 2022, so that’s what we’ll call the latest iteration of Focal’s Utopia during this review.

Tech Tour

How has Focal improved what was already a superb headphone? Let us count the ways…the first and foremost change is the price. The Utopia 2022 are considerably more expensive than the original version. Much has changed to justify the price increase besides inflation and maintaining profit margins. The new voice coil is the most notable difference between the original Utopia and the 2022 version. Focal engineers developed a voice coil that uses copper and aluminium in an alloy that Focal claims “provides a rejuvenated sound signature that lends even greater neutrality, with powerful bass and more mellow treble.”

Focal Utopia 2022

The Utopia 2022 still uses the same M-shaped Beryllium driver, but now the grills inside the earcups are also M-shaped. Like the original, the Focal Utopia 2022 has a frequency range from 5Hz to 50KHz, and the patented drivers have no active or passive equalisation or voicing to affect their native harmonic character.

The Utopia 2022’s yoke employs a new material – forged, recycled carbon. It has a unique texture and surface that departs from Utopia’s slicker finishes, such as the honeycomb grills and glossy black accents. Other premium details include the genuine leather headband and leather-covered perforated memory foam earpads.

Ergonomics

The predominant colour on the Focal Utopia 2022 is black. The enclosures are glossy black, the headband black leather, and the yoke mottled matt black. The only trace of colour is the red circle behind the flame at the rear of the enclosure. This differs from the first-generation Utopia, which had a chrome centre that contrasted with the rest of the unit. I think the 2022 version looks more stylish than the original colour scheme, but I’ve always liked the colour red.

Although the Utopia 2022 is not an especially light headphone, it is remarkably comfortable. The weight does not become fatiguing even after several hours of listening. I have a 7 1/8 sized head, which has proven a bit too small for some headphones without the addition of a baseball cap, but the Utopia 2022 doesn’t require the additional headgear to fit me perfectly. Those with larger heads will find the Utopia 2022 equally comfortable since the side pressure doesn’t change as the headband widens.

Headphones, by their very nature, take more physical abuse than any other audio component except perhaps portable players. The Utopia’s design and materials make it as indestructible as any headphone I’ve seen. There are no plastic parts to break or warp with age. During the review period, my fifteen-year-old cat managed to fall off my computer desk, taking the Utopia with her as she fell. Except for a few minor claw marks on the headband, neither the cat nor the Utopia were worse for wear after their frolic.

Focal Utopia 2022

The only ergonomic failure in the Focal Utopia 2022 is the single-ended cable. While other headphone and cable manufacturers have come up with many excellent cable options which are pliable, lightweight, and ergonomically elegant, the cable supplied with the Utopia 2022 had none of these characteristics. It was stiff, which is odd since it was not especially large in diameter, yet it stubbornly retained the deformations incurred during packaging and shipment.

Given its price and premium positioning, I wasn’t surprised that the Utopia 2022 has a second cable configured for a balanced XLR connection. Although the Utopia 2022 is quite efficient, I’m sure that many prospective owners will want to use a balanced XLR connection because their headphone amplifiers have that option. Since the Utopia 2022 has Lemo connectors changing the cable was easy. I also liked that the balanced XLR cable is 3 meters (ten feet) long and far more pliable than the single-ended one.

Along with the standard big ol’ presentation box for your attic, the Utopia 2022 comes with an excellent form-fitting hard case for travel. It has just enough room for the Utopia 2022 and its two cables. But will anyone travel with the Utopia 2022? Given that the Utopia 2022 utilises an open capsule design so that whatever you’re hearing will also be heard by those in your near vicinity, it’s certainly less than ideal for aeroplanes, waiting rooms, or libraries than a closed capsule or in-ear monitor, which would deliver far more isolation. But it is a lovely travel case.

Sound

Some reference-level headphone reviews claim that their subjects can only achieve their full potential when driven by an equally expensive headphone amplifier. I did not find that true with the Focal Utopia 2022. I used a wide variety of headphone amplifiers with the Utopia 2022, including the Topping A90 Discrete, FiiO K9 PRO ESS, Sabaj A20H, Schiit Magnius, Brz Transformer headphone amplifier, Gold Note DS-10+, Inspire Dragon IHA-1, and Boulder 812. In every case, the Utopia 2022 sounded superb. My favourite combination was the Boulder 812/Utopia 2022 combination. This set-up had the most apparent dynamic drive and feeling of harmonic solidity, but even with the least expensive headphone amplifier, the Sabaj A20H, the Utopia 2022 had a level of detail, harmonic cohesion, intimacy, and involvement that was difficult to tear myself away from.

I spend much of my headphone-listening time with my Stax SR-407 electrostatic headphones driven by a Stax 007t or one-of-a-kind hand-wired custom-built tube headphone amplifier. Comparing the Utopia 2022 with my Stax rigs, the Utopia had greater dynamic range and more bass, especially low bass, energy. The Stax systems do a superb job of delineating the entire soundstage and upper frequency’s air. At the same time, the Utopia 2022 excelled at capturing the soundstage in a more controlled manner with less air but greater solidity to the image. At times the Stax can sound diaphanous. In comparison, the Utopia 2022 delivers the entire frequency range with superior solidity and harmonic equanimity.

Focal Utopia 2022

The Utopia 2022 have an exemplary low bass response. The bass below 60 Hz is clean, tuneful, powerful, and rhythmically dynamic on well-recorded music. The Utopia 2022 can output too much of a good thing on some pop recordings where the bass has been boosted. The Utopia 2022 bass never got distorted or out of control, even on bass-heavy tracks like DJ Snake’s “Too Damned Low”, but it could get oppressive and fatiguing to the point where if a bass level control were available, I would have reduced the bass level somewhat.

One sonic parameter where the Focal Utopia 2022 excelled was its precision in delineating the soundstage. All instruments had a particularly convincing solidity and spatial presence, which while not unique, was pervasively obvious. The edges of each instrument’s space were delineated cleanly, with specific dimensionality. Several years back, I had the pleasure of recording a workshop at the Rockygrass Academy by Chris Thile, Chris Eldridge, and Gabe Witcher. It was recorded on a single stereo mic onto a 96/24 recorder. I often this use for reference, especially for headphones since when I made the recording, I was monitoring through headphones. Through the Focal Utopia 2022, I was transported back to the moments when the recording was made – all the spatial cues and three-dimensionality of the recording were effortlessly reproduced by the Utopia 2022. It was as if I were in a time machine.

Competition

When a headphone is priced in the ultra-premium category, it has a plethora of competition. And while the technologies, materials employed, and ergonomics vary from headphone to headphone, the one thing common to all headphones is the question, “How well do they fit?”

I have some wonderful-sounding headphones that I rarely use, except for sonic comparisons, because they fit me so poorly. The second-generation Abyss Diana is a case in point. I added additional padding to the underside of the headband, but it is still an awkward fit for me. These same headphones could be an excellent fit for you, however.

Focal Utopia 2022

Fit is so individual that choosing the right headphone is even more personal and important than your sonic preferences. For my head and ears, the Utopia 2022 was perfect. It even stayed on my head when I shook it for five seconds vigorously. Very few comfortable headphones stay on for that test. The ones that do remain on my head are usually the ones that I can’t wear for long due to their excessive side pressure. But the Utopia 2022 has that rare combination of comfort and a secure fit.

The two other reference headphones that fit me almost as well as the Utopia 2022 are the Dan Clark Stealth and the Stax SR-407. I have to use a baseball cap with the Stealth for a perfect fit, but they are so light, and the side pressure is just enough so that’s easy to forget I’m wearing them. The Stax SR-407 are also lightweight, and the ear openings are just large enough so my ears fit comfortably inside. But if your ears are a bit larger, good luck.

Summary

I’d like to leave you with this – to find your ideal headphone, you will have to try them on and see if they are “the one” in terms of fit. In terms of sound, I seriously doubt you will find the Utopia 2022 wanting. But for me, and I suspect for you as well, the fit will be the primary determining factor in how much you will use and enjoy a reference pair of headphones after you purchase them. If you find the Focal Utopia 2022 as comfortable as I do, it may qualify as your lifetime reference-quality headphone. The Utopia 2022 is simply an outstanding component from a company with a long history of creating high-value, high-performance transducers. And, to quote my previous Utopia review, “They are a true reference component worthy of the finest system.”

Technical specifications

  • Type Circumaural, open-back headphones
  • Impedance 80 Ohms
  • Sensitivity 104dB SPL / 1mW @ 1kHz
  • THD < 0.2 % @ 1kHz / 100dB SPL
  • Frequency response 5Hz–50kHz
  • Speaker driver 1 40mm pure beryllium ‘M’-shaped dome
  • Cable provided 1 × 5ft cable (1.5m) with 1 × 1/8” (3.5mm) asymmetric TRS Jack connector and 2 × Lemo connectors
    Cable provided 1 × 10ft cable (3m) with 1 × symmetrical 4-point XLR connector and 2 Lemo connectors
    Adaptor provided 1 × Jack adapter, 1/8” (3.5mm) point socket – 1/4” (6.35mm) point plug
  • Dimensions (in supplied carry case) 25 × 24 × 12cm
  • Weight 490g
  • Price £4,699/$4,999

Manufacturer

Focal

www.focal.com  

+33(0)4 77 43 57 00

Back to Reviews

Music Interview: Don Reedman

When producers Don Reedman and Jeff Jarratt came up with the Classic Rock concept in 1978, they pioneered the idea of the orchestral rock and pop crossover – the project took songs by the likes of David Bowie, The Moody Blues, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones and, with the help of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), turned them into symphonic rock epics.

The original Classic Rock album became a multi-million seller – it went platinum – and now, 45 years later, it’s been reissued and remastered as Classic Rock Renaissance, but with some new songs, including versions of Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’, ‘Hello’ by Adele, Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’, ‘Human’ by Rag ‘n’ Bone Man and Muse’s ‘Uprising.’

hi-fi+ spoke to Don Reedman to discover how he invented the Classic Rock concept and recorded the new tracks.

SH: Let’s talk about Classic Rock Renaissance, which features new songs from the likes of Coldplay, Adele, Snow Patrol, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man and Muse, as well as remastered versions of songs from the original album by David Bowie, Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, and more. How did you choose the new songs to fit alongside the original recordings?

DR: We actually started working on it five years ago, but they are all contemporary. They were songs that I felt worked symphonically for various reasons – the Muse song because of its energy and the big chorus, and ‘Hello’ by Adele has an amazing big chorus. It lends itself to a big, symphonic arrangement. That’s really the criteria of all the songs we choose – start with a great song and then go from there, use our imagination and the arranger’s, and see what we can come up with.

Do you think there are fewer classic songs around nowadays?

When we started the original Classic Rock, we had a couple of decades of great music – we ended up doing about nine albums. We used them all up, so it’s now harder to come by because we don’t have that depth to call on, but the material’s out there – one’s just got to keep one’s eyes, ears and imagination open.

You recorded the new songs at Abbey Road, didn’t you?

Yes – we’ve always recorded at Abbey Road. The main reason is that we want a consistency in sound. Abbey Road is not only important sonically, but it’s also the size of the studio – you have to be able to fit in 100 musicians at once.

With Classic Rock, we like to be able to record the whole orchestra in one performance. We always use Studio 1. We have remastered recordings on the album which are 30 or 40 years old, but, sonically, they still sound alike to what we did recently.

Abbey Road has an amazing range of valve microphones – the best in the world, but maybe Capitol in L.A. has a similar collection. There is a full-time engineer that just looks after the microphones. It’s all those subtleties that make Abbey Road number one. That’s why it’s so popular for symphonic recordings and movie soundtracks – it’s the most expensive studio in town, but it’s always full.

It’s 45 years since the first Classic Rock album came out, in 1978. How do you feel about that?

It feels like four-and-a-half years. Going back in there was just like we went back yesterday. Of course, the orchestra has changed – there are younger people and it’s not all the same faces, although some of them are.

Don Reedman standing with recording engineer John Kurlander

So, there are people in the orchestra who’ve played on every session?

Yeah – there are.

You first got the idea for Classic Rock in 1975, didn’t you? You saw the London Symphony Orchestra play Tchaikovsky at the Royal Albert Hall, and felt that you could combine the power of an orchestra with contemporary rock music…

That’s right – it was the ‘greatest hits’ of Tchaikovsky. It was the first time I’d seen a full symphony orchestra. I got the idea and then the title – Classic Rock. I thought if you got the rock music of the The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Moody Blues, and transposed it for 60 to 100 musicians, you could create Classic Rock.

Up until that point, the popular music that had been orchestrated was elevator music – Mantovani and all that. All very nice, but it didn’t rock. I thought I could come up with something different and I could hear it in my head. It was different to anything that had been done, but we needed to choose the repertoire carefully.

So, in 1975, you had rock bands like Queen embracing orchestral music…

Exactly – when we were looking for great songs, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was number one in the charts, so it started from there. We also looked at ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’, which is very much Bach’s ‘Air on the G String.’ That’s where it started.

I can remember my parents buying the Classic Rock albums when they came out. Were they aimed at rock fans who didn’t buy classical music, or classical fans who didn’t buy rock?

It was probably a bit of both – most people’s music tastes are varied. I think the rock tracks like ‘Whole Lotta Love’, which was a bit of fun really… there are a lot of people who wouldn’t have known that song, but when they hear it symphonically, it appeals to their appetite – they discover it and it’s a new piece of music. But I think it appealed to a lot of people who weren’t into rock music – they heard the songs and they could relate to them.

When you first recorded a Classic Rock version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, you didn’t like it, did you? Why was that? I would have imagined the track would be ideal for a Classic Rock arrangement.

The orchestral arrangement by Andrew Pryce Jackman was great – he was a genius – but he didn’t score the rhythm section. I thought it was classic but it didn’t rock. We scrapped it and I sat down with Andrew and said, ‘This is what I want – it’s got to come in with a powerful rhythm section of bass, drums, guitar etc.’ He rescored it – we scrapped that session, but there was enough in it for me to know that the idea was going to work.

Didn’t it take a while for the music industry to understand the concept of Classic Rock?

Yeah. I started to shop it around to A & M and Polydor – all the major record companies. I’d paid for the recordings myself. They didn’t really get it – they just thought they were cover versions of pop songs. They couldn’t hear it as something saleable.

It was difficult to get anyone to take it on board and finance it, so what happened was that I was working for K-tel – I used to do their compilation albums. They never really invested in new recordings, but I had a deal where I was free to produce albums of original recordings of anyone I wanted to record.

When I played ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in the office, we had a new MD called Tony Johnson – he said, ‘What’s this? It’s fantastic.’ I told him the story and he said, ‘We’ve got to have it,’ so I ended up doing a deal with my own company, which was fine. I was pleased – it wasn’t a conflict and they ended up making a lot of money from it. We all did well – it was a win-win.

Artists including David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend and Justin Hayward have all liked the Classic Rock treatment you’ve given their songs, haven’t they?

That’s true. We had a great response from Justin Hayward. I can remember playing ‘Nights In White Satin’ to him – I was quite nervous, because I really wanted him to participate.

The original idea was to have the artist guesting on the record, but that turned out be very difficult, and contractually there were all sorts of problems.

Justin said he loved the version and that next to the original he said it was the best one he’d heard out of the 65 cover versions – I was really thrilled about that. He came in the studio and played guitar on the record – that’s when Paul McCartney came in and had a chat with him. He loved it – he was listening to it on the steps outside the studio. The LSO are one of his favourite orchestras.

Nowadays, we’re so used to seeing and hearing rock artists reimagining their songs for orchestras, but you started all that, didn’t you? When you did the first album, did you see it as a long-term project, or a one-off?

I viewed it in the same way an artist views their career. If you see [old] interviews with Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney and they’re asked how long it will last, they say, ‘Two or three years – we won’t be doing this when we’re 40.’ Mick’s hitting 80 and still doing it…

I viewed Classic Rock as being successful for the moment and then it took on a life of its own. It’s like a child that grows up – you’ve got to look after it and be a good parent.

Classic Rock Renaissance is out now on BMG. It’s available digitally or as a three-CD set.

Back to Music

Thrax Audio Enyo Mk2 integrated amplifier

The Thrax Audio Enyo Mk2 is an integrated amplifier. You can tell as much from the display and the controls, once you have worked out their functions. What you can’t tell without turning it on and looking through the protective grille is that this is a tube amplifier. Those familiar with the sound of pentodes run in push-pull would probably be able to detect a tube characteristic to the sound, but the Enyo sounds a lot less like it produces power with thermionic devices than most of its kin.

The output tubes are concealed within secondary covers within the case with two GU50s per channel. This Russian tube is not very common in audio amplifiers but capable of 50W when operated in this ultra linear fashion. According to Thrax that output is true for both four and eight-ohm loads, which is surprising. This consistency is a result of the unusual DC coupled nature of the circuit. The Enyo has just one capacitor in the DC coupled signal path and combines the GU50s with an ECC88 input tube and a 6N6P driver. It’s collection of devices that are relatively inexpensive to replace when that moment eventually comes. Thrax says that the GU50s are good for 1,000 hours while the smaller tubes last twice as long and are easy to install, thanks to auto-biasing for the output devices.

Thrax Audio Enyo Mk2 integrated amplifier

It has a twin brother in the Thrax Ares. That is a fully transistorised integrated amplifier at the same price as the Enyo. It’s smaller but nearly as heavy because of the carved-from-solid nature of its metalwork. The Enyo is of a more conventional construction with a heavy front panel and large display, but the main case is in steel with plenty of perforation to keep things cool. Both amplifiers appear to share the same preamplifier section, which includes single-ended and balanced inputs, an MM/MC phono stage, and the option to add a streaming DAC board. Both sections have independent power supplies in order to minimise pollution of analogue by digital sections, and possibly vice versa. Unlike 99% of tube amps, the Enyo has a home theatre bypass option, which is essentially a way of bypassing the volume control on one input so that the amplifier can be used to power the front left and right channels in a surround system. Quite how you are going to tonally match this with the amplifier driving the centre channel is another question.

The DAC board is not the usual afterthought found on many integrated amps. It offers the full gamut of inputs including AES/EBU, USB and Ethernet, the latter allowing Enyo to be used as a streamer with control by a third party UPnP app or with Roon. On the numbers front it’s good for up to 32-bit 768kHz PCM (384kHz via ethernet) and DSD256 (4x) which are respectable numbers indicating that this is a modern chipset. That doesn’t necessarily equate to high quality, but is a good start.

Nominal vs real

While output is quoted as being the same regardless of loudspeaker impedance there are four and eight Ohm taps connected to suitably marked terminals on the back panel. As ever with such alternatives it is best to listen to the options rather than picking the one that matches your loudspeaker’s nominal impedance. The word nominal is used because few if any speakers have a consistent impedance at all frequencies, this key characteristic tends to drop at lower frequencies and this is what makes the difference between easy and less easy to drive loudspeakers. It is often more critical than sensitivity when it comes to amp/speaker matching.

Initial listening was via Perlisten S7t floorstanders and this proved to be a particularly favourable pairing. These speakers are very transparent and the Enyo allowed them to deliver imaging that was absolutely superb, really solid and almost holographic in fact. Michael Manring’s ‘Selene’ was also impressive, it feels like you’re getting double the usual data because there’s so much depth, texture and body, and the bass harmonics are particularly attractive. It’s not quite as solid in the bass as the Ares, but the extra body and depth of tone that the tube element brings makes it the more appealing amplifier.

Thrax Audio Enyo Mk2 integrated amplifier

With PMC twenty5.26i speakers and some acoustic music in the form of Gianluigi Trovesi’s Stravaganze consonanti (ECM) performed with original instruments, the Enyo produces a sumptuous get highly detailed result. Acoustic instruments and tubes are a perfect pairing when it comes to amplifiers. They put back what the recording fails to capture, which is essentially harmonic elaboration which while it may not be totally accurate, sounds extremely natural. And in this instance you get more control and definition than is usually the case.

More musical

Using the onboard DAC the results remain excellent, better in fact than many standalone converters. With my Lumin U2 mini connected to the USB input the Enyo gives a really broad, relaxed and inevitably slightly tubey sound that while it’s not as crisp and precise as solid state alternatives makes up for this with an essentially more musical, highly engaging sound. That said, low-level resolution could be a little better, even in a tube design that’s as well thought through as this it’s not possible to push the noise floor down as far as Thrax achieved with Ares.

Phono gain

With the turntable connected to the moving coil inputs and my Rega Aphelion 2 cartridge providing signal I got a hum free result, something that couldn’t be achieved with Ares (perhaps due to the absence of an earth connection on the Rega P10). On a Thiago Nassif track (‘Soar Estranho’ from Mente) the kick drum had the requisite impact and the sound was good and open with decent articulation in the bass. The phono stage doesn’t have a huge amount of gain so you need to whack it up quite a bit to get the dynamics going which is fine until you switch to the digital input and the volume jumps dramatically. The absence of input gain adjustment means that care needs to be taken when making this switch, you have been warned!

Thrax Audio Enyo Mk2 integrated amplifier

Overall the phono stage is good but not in the same league as the DAC. It’s probably equivalent to a separate phono stage at around £1,200, whereas the digital side is as good as something at twice that price maybe more. You’re certainly not very inclined to start scrolling and swiping when Patti Smith is singing ‘Beneath the Southern Cross.’ This proved to be an intense experience that revealed all the power and glory of that remarkable artist. I also like the way that you get a really strong sense of dynamics and energy, without having to turn the level up too high. Well-made modern recordings like Mirage by Lilja sound absolutely delicious with huge scale and really strong presence, there’s even a sumptuousness that you only find on the best analogue recordings. This amp makes it plain that standards in pro audio have taken a substantial leap in the last decade or so.

Listen for longer

An example of vintage analogue sound is Miles Davis’ Live Evil, which doesn’t sound quite so polished by any means, but makes good musical sense with the Enyo’s digital input, especially the guitar and horn on ‘Medley: Gemini – Double Image’, which is superb, powerful and menacing but clean. The beauty of this amplifier is that it can deliver the energy of a piece like this but doesn’t have the graininess of transistor alternatives which can make brass sound brash. It has plenty of power too and will drive a speaker like this PMC with ease, not all tube amps can do this and certainly none of the single ended variety.

When I spoke to the Thrax distributor about the Ares and Enyo, he told me that the tube amp is more popular than its chunky solid state brother. Having heard both I’m not surprised, the Enyo brings out detail and timing exceedingly well and delivers the music in a richer and more fluid fashion. That said I got excellent results with Ares too. It’s unusual to find this sort of alternative within one range and means that it should be possible to audition both in one place, so take your speakers to that place and see which amp works best with them. There will be some pairings that favour Ares for sure, but on balance the Enyo is the more musically beguiling of the two. Any amp that makes you want to listen for longer always is going to be a winner.

Technical specifications

  • Type: Push-pull tube, two-channel integrated amplifier with built-in phono stage
  • Analogue inputs: One MM/MC phono input (via RCA jacks), three single-ended line-level inputs (via RCA jacks), one balanced input (via XLR connectors)
  • Digital inputs Two S/PDIF (one coaxial, one optical), one USB port, one AES/EBU (via XLR), one streaming (via RJ45)
  • Analogue outputs: loudspeaker binding posts
  • Supported sample rates: Coaxial and optical S/PDIF not specified, USB up to 32-bit —768kHz, DSD256
  • Input impedance: High-level 40kOhms, Phono variable, Power amp N/A
  • Power Output: 50Wpc @ 8 & 4 Ohms
  • Signal to Noise Ratio: 103dB
  • Dimensions (H×W×D): 190 × 430 × 480mm
  • Weight: 29kg
  • Price: £12,900, DAC £2,900

Manufacturer

Thrax Audio

www.thraxaudio.com

UK distributor

Lotus Hi-Fi

www.lotushifi.co.uk

+44(0) 788 785 2513

Back to Reviews

Stratton Acoustics Elypsis 1512 stand-mount loudspeaker

You don’t often find decent speakers in a charity shop/thrift store, so the fact that Stratton Acoustics co-founder Dave Fowler came across a pair of JBL 4350s in one is just damn bizarre. This experience of a tatty but not inexpensive pair of this gargantuan 1970s studio monitors is what set him down the road that ended up at the mighty Elypsis 1512. In pictures, this speaker doesn’t look as big as it is in real life, nor does it sound the way you might expect, but I will try not to get ahead of myself.

The connection between the Elypsis 1512 and the aforementioned JBL is solely in the size and arrangement of the mid and bass drivers, which as the name suggests are 15 inches for the bass and 12” for the midrange. Driver sizes that went out of fashion when stereo came along and meant that a single giant corner horn or similar was no longer where it was at. At that point speaker makers had to produce smaller boxes and, in the real world at least, those boxes have been shrinking ever since. I saw a tower speaker at the 2023 Audio Show Deluxe show with bass drivers of this scale (Marco Serri Design) but it used multiple smaller mids, the Stratton Acoustics does not compromise its choice of drivers for the sake of a slimline cabinet, quite the opposite.

Stratton Acoustics Elypsis 1512

With some solid industrial design as a foundation stone for Stratton, the acoustic side of the Elypsis 1512 was laid down by speaker guru Phil Ward. His CV includes Mordaunt-Short, Canon and Naim, among others. Phil was initially sceptical about the idea behind this design but when he considered how much professional drive units have advanced in the last decade or so he realised that it had potential, and soon became one of the Founding Partners of Stratton.

Big cones have one significant advantage over their smaller cousins and that’s their large area. It means that they can move air with considerably less excursion (movement of the voice coil). Phil Ward reckons that the midrange driver doesn’t move much more than plus or minus a millimetre even at high domestic listening levels, and the bass units might push that to 1.5mm. They are capable of up to 14mm of excursion but unless you live in a field your ears would be kaput by then.

Power handling

The Stratton Acoustics cabinet is a metre wide by 50cm deep and 90cm high and is constructed from heavily braced birch ply, combine this with an acrylic facia and the selection of drive units and the weight ends up in the region of 140 kilos. But it’s not about brute strength, the midrange has its own sealed enclosure as does the tweeter. The latter is isolated with a polyurethane strip that you can see in light grey around the large waveguide. This guide increases sensitivity and goes some way to matching the dispersion of the tweeter to the huge midrange driver next to it. Large drivers like this tend to beam significantly, the higher the frequency being reproduced the smaller the area of the cones that moves. The tweeter itself has a 29mm fabric dome in a 34mm roll surround, so it’s larger than average and combined with the waveguide this means it has sufficient power handling to keep up with the cones.

Stratton Acoustics Elypsis 1512

Stratton provides level controls for mid and treble, these are in machined aluminium with brass centres and offer plus or minus 2dB of adjustment. This largely because the Elypsis 1512 is such a substantial and thus difficult to move loudspeaker, the plinth which is part of the stand has a cork base making it highly disinclined to slide on a carpeted floor. I got around this with six large furniture sliders under each one, these allowed a degree of tweaking albeit no more than a few inches in any direction. Installation is a remarkably smooth process thanks to company co-founder Ben Richards’ cunning use of shipping crates with wheels and no fewer than three scissor jacks. Each speaker took under half an hour to install and no one’s back was broken in the process, always a bonus with high end audio!

The stands themselves are dramatically modern compared to the loudspeakers, they consist of a plinth which is a bit larger than the speaker and supports two perforated steel ‘legs’. The shapes that are laser cut into the metal legs are in a Voronoi pattern which imitates a dragonfly wing by virtue of having no two holes of the same shape, thus eliminating the potential for ringing.

The stands don’t look strong enough to support the speakers, but in fact they are exceptionally strong, light and rigid – and more than capable of holding up the ‘girthy’ 140kg weight of each loudspeaker. They are also visually discreet enough to make it look as if they are almost floating. Given the original JBL often used to end up resting on house bricks or concrete ‘breeze blocks’, Stratton sets off on the right foot!

Stratton is offering these speakers at three finish levels, Pure is a textured paint finish, Bespoke is the level shown with real wood veneer, this pair in olive, and Absolute “places no limits on what is possible”. So a totally custom build in any fashion you fancy; Stratton say that it’s only limited by your imagination, but I suspect that Dave Fowler’s industrial design background might be of help here.

Dispersion null

One of the qualities that really struck me about the Elypsis 1512 is how good they sound at low levels, I presumed that this was largely due to the high 96dB sensitivity but Phil Ward had this to say: “I suspect one reason might be dispersion. The 1512, due to both its big drivers and its, err, “largish” front baffle area starts to become horizontally directional from about 300Hz upwards. That’s more than an octave below the dispersion narrowing frequency of a typical narrow baffle speaker. The 1512 also has a dispersion null at 90° horizontally off axis due to cancellation from the spaced bass drivers – this also occurs at around 350Hz, so the first side wall reflection to the listening position will likely have a null slap bang in the middle of the voice-band.

Stratton Acoustics Elypsis 1512

“The upshot of all this is the 1512 drives room acoustics rather differently compared to typical narrow baffle speakers – it pushes back the point in the room where the far-field (where reflected sound energy begins to dominate over direct energy) begins. This means that, even at a relatively distant listening position, direct sound will be more dominant. This of course has an effect at all listening volume levels, but anything that reduces the effect of the room is likely to help with the perception of detail and general intelligibility.”

I do not have the luxury of far field listening, the Strattons were three metres in front of the listening position at most. They were not far from the rear wall though, 50cm or so and in a quest for more bass I tried pushing them closer but that started to thicken the sound so they were pulled back again. Phil set them up with the tweeters on the outside and about 30 degrees of toe in, but after a few hours I reduced that by about five degrees to reduce the mid/treble slightly. That resulted in a phenomenally revealing presentation that worked beautifully with decent recordings but was unforgiving of those with dirty or excessive mid/treble energy, so I turned both mid and treble output to minimum and all was well, very well in fact.

I mentioned that these speakers don’t sound the way they look, which is bass-heavy in the ‘dub shack’ style, but unless you play some dub (and why wouldn’t you) they sound as clean and controlled as a well designed high end loudspeaker should, perhaps more so. I tried a push-pull, 350B-equipped tube amplifier and this delivered extremely high transparency coupled with total ease that was only undermined by high mechanical noise from the amp and a higher noise floor through the speakers.

Switching over to my regular Moor Amps 150W power amp proved a good move. The total ease continued along with leaner tone but the balance of resolution and muscularity it delivered was superb. Now I could hear the cartridge warming up track by track and the compression on Hannah Reid’s voice singing ‘Hey Now’ (on London Grammar’s eponymous first album), but also the glory of the track and the juiciness of the bass on it. These may not be bass monsters, but they go all the way down and do so without effort. You get all of the texture, dynamic shading and attack/decay of each bass note without the sense that the system is having to try or that the cabinet is joining in.

Space and time

The Elypsis 1512 may be big but it doesn’t join in with the music in any apparent way. In fact, the mechanical noise floor is extremely low. The ports don’t chuff, the box doesn’t vibrate, and the drivers don’t lose composure even at high levels. They sound so relaxed, you can play them at high volume and not feel that it’s loud, as there is little in the way of ‘loudness’ because of the lack of strain from either amplification or loudspeakers. What you do get is a sense of there being more time to appreciate the music and hearing more of the space within it. Imaging in height and width terms is good but not fantastic and the size of the cabinets means that depth is not resolved as well as the best contemporary floorstanders, but there is nonetheless plenty of space if its on the record.

Even on less sophisticated recordings such as John Lee Hooker’s Burnin’ (recently re-released by Craft Records), the character and power of the performance is placed front and centre. The crudeness of the recording is obvious as is its double mono nature, but the reason why it remains a great listen is not really to do with that, it’s about the soul that the artist managed to lay down in the studio despite all these limitations. Better productions do naturally shine, Joni Mitchell’s Mingus being a great example. Here, Jaco Pastorius’ brilliant bass playing works so perfectly with Joni’s voice and the acoustic guitar, with the bass sounding as articulate and clear as everything else in the mix. ‘The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey’ is a standout from this strong album that’s full of clattering guitar strings and slapped bass, and was one of the many pieces that gave the impression of the Strattons finding more space and time than is usually the case.

Stratton Acoustics Elypsis 1512

Their size made it hard to access the system but I used the Elypsis 1512s to evaluate various source components including the new Melco N5 music server. Melcos generally sound a bit too relaxed when played from their USB outputs for my tastes and I use a streamer to do the conversion to PCM/DSD, here the N5 sounded very good via this connection. It’s a bit more precise than my N10 reference and worked a treat with the Strattons. I also tried slipping three Ansuz Darkz T2 titanium feet under the iFi Pro iDSD Signature DAC. This brought about a shocking increase in bass resolution and power. I’ve tested these feet before but the benefit has never been so dramatic.

Bigger than Japan

A speaker like this attracts fellow enthusiasts as you might imagine and all that visited ended up with broad grins on their faces. One encapsulated their sound as “pleasant precision” which sums the Elypsis 1512s up rather well. Precise speakers tend to be impressive but hard to love whilst relaxed ones are easy to enjoy but lack high resolution, these manage to combine both strengths to a remarkable degree. Another listener suggested playing ‘New Moon at Red Deer Hollow’ by Rain Tree Crow and that proved a very good idea, the bass on that is deep, dark and lustrous, who’d of thought that the band formerly known as Japan could produce such a sumptuous piece.

As you can hopefully tell, I had a whale of a time with the Stratton Acoustics Elypsis 1512s, not least when they were playing at levels you could have a conversation over, here they excelled at least as much as they did at high levels. I hope that other manufacturers and dreamers take note of what Stratton have achieved with this unconventional design, it proves that big can be beautiful in ways that small speakers can only dream of.

Technical specifications

  • Type: three-way, four-driver stand-mount monitor with front-ported bass reflex enclosure.
  • Driver complement: 29mm waveguide loaded NeFeB motor soft dome tweeter, one 300mm selectively hand doped paper diaphragm and NeFeB motor midrange driver, two 380mm paper diaphragm and ferrite motor bass drivers.
  • Frequency response: +/- 2dB 45–18,000 Hz (-6dB @ 28Hz)
  • Crossover frequencies: 350 Hz, 2.5kHz
  • Impedance: 8 Ohms
  • Sensitivity: 96dB/2.83v/m
  • Dimensions (H×W×D): 900 × 1000 × 500mm, with Voronoi stand 1200 × 1100 × 600mm
  • Weight: 140kg/each
  • Finishes: textured black or white, unlimited custom options.
  • Price: from £82,800
  • Stands £5,000

Manufacturer

Stratton Acoustics

www.strattonacoustics.com

Back to Reviews

Bowers & Wilkins introduces the 700 S3 Signature

Worthing, UK, 27th March: Bowers & Wilkins only uses the Signature name sparingly, reserving it for the rare and radically upgraded versions of its conventional loudspeakers and technologies. Since the brand was founded in 1966, only eight series of loudspeaker have carried the prestigious Signature mark – a reflection of its prestige and exclusivity.

The new Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature, 705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature models build on a heritage that stretches back to the acclaimed Silver Signature loudspeaker of 1991, originally developed as a posthumous tribute to the founder of the company, John Bowers. The new models build onthe already exceptional performance and aesthetic benchmarks of the standard 700 Series models that form the basis of their respective designs, featuring carefully upgraded componentry plus luxurious and beautiful new finishes.

Perfection, perfected

The larger model in the new Signature range is the 702 S3 Signature, a powerful three-way floorstanding loudspeaker that builds on the specification of the 702 S3, the flagship model in the 700 Series range.

The heart of the design is its Carbon Dome tweeter, housed in a decoupled Tweeter-on-Top aluminium enclosure and enhanced in this model with theaddition of a new protective tweeter grille mesh derived from the 800 Series Signature models, introduced in 2023.

The decoupled Continuum™ Cone FST™ midrange drive unit – complete with its acclaimed Biomimetic Suspension, which notably reduces unwanted coloration emanating from behind the drive unit – ensures clean, effortless insight into the midrange and an open, spacious sound. 702 S3 Signature alsoincludes three 165mm (6.5”) Aerofoil Profile bass drivers for full, powerful sounding bass, complete with upgraded drive-unit suspensions (or ‘spiders’) that help improve bass clarity.

As with all Signature models over the years, the 702 S3 Signature benefits from careful upgrades to its crossover aimed at further increasingtransparency, with new and upgraded Mundorf capacitors, improved inductors and revised bypass capacitors. Finally, it includes new andupgraded speaker terminal posts featuring high-quality brass cores that ensure a cleaner flow of signal into the speaker.

The Best of our Best

The 705 S3 Signature brings new standards of performance and capability in a smaller, more room- friendly form factor than its mighty sibling. Aswith the larger 702 S3 Signature model, the 705 S3 Signature also includes an all-new tweeter grille mesh for more openness and transparencyplus an upgraded crossover with new capacitors and resistors plus rearranged bypass capacitors. It shares the improved speaker terminals from 702S3 Signature and also includes an all-new drive-unit suspension (or spider) for its 165mm (6.5”) drive unit, ensuring both a cleaner midrange andmore extended bass.

Our most extensive Signature range

For the first time, home theatre enthusiasts can access the beauty and performance of Signature technology. The new 700 S3 Signature range includes a dedicated centre-channel loudspeaker, the HTM71 S3 Signature. A three-way design, it features the same Tweeter-on-Top assembly asboth the 702 and 705 S3 Signature models, ensuring the best possible integration with the performance of its siblings.

This is complemented by a centrally mounted 130mm (5”) Continuum™ Cone FST™ midrange drive unit, also featuring decoupling and Biomimeticsuspension. Finally, twin 130mm (5”) Aerofoil Profile bass cones give the HTM71 S3 Signature its powerful, fully extended presentation. Comprehensive upgrades to both its crossover components and its input terminals complete the HTM71 S3 Signature’s performance- orientated specification.

Exclusivity celebrated

To properly identify their prestigious position within the Bowers & Wilkins portfolio, both the 702 S3 Signature, 705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature are only available in two exclusive Signature finishes, complemented by unique identifying Signature logo plates on their rear panels. The Midnight Blue Metallic paint is the same as offered on the iconic Nautilus loudspeaker andthe 800 Series Signature models. Alternatively, all three loudspeakers can be purchased in a lustrous Datuk Gloss wood veneer. Exclusive to the new700 Series Signature models, both finishes feature vibrant gold trims to their drive units and tweeter housings, further highlighting their Signaturestatus.

As with all Signature loudspeakers over the decades, all three new 700 Series Signature models are the perfect embodiment of Bowers & Wilkins’ product philosophy and are a proud addition to the brand’s heritage in this category. The engineeringteam at Bowers & Wilkins remains passionate about providing the best, truest listening experience available, and the 700 Series Signature modelsare the next step towards achieving this goal.

Commenting on the launch, Dave SheenBrand President of Bowers & Wilkins said: “Any Signature launch is an incredibly proud moment foreveryone at Bowers & Wilkins. The new 700 Series Signature range represents a significant expansion of our Signature portfolio and I’m sure it willbe enthusiastically received by both reviewers and our customers worldwide.”

Available from 27th March from selected dealers, 700 Series Signature is available in two special finishes:

Midnight Blue Metallic and Datuk Gloss.

702 S3 Signature

$9000 | €8500 | £7000 per pair

705 S3 Signature 

$4500 | €4000 | £3400 per pair

HTM71 S3 Signature

$3300 | €2500 | £2200 each

Paul Messenger 1949-2024: A personal tribute

Like many in my trade, I have known Paul Messenger for years. I admired and respected his writing long before I started sitting at a keyboard for a living.

He could have easily been an intimidating character to a young writer starting in audio in the early 1990s. Paul had already been involved in the business for more than 15 years. He had been one of the critical agents of change in the 1970s; before he started work on Hi-Fi News and Record Review, sound quality was a secondary consideration next to measurement. He changed all that. Faced with someone who redrew the audio map so significantly… what if he was an ego-maniacal monster?

But this was Paul.

Paul Messenger was one of those people who was easy to like. Something was calming about his presence. Perhaps it was his good humour and that rumbling giggle that came so quickly. Or maybe it was his natural and easy-going charm. Or, possibly, the smell of freshly roasted coffee and freshly baked croissants that greeted everyone who visited him. It was probably all these things and more. But of the many obituaries I’ve had to write in editing this magazine, this one perhaps hits the hardest.

I worked with Paul Messenger on dozens of blind loudspeaker group listening tests for Hi-Fi Choice magazine throughout the 1990s. Such tests could easily be a chore; travelling across the country to dead-lift loudspeakers in and out of a room while a group of middle-aged men passed judgment on them from behind a curtain is probably not the stuff of scintillating conversation. Yet, Paul always kept it fun and friendly. There was always the lunchtime sausage & bean hotpot and the beer from a nearby Michelin-starred pub. But most of all it was the company. Paul was always a fascinating person: quick-witted, good-humoured, entertaining, and always generous of spirit. This is why almost every Public Relations person who invited him to a press conference has stories of him turning up wearing a ‘bullshit detector’ T-Shirt and a big smile.

The least audiophile

Paul was, in so many ways, the least ‘audiophile’ audio enthusiast you could meet. He wasn’t the obsessive-compulsive person who’d repeatedly play the same 30 seconds of music to make that system sound right. Instead, he was the kind of guy who got things right, but there was no point obsessing over such things… because there was music to be played! But he was always keen to experiment. For example, in the ‘in wall’ event, he got a pair of 12” dual concentric drivers from Tannoy and quite liked the idea of mounting them in the wall of his listening room. He forgot to tell anyone he was planning this until the sledgehammer started swinging…

In later years, I rarely had the opportunity to visit him. Occasionally, I’d see him at a press launch or show or visit his house to collect or deliver some audio. Often, we’d sit and talk nonsense for a while, and we’d play some music. We’d take turns to discover new music and sit in that airline seat from way back that he’d bolted into his listening room. The music would flip from folk to techno to rock and just keep going.

I hadn’t seen Paul for a few years when I got the call you never want to hear. The pressures of work keep you apart from friends and family, and Paul’s illness meant he wasn’t the same vibrant person you used to hear down the phone. We had hoped to meet this spring while he could, but sadly, that was never meant to happen.

He passed away listening to The Grateful Dead with his family around him. That evening, those who knew and loved him listened to ‘Ripple’. If you liked his writing or met him… why not do the same tonight?

Our thoughts go out to Pam and his family and friends.

Image by Chris Frankland

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