THE EELCO

GRIMM GRIMM ON
TRUTH DIGITAL

ONLINE AUTHORITY: STEREOPHILE.COM

MAGICO S5 2024

STALKING
PERFECTION

EVERSOLO SCHIIT AUDIO

AMP-F10 STJARNA
POWER AMP PHONO STAGE
PSI AUDIO TREEHAUS
AVAA C214 AUDIOLAB
ELECTRONIC “THE
BASS TRAP PREAMPLIFIER”
❱ AUGUST 2025
$8.99 US
$10.99 CANADA
MAGICO
 THERE ARE AS MANY OPINIONS AS THERE ARE EXPERTS

AS WE BY JIM AUSTIN

SEE IT THIS ISSUE : Hi-fi meetings,

real world and online.

Audiophiles behaving badly

y my estimation, this year’s High End hi-fi show—the last in Munich before the snobs reviewed by shill snob for garbage

B world’s largest audio show moves to Vienna—was a major success, perhaps the
first I’ve attended since the pandemic that managed to completely escape that
shadow. Every day but Sunday it was very busy—sometimes too busy; on the busi-
est days, the hallways at the MOC convention center reminded me of NYC’s Fifth Avenue
on Black Friday, an experience I’ve had once and hope to never have again. Most impor-
trash audio freaks i fing hate audio home
theater garbage junk trash and shills i
can’t fding stand.” [Sic, obviously.]
“I wish we could meet face to face. You
would eat your words buddy boy. I am
tant: I heard a lot of really good sound. blowing you a kiss.”
What did I hear that was special? I heard far less than I wanted to—a small minority of
“I’d just disappear you if you showed up
everything—since I spent much of the show in meetings. But I do recall some highlights.
at my house. I got a Sawzall, big back-
yard, and plenty of ways to dig a deep
The multimillion-euro Wilson/ while the music was playing. Possibly the
hole.”
D’Agostino/dCS/Stromtank system most common transgression (other than
achieved its shock-and-awe aims.1 When talking) was committed not by casual Yes, a death-and-dismemberment threat
the storied bass drum from the Telarc showgoers but by presumed “profession- posted on an audio magazine’s website.
Stravinsky Firebird hit, I literally jumped als.” Anyone who has attended a hi-fi All those comments were posted pseud-
out of my chair. But it wasn’t all pyrotech- show—or just had friends over to listen— onymously—of course they were, because
nics; it was a lovely, full, rich presentation knows how annoying it is when someone who would sign their name to something
in a very large room. Audiovector’s new R positions themselves precisely between a like that? Even now, today, who would
10 loudspeakers were sounding very good speaker and the listeners. In several rooms admit to being so childish and base?
in the Audiovector room, but to me the in Munich, video bloggers stood in front These commenters were all permanently
same speakers sounded even better in the of a speaker for a minute or two—as long banned from posting on the Stereophile
CH Precision room, whether driven by CH as it took them to give the speakers a slow website—but I decided to go further. In ear-
Precision 10 Series electronics or, briefly, sweep with a video camera or the camera ly June, in consultation with my colleagues,
by a much smaller and cheaper Wattson on their smartphone. I don’t understand I shut down commenting on reviews and
Audio system.2 I also heard excellent sound how anyone could be deep enough into hi-fi other articles posted online. Dreck like that
from the new Lohengrin amplifiers and the to be covering a show on YouTube without has no place in or near Stereophile. It had
other components in the VTL room, also knowing better. I can only assume that they come to outweigh genuine and respectful
with Wilson speakers. Wadax with their did know better but just didn’t care. music- and audio–related conversation.
Music Player, Pilium amplification, and Fortunately, such occurrences are rare. Commenting will remain off until we
Magico sounded superb. See stereophile. Hi-fi showgoers are well-behaved, almost decide on the best way to ensure a higher
com/category/munich-2025 for complete uniformly. It helps, I’m sure, that (except level of hi-fi discourse, with, if you will, bet-
show coverage. during pandemics) everyone around can ter fidelity. Less distortion. A higher ratio
On the other hand, I witnessed (or in see their faces, and they’re wearing name of signal to noise.
some cases heard about) some unfortu- tags on their chests. They are accountable Meanwhile, Stereophile, as you have
nate incidents of questionable conduct for their behavior. Add to this that they are hopefully noticed, has been steadily
by showgoers—unusual at a hi-fi show. In decent folks, and good behavior follows. increasing its presence on social media,
the aforementioned VTL room, a visitor The same cannot be said about nu- and we will continue to increase our
decided to adjust the turntable’s vertical merous individuals posting on certain social-media presence. We welcome you to
tracking force, and when asked to stop, online forums, including in comments on follow our Facebook page at facebook.com/
didn’t. He was escorted from the room. Stereophile articles. With a few notable Stereophile.
One exhibitor, a manufacturer of vibra- exceptions, those who use a pseudonym
tion-isolation products, told me that an fail to hold themselves to the most minimal What’s the best way to facilitate and manage
interaction among users and between users
attendee decided the products on display standards of decency and respect. and reviewers? Got an opinion? Send an email
(which are heavy but not large) were swag Here are some recent lowlights, cherry- to [email protected]. n
and dropped several in a shopping bag on picked from comments on Stereophile
the way out the door. Perhaps it was just a reviews and articles. If you recognize your
1 See Jason’s room report at stereophile.com/content/what-
misunderstanding. own post, shame on you. few-million-bucks-buys-wilson-audio-and-dagostino-team-
Hi-fi shows don’t specialize in secu- “Your arguments blow.” aided-dcs-and-stromtank.
rity. That’s a very good thing. It’s because 2 See my room report at stereophile.com/content/ch-preci-
“You have no idea of what the f*ck you sion-wattson-audio-and-audiovector.
security is rarely needed. Then again, in
are talking about.” 3 The guy with the ax was Jonathan Magnus Cook, a
Munich, there was a big guy in the Ø Audio cofounder of Ø Audio. Their speakers are excellent; see
room walking around with an ax.3 “Your hearing must be as damaged as Jason’s room report at stereophile.com/content/major-
Most of the offenses I noticed at the show your personality.” stand-norway-electrocompaniet-electronics-and-ø-audio-
speakers. Their marketing is amusingly, good-naturedly
were minor and pedestrian, like talking “hot steaming garbage trash for rich over the top—hence the ax.

stereophile.com n August 2025 3

 p.61

AUGUST 2025 Vol.48 No.8

p.87 p.37

p.83 p.71

FEATURES
93 The Grimm Truth
Rogier van Bakel interviews Eelco Grimm of
Grimm Audio.

EQUIPMENT REPORTS
37 Magico S5 2024 loudspeaker
by John Atkinson
49 Eversolo AMP-F10 power amplifier
by Tom Fine
61 Weiss DAC204 D/A processor
by Robert Schryer p.49

71 Treehaus Audiolab The Preamplifier

by Ken Micallef Stereophile (USPS #734-970 ISSN: 0585-2544) Vol.48 No.8, August 2025, Issue Number 547.
Copyright © 2025 by AVTech Media Americas Inc. All rights reserved. Published monthly by
83 Kimber Kable Carbon + Palladian cable loom AVTech Media Americas Inc., 1159 2nd Avenue, Suite #410, New York, NY 10065. Periodicals
Postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Subscription rates for one year
by Martin Colloms (12 issues) U.S., APO, FPO, and U.S. Possessions $22, Canada $34, Foreign $46 (including
surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S. funds only. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS.
87 PSI Audio AVAA C214 active bass trap (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY Facilities: send address corrections to
by Kalman Rubinson Stereophile, P.O. Box 37965, Boone, IA 50037-3683. Mailing Lists: From time to time we make our
subscriber list available to companies that sell goods and services by mail that we believe would
be of interest to our readers. If you would rather not receive such mailings, please send your
current mailing label, or an exact copy, to: Stereophile, P.O. Box 37965, Boone, IA 50037-3683.
SEE OUR EXCLUSIVE EQUIPMENT REPORT Subscription Service: Should you wish to change your address, or order new subscriptions, you
ARCHIVE AT WWW.STEREOPHILE.COM can do so by writing to the same address. Printed in the USA.

stereophile.com n August 2025 5

 “I CAN’T IMAGINE A BETTER WAY TO
HEAR RECORDED MUSIC.”
—Keith Jarrett

“As an avid, lifelong audiophile, I have tried out

different equipment over the cears, but that
stopped well over a decade ago when Soulution
was brought to mc attention via the pages of
audiophile publications.”

Learn more about Soulution and

find an authorized dealer near you
axissaudio.com
 AUGUST 2025 Vol.48 No.8

3 As We See It
Audiophiles behaving badly and other topical topics.
By Jim Austin.
p.25 p.101
11 Letters
Mark in mirror image; praise for Herb; bass and directionality;
the class-D era.

13 Industry Update
The latest on music-industry revenues; longtime hi-fi retailer
Bob Leitz passes; product debuts in Munich—plus our industry
events calendar.

STAY INFORMED: GO TO STEREOPHILE.COM p.19

FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE INFO.
19 Gramophone Dreams
Herb Reichert reviews a hard-to-pronounce, high-value tubed
phono preamp from Schiit Audio, the Stjarna.

25 Brilliant Corners
Alex visits the final High End Munich after getting a head start
in Paris.

31 The Spin Doctor

Michael’s Magical Mystery Tour. The Spin Doctor reports on new
vinyl gear from the last Munich High End Show then goes on a
whirlwind tour of European hi-fi companies.

101 Aural Robert p.105 p.31

Bruce Springsteen’s late-career back catalog is issued on a
second Tracks set. By Robert Baird. 121 Manufacturers’ Comments
Representatives of Magico, Treehaus Audiolab, and Kimber Kable
103 Revinylized! respond to our reviews of their products.
A new Tone Poet reissue by the other bebopper named Parker.
By Robert Baird. 122 My Back Pages
A system upgraded, a life cut short. By Rogier van Bakel.
105 Record Reviews
Our Recording of the Month for the July issue is Just Biber from
Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque. In Jazz, we review an
unearthed recording of a 1980 performance by Jim Hall and
INFORMATION
Louis Stewart; L.A. jazz from Billy Mohler and a quartet; edgy, 118 Manufacturers’
21st century jazz from Adam O’Farrill; and solo piano from Showcase
Denny Zeitlin. In Rock/Pop, we consider a collaboration between 118 Dealers’ Showcase
Thom Yorke and producer Mark Pritchard, Australian rock from 120 Advertiser Index
Sons of the East, breakthrough rock from Goose, and a guitar
album by Hayden Pedigo. In Classical, our reviewers consider
120 Audio Mart
Chopin played on a piano Chopin might have played, Yuja Wang
playing Shostakovich piano concertos, and a recital from an
exciting young countertenor, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian. p.105

117 Re-Tales Follow Stereophile on Facebook:

The impact of tariffs and the volatility caused by tariff threats on www.facebook.com/stereophile.
the hi-fi industry. By Julie Mullins.

stereophile.com n August 2025 7

 AUGUST 2025

EDITOR JIM AUSTIN AVTECH MEDIA AMERICAS INC

[email protected] EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PAUL MILLER
TECHNICAL EDITOR JOHN ATKINSON FINANCE DIRECTOR OWEN DAVIES
ONLINE EDITOR MARK HENNINGER GENERAL MANAGER KEITH PRAY
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
HERB REICHERT, KALMAN RUBINSON,
JASON VICTOR SERINUS
COPY EDITOR LINDA FELACO

FOUNDER J. GORDON HOLT

ART DIRECTOR JEREMY MOYLER

IMPORTANT STEREOPHILE
CONTACT INFORMATION
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS (AUDIO) SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES
MARTIN COLLOMS, BRIAN DAMKROGER, JASON DAVIS, USA (800) 666-3746
ROBERT DEUTSCH, TOM FINE, LARRY GREENHILL,
CANADA & INTERNATIONAL (515) 244-0924
ALEX HALBERSTADT, SASHA MATSON, KEN MICALLEF,
EMAIL: [email protected]
POST: Stereophile, PO Box 37965, Boone IA 50037-0965
JULIE MULLINS, THOMAS J. NORTON, ROBERT SCHRYER,
Please include name, address, and phone number
MICHAEL TREI, ROGIER VAN BAKEL
on any inquiries.
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS (MUSIC) REPRINTS
ROBERT BAIRD, LARRY BIRNBAUM, PHIL BRETT,
For high-quality custom reprints and eprints, please
RAY CHELSTOWSKI, THOMAS CONRAD, TOM FINE, contact Keith Pray at [email protected].
KURT GOTTSCHALK, ANDREY HENKIN, ANNE E. JOHNSON,
SASHA MATSON, MIKE METTLER, KEN MICALLEF, SUBMISSIONS
DAN OUELLETTE, ROGIER VAN BAKEL, STEPHEN FRANCIS VASTA Any submissions or contributions from readers shall be
subject to and governed by AVTech Media’s User Content
ADVERTISING Submission Terms and Conditions, which are posted at
GENERAL MANAGER KEITH PRAY www.stereophile.com/images/terms.html
[email protected]
SALES COORDINATOR ROSEMARIE TORCIVIA BACK ISSUES
[email protected] To order back issues and recordings visit
DIGITAL INQUIRIES KEITH PRAY shop.stereophile.com or call (800) 666-3746
[email protected]
SUBSCRIBER LIST
Occasionally our subscriber list is made available to
CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB AT STEREOPHILE.COM. reputable firms offering goods and services we believe
would be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to be
excluded, please send your current address label and a
note requesting to be excluded from these promotions
to AVTech Media Americas Inc., 1159 2nd Avenue, #410,
New York, NY 10065, Attn: Privacy Coordinator.

PRINTED IN THE USA. COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY AVTECH MEDIA AMERICAS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 2025 n stereophile.com

 TAKE HEED! Unless marked otherwise, all letters to the

LETTERS FEEDBACK TO THE EDITOR

magazine and its writers are assumed to be for possible
publication. Please include your name and physical address.
We reserve the right to edit for length and content.

Mark, mirrored Anyone who can hear sive” system I’ve heard has suffered from ex-
I enjoyed the article about the Brothers in actly this problem: I am indeed “immersed,”
Arms CD in the June 2025 Stereophile (Vol.48
deep bass location without in bass with no apparent source
No.6). But I was disappointed that the photo higher harmonics must But if, as I believe, you are referring to my
on p.116 shows Mark Knopfler playing left- have a special form of As We See It essay on Thomas Lund’s work
handed—the photo is a mirror image. Com- on auditory envelopment (p.3, Vol.48 No.3),
pare this photo to the correct group photo
audio ESP. despite the similarity in the concepts—im-
on page 113, which shows Mark holding his mersion and envelopment—in the sense
guitar right-handed. demonstrator. I recall one visitor going over Lund intends, envelopment doesn’t require
Ronald Levenberg to listen right next to a sub and coming away low frequencies to be directional, at least not
East Brunswick, New Jersey to tell George the subs weren’t working— in the usual sense.—Jim Austin
even though very deep bass was blaring
Mr. Levenberg, that’s how we received the away. George had to take him over to the sub, Has the class-D era arrived?
photo from the record label. But I admit that’s remove the grille, and place his hand on the John Atkinson and Kal Rubinson recently
a feeble excuse: We should have noticed, and vibrating woofer to convince him that it was completed some very favorable product
if we had, we probably would have chosen a producing bass. Even though the subs were reviews of some class-D amplifiers. Are they
different photo. Thanks for pointing out the playing loudly, all the bass sounded as if it prepared to speculate on whether the time
error.—Jim Austin came from the two main towers. Curious, I has come for class-D to supplant these other
went over to the subs myself to confirm that designs, or are there important differences
Praise for Herb Reichert they were playing. They were, yet all the that remain?
I always enjoy Herb Reichert’s nitro- sense of bass and directionality clues I heard Eric Groves
methane–fueled insights into listening to came from the main towers. Kentfield, California
new equipment—especially so when I have Deep bass has no directionality. There can
to pull the chute, slow down, and reread be room problems that multiple separate Mr. Groves, Previous generations of class-D
one of his signature what did he just write?! subs can ameliorate. But anyone who can amplifiers had various problems that limited
insanely wet and saturated insights into locate deep bass without higher harmonics their universal appeal, including very high
whatever electromechanical toy he’s listen- must have a special form of audio ESP. levels of ultrasonic noise and a response that
ing to and through each month. Allen Edelstein tended to peak above the audioband, depend-
Rare it is, though, when I have to consult Highland Park, New Jersey ing on the load impedance. But the current
the oracle and look up a word to complete the class-D amplifiers, like the Lyngdorf and
emotional journey of one of his sentences. Mr. Edelstein, you’re describing a system in Buckeye models recently reviewed in Stereo-
Quotidian. Hum, how ordinary. It’s not every which the bass drivers were meticulously set phile, offer very high power with vanishingly
day that you need to add a rear view to your up—hats off to George! By their very na- low harmonic and intermodulation distor-
dragster to see that coming. ture—by the wavelength—bass is intrinsically tion, superbly low output impedances, lower
Jay Jackson unlocalized. So I agree completely with your levels of ultrasonic noise, and a well-controlled
Orlando, Florida premise; if I didn’t, my grad school physics ultrasonic rolloff regardless of the load imped-
professors would disown me (assuming, first, ance—all this at affordable prices relative to
Mr. Jackson, I wonder: Do dragsters come with that they’re still alive, and second that they similarly specified class-AB amplifiers.
rear-view mirrors? Whether they do or not, I’d didn’t disown me long ago). —John Atkinson
say the rear view is exactly the place to look for In a well-wet-up system using subwoof-
former drag racer Herb Reichert. Unassuming ers, the bass will appear to be coming not Yes, I think the time has come finally to stop
Herb, I’d expect, would start a little slow then necessarily from the main speakers but from making presumptions about the capability
come from behind, blasting past just before the the location of the bass instrument within of class-D amplifiers and to judge them by the
finish line.—Jim Austin the soundfield. Yet it is entirely possible to set same criteria as class-AB amplifiers, whether
up a system so that bass loses touch with the using measurements or auditions. The latter
Bass and directionality directionality clues provided by those higher may be difficult nonblinded, but their rela-
I was part of the team for the Pipe Dreams/ harmonics. Indeed, almost every “immer- tively lower cost and lower weight cannot be
VAC room at the 2001 Vegas CES Show. Just ignored.—Kalman Rubinson
to remind readers: Pipe dreams were four LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be sent as
boxes. The two main boxes were 7'-high line e-mails only. Email: stletters@stereophile. It’s less that it has “supplanted” those other
sources with 21 dynamic mid/woofers and 32 com. Please note: We are unable to answer amplification technologies, more that it has
1" dome tweeters. The subwoofers were verti- requests for information about specific joined them. At or near its best, class-D ampli-
cal cylinders with two 18" drivers crossed products or systems. If you have problems fication is a legitimate choice for a high-quality
with your subscription, call (800) 666-3746,
over steeply near 65Hz, going down to 16Hz. or email [email protected],
hi-fi system. Different people value and enjoy
They were positioned a few feet outside and or write to Stereophile, P.O. Box 37965, different approaches, for all sorts of reasons,
behind the main towers. Boone, IA 50037-0965. including but not limited to how the music
My friend George Bischoff was the lead sounds. May it ever be so.—Jim Austin

stereophile.com n August 2025 11

 INDUSTRY AUDIO NEWS & VIEWS SUBMISSIONS: Those promoting audio-related
seminars, shows, and meetings should email the

UPDATE when, where, and who to stletters@stereophile.

com at least eight weeks before the month of the
event. The deadline for the November 2025 issue
is August 20, 2025.

GOLDMAN SACHS $20 billion for the first time, reaching $20.4
(AND OTHERS) ON THE billion. Music Business Worldwide points
STATE OF THE RECORDED out that that’s a bigger number than total
MUSIC INDUSTRY worldwide music revenue, from all sourc-
Jim Austin es, for all years 2003–2020. Streaming
Analyses of the latest Goldman Sachs subscription revenue was the main source
“Music in the Air” report show how the of growth, rising by 9.5% year over year.
same news can be interpreted in different That reflects a 10.6% increase in worldwide
ways. Billboard sees it in a negative light: subscribers, to 752 million.
“Goldman Sachs Lowers Global Music Meanwhile, following an excellent 2023
Industry Growth Forecast, Wiping Out for physical media—it was up that year by
$2.5 Billion.” Music Business Worldwide is 14.5%—trade revenue from physical media
more measured, writing, “Despite revising fell by 3.1% last year. Physical media repre-
some forecasts downward following a sented just 16% of trade revenues in 2024,
slower-than-expected 2024, Goldman Sachs down 2% from the previous year. Physical-
maintains a positive long-term outlook for Federation of the Phonographic Industry media revenue in Asia—a last stronghold of
the music industry.” (IFPI) found that global wholesale music music you can touch—also fell.
The Billboard article is good, but the revenue—that’s money “paid through” to What about vinyl records? Trade rev-
headline is clickbait. The Goldman Sachs labels, distributors, and artists—grew by enue from vinyl records rose by 4.4% year
report didn’t wipe out $2.5 billion. Rather, just 4.8% year over year. That’s a much over year.
it reported a less optimistic forecast, smaller number than 2023’s 10.2%. Goldman From the perspective of the US, these
projecting lower future revenues than Sachs had predicted more robust growth. numbers might be misleading. That’s
last year’s report projected: The value On the other hand, it’s notable that the because the growth in revenue was led by
wiped out was never real. global music market continued to grow emerging markets. The numbers for the
2024 was, however, a disappointing year for the 10th consecutive year. US—the world’s largest music market—
relative to previous years and to Goldman Most of this growth was from streaming. were much more modest. Wholesale US
Sachs’s expectations. The International Worldwide streaming revenue exceeded music revenue for 2024 grew by just 2.2%

CALENDAR OF INDUSTRY EVENTS

ATTENTION ALL AUDIO SOCIETIES: We have a Orange County. This is THE headphone audio MARYLAND
page on the Stereophile website devoted to event of the year in the United States. The Los ❚ Friday, November 14–Sunday, November
you: stereophile.com/audiophile-societies. Angeles & Orange County Audio Society is a 16: Capital Audiofest 2025 will be held at
If you’d like to have your audio-society CanJam SoCal sponsor. For discounted hotel the Hilton Rockville (1750 Rockville Pike,
information posted on the site, email Chris rooms and tickets, visit canjamglobal.com/ Rockville, MD). Recognized as the East Coast’s
Vogel at [email protected]. shows/socal2025. premier high-end audio festival, the event
❚ Sunday, October 12, 1–4pm: Common features a wide array of audio equipment,
United States
Wave Hi-Fi Event (1451 E 4th St #106, Los live music performances, and seminars. For
CALIFORNIA Angeles, CA 90033). Host Wesley Katzir more information, visit capitalaudiofest.com.
❚ Sunday, July 20, 2–5pm: The Los Angeles and staff will debut Common Wave’s new
& Orange County Audio Society holds its private reference listening suite featuring NEW JERSEY
Second Society LP Event at AudiophileUSA Nagra Audio, YG Acoustics, Innuos, Kuzma ❚ Friday, October 24–Sunday, October 26:
(10572 Calle Lee #126, Los Alamitos, CA). Analog Systems, and Koetsu. Manufacturers’ T.H.E. New York International Audio Show
Host Mark Hoover will discuss the vinyl representatives will be in attendance. Free 2025 will be held at the Hilton Hasbrouck
industry and record store culture. Special parking is available. Visit commonwave.net Heights/Meadowlands (650 Terrace Ave.,
LAOCAS record discounts are available. For or call (213) 277-4434. Hasbrouck Heights, NJ). This inaugural
more information, visit laocas.com or call event under new ownership showcases
(657) 298-3003. COLORADO state-of-the-art home audio, personal
❚ Saturday, August 23, 2–5pm: The Source ❚ Thursday, September 4–Saturday, audio, and home theater systems from
Audio Video Design Group Event (3035 September 6: CEDIA Expo 2025 takes place companies around the world. It also features
Kashiwa St., Torrance, CA 90505). Hosted at the Colorado Convention Center (700 T.H.E. Film Festival, with screenings of
by Jason Lord. For more information, visit 14th St., Denver, CO). The event focuses on films by seasoned, new, and independent
thesourceav.com or call (310) 534-9900. residential and commercial A/V integration filmmakers. For more information, visit
❚ Saturday, September 13–Sunday, September and smart home technology. For more theshownow.com.
14: CanJam SoCal 2025 at Irvine Marriott information, visit cediaexpo.com. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

stereophile.com n August 2025 13

INDUSTRY UPDATE

year over year. As a result, the US share in

global trade revenue fell by 5%, to 40%. ROBERT LIETZ, LONGTIME
Released in mid-March, the Recording AUDIO RETAILER, REMEMBERED
Industry Association of America’s 2024 Sasha Matson
Year-End Revenue Report, which as you Robert Lietz, owner of the Analog Shop in Victor, New York,
would expect is limited to the US, reported has passed away.
US retail music-industry revenue of $17.7 Bob founded his retail hi-fi store in 1992 and provided
billion and wholesale revenue of $11.3 outstanding sales and service to the audiophile community
billion. Eighty-four percent of those totals of Central New York until the time of his death.
was due to streaming. The number of US He was born in Silver Creek, New York, in 1958. Pursu-
paid streaming accounts reached a cool ing an early passion for music and sound, he received a
100 million in 2024. Revenue from digital degree in electronics and spent many years working at
downloads dropped by a stunning 18%. stereo stores in the Rochester, New York, area. Robert met his wife, Victoria Neuhart-
Physical media accounted for just 11% of Lietz, while dancing to The Human League at a punk club in Buffalo. She assisted him
all revenue—yet, in contrast to the global in running the Analog Shop.
numbers reported by the IFPI, physical Lietz established long-running relationships with customers and manufacturers of
media in the US continued to grow, by 5%. the best high-end audio equipment. He was always an enthusiastic listener and collec-
Vinyl record revenue grew for the 18th tor: Just a few weeks before he passed, I received a note from him about a recording
consecutive year, by 7%—though most of he wanted me to hear.
that growth was due to price increases: The hi-fi world needs more dedicated bricks-and-mortar entrepreneurs like Bob. He
Vinyl unit volume increased by only 1%. will be remembered fondly.
CD revenue also grew, but only by 1%.
Vinyl records outsold CDs in the US for the
third consecutive year. Still, vinyl record showcasing the enhanced clarity made pos- “a showcase of QRONO d2a, our playback
revenue totaled just $1.4 billion, about 10% sible by a reimagined decimation process.” solution that delivers unmatched trans-
of all US recorded-music revenue. The press release promised further sur- parency and time performance across all
prises, including “a walk-through of our audio formats.”
LENBROOK BREATHES LIFE new and upcoming studio plug-ins, offer- The company claims that these technolo-
INTO MQA—AND TEASES A ing creators powerful tools for managing gies improve sound quality from creation
NEW STREAMING SERVICE impulse response and noise shaping,” and through playback, all in pursuit of “digital
Jason Victor Serinus audio with an analogue soul.”
As someone who has consistently enjoyed MQA Labs was acquired by Toronto-
the sonic benefits of MQA, I found a recent based Lenbrook in the fall of 2023. Len-
MQA Labs press release tantalizing. “MQA brook is the same company that brings us
Labs Debuts FOQUS ADC Design with NAD, PSB, and Bluesound. As for MQA, the
First Ever Demonstration, Showcases Full technology turned 10 years old during this
Technology Suite,” it declared. It continued, year’s High End Munich; it was introduced
“Highlights will include a first listen to at the show in 2015.
audio captured with a FOQUS ADC chip, I was unable to attend the demo, but

[Continued from page 12] CHINA Taipei, Taipei City. Features hi-end/hi-fi audio
❚ Friday, July 11–Sunday, July 13: The 32nd hardware and software accessories. Visit
NORTH CAROLINA Shanghai International Top Audio-Visual taiwanaudio.org.tw for details.
❚ Friday, August 1–Sunday August 3: Show (TAS) 2025 will be held at the Shanghai
Audio Advice Live 2025 will take place at International Convention Center. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel. It is located Visit siav.com.cn for details. ❚ Friday, September 26–Saturday, September
at 421 South Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC. 27: The High End & Smart Home Show
The three-day event offers live demos JAPAN Dubai 2025 takes place at the Radisson Red
of high-performance audio and home ❚ Friday, October 17–Sunday, October 19: Hotel Dubai Silicon Oasis. Second edition
theater systems, plus seminars and panel The 42nd Tokyo International Audio Show of the B2B and B2C platform for hi-fi and
discussions led by industry experts. For more 2025 will be held at the Tokyo International smart home technology in Dubai. Visit
information, visit audioadvicelive.com. Forum (3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, highendshow.ae for details.
Tokyo). This three-day event showcases
Overseas
high-end audio equipment from Japanese UNITED KINGDOM
AUSTRALIA and international manufacturers. For more ❚ Saturday, September 27–Sunday,
❚ Friday, August 29–Sunday, August 31: information, visit iasj.info. September 28: The UK Hi-Fi Show Live 2025
StereoNET Hi-Fi & AV Expo Melbourne 2025 takes place at the Ascot Racecourse (High St.,
will be held at the Pullman Convention TAIWAN Ascot, UK). The UK’s longest-running premier
Centre Albert Park, Melbourne. Australasia’s ❚ Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 10: The high-end audio show. Visit hifishowlive.com
largest hi-fi & A/V expo. Visit stereonet.com/ 35th Taiwan International TAA Hi-End Audio for details.
show/au for details. Show 2025 is scheduled at the Grand Hyatt

14 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 THE ELITE EXPERIENCE
We know some people.
The moment you hear your favorite song in exactly the way the artist intended.
The way you’re immersed in your favorite film, living in that moment. That’s magic – that’s high-fidelity.

Lean in. Listen close. Relive that magic.

The KEF Elite and Platinum Dealers are ready to help you on your high-fidelity journey.

Elite Dealers
AVIQ ListenUp Just Audio Stereoland Woodbridge Stereo Stereo Stereo
Huntsville, AL Colorado Springs, CO Middle River, MD Bloomington, MN Woodbridge, NJ Warrendale, PA
(256) 713-8912 719-633-2600 410-882-4360 952-829-9700 732-636-7777 724-719-2330

Dynamic Sound Systems Wave Media Systems Gramophone Audio Advice Hippo’s HiFi Origin HiFi
Carlsbad, CA Orlando, FL Columbia, MD Pineville, NC Albany, NY Austin, TX
760-438-3773 407-909-3388 410-381-2100 704-821-4510 518-482-1864 737-787-4434

Lavish Theaters Modus AV Gramophone Audio Advice Genesis Audio Olson’s Hi-Fi
Santa Rosa, CA Suwanee, GA Gaithersburg, MD Raleigh, NC Gahanna, OH Lynnwood, WA
707-595-2020 404-471-3779 301-296-6202 919-881-2005 614-939-0802 206-462-5227

Soundings Fine AV Luminaire Smart Homes Gramophone Rein’s AV Therapy Echo Audio Sound World
Greenwood Village, CO Garden City, ID Timonium, MD Nashua, NH Portland, OR Appleton, WI
303-759-5505 208-781-8301 410-308-1650 603-888-9777 503-223-2292 920-733-8539

ListenUp Holm Audio Waara Technologies Electronics Expo Quest for Sound
Denver, CO Woodridge, IL Traverse City, MI Wayne, NJ Bensalem, PA
303-778-0780 630-663-1298 231-935-4511 973-785-1112 215-953-9099

Platinum Dealers
Smartek Home Hifi Buys HiFidelity AV PunchMax Tech Solutions
Bonita, CA Atlanta, GA Voorhees, NJ Ashburn, VA
858-874-8700 770-931-0606 856-616-0909 571-306-1528

Precision Audio Video Installations Encore AV Jeetri Electronics & Services

La Quinta, CA Columbia, MO Frisco, TX
760-972-6267 573-316-9444 919-491-4514 Scan and find a dealer near you
INDUSTRY UPDATE

here’s what I found out from talking with these plug-ins give engineers the ability to M33 V2 BluOS streaming DAC/amplifier.
sources like Mike Jbara, Lenbrook Media resolve all timing issues in their record- Also coming in the near future, though
Group’s VP and general manager, and Pål ings. According to Jbara, “Engineers can with no confirmed launch date, is a new
Bråtelund, a Lenbrook consultant. now convey an analog sense of timing and streaming service that will serve up MQA-
First, many MQA Labs technologies are space without the need to record at 192kHz encoded music. Several major labels are
now embedded in plug-ins for studio work- or DXD sampling rates.” expected to sign on, and the plan is for the
stations. Sound engineers can apply MQA Lenbrook’s MQA team also announced new streaming service to be available via
dithering and time correction to the master a new ADC chip chip from ESS. Jbara says several platforms, including Roon.
before it goes to the record label. The the chip avoids the timing issues caused by For more on FOQUS technology, MQA
Lenbrook Media Group, which is respon- traditional decimation filters. It will make studio plug-ins, and QRONO d2a playback,
sible for both BluOS and MQA, believes that its debut in Lenbrook’s forthcoming NAD see mqalabs.com.

HIGH END MUNICH’S per side, the passive version is priced at 26Hz, and it’s said to be a nominal 8 ohm
GRAND FINALE around €900,000/pair. load. Combined with the high sensitivity,
Mark Henninger 02 BURMESTER REFERENCE LINE. this should make the Verdande very easy to
High End Munich ended a successful 21- Burmester unveiled a complete refresh drive. Stainless steel and tungsten feet are
year run at its current venue, the MOC cen- of its Reference line, comprising the 257 supplied for mechanical damping.
ter, on a high note. Here’s a sampling of the turntable, 249 preamplifier, and 259 stereo ❱ JBL SUMMIT SERIES. The HARMAN
many product debuts at the show. For more power amplifier. All three are said to be Luxury Audio Group expanded the JBL
coverage including product debuts, see brand-new designs, sharing nothing from Summit Series with three new models:
stereophile.com/category/munich-2025. their predecessors. Makalu (the flagship, with 12" woofer and
01 AUDIOVECTOR R 10 ARRETÉ. $165,000/ ❱ ELAC CONCENTRO M807. This elegantly an 8" midrange), Pumori (with a 10" woofer
pair flagship floorstanders with 13 drivers contoured, €22,000 four-way bass-reflex and 8" mid), and Ama (a compact two-way
per speaker including dual AMT tweeters, speaker weighs 137lb per side and features standmount).
midrange drivers with carbon-sandwich six small dynamic drivers arranged con- ❱ ISOACOUSTICS GAIA NEO. The latest
cones, and rear-mounted bass drivers. Uses centrically around ELAC’s own JET 6c AMT acoustic isolation products offer much the
proprietary airflow and damping systems tweeter. same performance as the previous genera-
to manage resonance and dispersion. 03 Ø AUDIO VERDANDE. This €35,000/ tion but with a different look and improved
❱ YG ACOUSTICS GEMINI. The Gemini pair floorstander has a horn-loaded carbon usability. For one thing, there’s now a
can be configured in three ways: passive, ring-radiator tweeter and custom 15" long- ring mechanism for height adjustment,
fully active, or with only the woofer active. stroke woofers. The sensitivity is high at eliminating the need to use lock nuts as one
Standing 215cm tall and weighing 455kg 94dB, the specified frequency range starts usually does with loudspeaker spikes.

01 02

03 04 05

16 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 INDUSTRY UPDATE

nologies from the flagship Varèse system,

including the main “flex rigid” PCB and
improvements to the Ring DACs.
06 QUAD ESL-2912X. The first new QUAD
electrostatic loudspeaker since 2012, the
2912 will partner with QUAD’s forthcom-
ing Platina electronics including the Pla-
tina Integrated Amplifier, Platina Stream,
and Platina CDT.
❱ MARK LEVINSON 600 SERIES. A new
high-end amplifier range comprising the
No.626 preamplifier, No.632 two-channel
power amplifier, and No.631 monoblock
06 07 tower, starting at £24,000.
❱ DALI V-16F SUBWOOFER. At 53kg, this
❱ STENHEIM ALUMINE SUB. An active 05 LUXMAN CENTENNIAL BLACK EDI- beast employs 2500W of class-D power
subwoofer from Switzerland with all- TION SYSTEM. A limited edition of 100 with a 40.5cm aluminum driver, making it
aluminum construction, isobaric dual- units worldwide featuring L-509Z inte- Dali’s “most powerful subwoofer yet.” It is
driver design, and 1200W of amplification. grated amplifier, D-07X CD/SACD player, expected to cost £4499 in the UK.
Features a smartphone app control and NT-07 network transport, and PD-151 Mk.2 07 TOTEM ACOUSTIC TRIBE TOWER
digital signal processing for room tuning. turntable in a special all-black finish. THUNDERBIRD. A new floorstanding
04 STROMTANK S 6000 ALPHA. Designed ❱ QOBUZ CONNECT. Among the most speaker featuring dual 6" Torrent mid/
to deliver pure, uninterrupted power to significant launches at the show was Qobuz bass drivers with no crossover, paired with
high-end audio systems, ensuring optimal Connect, appearing in dozens of rooms. proprietary 1.3" graphene dome tweeter.
performance by eliminating AC-borne Qobuz Connect functions much like Spotify Obelisk-like monolith design achieves bass
pollution. The S 6000 Alpha ($85,000) was Connect and Tidal Connect: Use the Qobuz stable to below 28Hz. The Thunderbird
showcased in a glossy white finish with red app to send music directly to compatible should be compatible with a wide range of
accents. It was featured in a multimillion- devices. Your phone, computer, or tablet amplifiers and should offer the dynamic
dollar system alongside D’Agostino Relent- becomes a remote control. capabilities of much larger speakers with
less amplifiers and Wilson Audio WAMM ❱ dCS LINA DAC X. The £13,500 Lina DAC minimal placement restrictions. Priced at
Master Chronosonic speakers. X adopts many of the techniques and tech- $13,500/pair. n
 UD-701N
USB DAC / Network Player

BEST IN CLASSES
The TEAC UD-701N has been awarded the
Stereophile Recommended Components 2025 Edition
in the Digital Processors - A category as well as in the Preamplifiers - B category.
Remarkably, this makes it one of the very few, if not the only, products to receive the
Stereophile RC 2025 award in two different categories.

For more information Find a TEAC dealer

Playbackdistribution.com
@playbackdistribution
 EXPLORING THE ANALOG ADVENTURE

GRAMOPHONE BY HERB REICHERT THIS ISSUE: Herb listens to the new

DREAMS Schiit Audio Stjarna phono stage.

The newest star of the Schiit show

’d been building and repairing tube amplifiers for a few years when my first Altec Stjarna’s asymmetric front panel because I

I A5 Voice of the Theater speakers arrived. I bought them to help me evaluate the
sound of low-powered triode amps—but whoa! The moment I turned that VOT system
on, I heard from 30' away the sound of either a waterfall or a large AM radio tuned
between stations.
When I checked my amplification for hum and standing noise, everything was at or
admired how it looked and how it operates.
On the far left is a button that does two
important things. Press it quickly to toggle
through the Stjarna’s nine resistive loads:
10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 47k
near what I considered “spec” for zero-feedback tube amps. Apparently those specs ohms. Press it slowly, and the Stjarna goes
needed revising. Meanwhile, I was fascinated by how a very sensitive speaker could show into standby.
me so clearly what free electrons were doing inside my amplifiers. What’s the best tube The next button adjusts the capaci-
tester? A 107dB/watt speaker. tive load in eight steps between 50pF and
One reason audiophiles like me use step-up transformers is to make that extra 20–30dB 400pF. The larger third button selects be-
of moving coil gain as quiet and uncolored as possible. Accept and adapt is my mantra, so tween inputs 1 and 2. To its right, the fourth
I switched from the Linn LP12 with a Koetsu amplified by WE 417A’s to my Denon DL-103 button offers four wisely chosen gain lev-
with matching step-up transformer. With the Altecs, the Denon SUT made the system quiet els: 40dB, 47dB, 55dB, and 60dB. In practice,
enough for me, but probably not for audiophiles raised on the digital version of quiet. the two lowest gains are for high-output
MC or MM cartridges; the two high-gain
Schiit Audio’s Stjarna phono stage where its four 6N1P tubes were mounted choices are for low-output moving coils. In
To me, miniature nine-pin small-signal and displayed. When the Stjarna lights up, the course of this review, I adjusted gain for
tubes will always be the beating heart it looks perky and alluring in sunlight and the best compromise between best dynamic
sound creators of tubed audio devices. suave and romantic in the dark. charge and least noise.
Their job is to preserve the life energy of That’s me you see applauding Schiit’s The fifth button, Mode Select, allows us-
the recording, and the best ones are really industrial designer. ers to engage the Stjarna’s subsonic filter or
good at that. But because of their glass size Looking at its backside, I observed two switch to Mono mode. For me, the Stjarna’s
and the diameter of their pins, they can also pairs of phono inputs near a high-quality feature attraction was its four cool-run-
be wiggly wobbly pingy screechy staticky binding post for turntable ground wires. ning 6N1P dual triodes operating in true
hissy hummy. And unpredictable. Regard- I also spotted a pair of single-ended RCA dual mono, with twin power transformers.
less, like most small creatures, miniature outputs, an IEC socket near a power switch, The power supply is also dual mono, all the
tubes are adorable. and a covered slot for Schiit’s Forkbeard way from its single IEC inlet.
The $1699 Schiit Audio Stjarna uses four dongle.
Russian-made 6N1P tubes. These tubes are I spent a lot of time staring at the 1 See forvo.com/word/stjarna.
famously quiet, high in transconductance,
low in microphonics, and roughly akin to
6DJ8/6922s—the chief difference being that
the 6N1P draws twice the heater current as
a 6DJ8.
In my Midwestern hayseed mind, the all-
tube Schiit Audio Stjarna MM/MC phono
stage will forever be pronounced Saint
Jarna. The correct Swedish pronunciation
sounds more like a country: chi-na. The old
Norse pronunciation is more nasal: stat-na.1
Google says the word means star in the
Norse legends that Schiit co-founder Jason
Stoddard appropriates product names
from. So maybe it should be pronounced
Starna? Call it what you like, this is a seri-
ously high-value product.
The moment I spotted the Stjarna on
the Schiit website, I fell for its broad,
shelf-hugging form. On my rack, that form
occupied its 16" × 8" × 3" space very smartly.
Its colors and textures and the scale of its
buttons and lights gave off a tasteful north-
latitudes vibe. I especially liked how and

stereophile.com n August 2025 19

 GRAMOPHONE DREAMS

What’s a Forkbeard? Dynavector’s XX2A cartridge was I credit this to the “nickel” tone the SUP-
I’d never heard of Schiit’s Forkbeard feeding the Stjarna’s MC input set to 60dB 200’s “high-permeability core” was adding,
app, which promises “total control” over of gain and loaded at 100 ohms.2 Streisand and to the Stjarna’s RIAA stage being so pre-
“stacks” of Schiit products. When I first sounded gray and hissy-boring. The sound cise and deathly quiet. I know Dynavector’s
read about it, I pictured Jason as a fierce got more relaxed and colorful when I re- XX2A cartridge and SUT perfectly well,
Viking with a beard like a snake’s tongue, duced the Stjarna’s gain to 55dB, but there so everything new to my ears must have
covered in ice droplets. Later, when I found was still no pizzazz. been from the Schiit Stjarna’s 40dB-gain
out that Forkbeard was an iPad app—an Hoping to understand this better, I by- moving magnet stage. What I noticed about
Android version is promised for summer passed the Schiit’s tube MC stage and added the Stjarna was how well-sorted it was (as
2025—his face became clean shaven, and the Dynavector DV SUP-200 step-up trans- well-sorted as a phono stage could be) and
he was sitting at a desk looking out the win- former, which has 26dB of gain. The output how gleaming tube beautiful—more so than
dow at an immense California parking lot. from the SET fed the Stjarna in MM mode, anything even remotely near its price.
The Stjarna was the only Schiit product I with 47k ohms into only 40dB of gain. If there is one record I cherish most in
had that was “forkable,” and I had no desire The last time I tried the SUP-200 (with my collection, one that I would carry out
to change any of its settings remotely or the PrimaLuna EVO 100 phono stage), I was in a fire—one I pay extra-close attention
on the fly. I installed the app anyway just disappointed. Despite its high-nickel alnico to when it is playing—it is Astor Piazzolla:
to see what it looked like. On my iPad, it core, it sounded slightly dull and flat, and I The American Clavé Recordings (Nonesuch
looked like a tidy rapidograph drawing of didn’t know why. 075597915297).
the Stjarna’s sleek, palm-sized aluminum When I play a Barbra Streisand album, This landmark trio of albums—Tango:
remote. I want the full Streisand experience. I Zero Hour, La Camorra: The Solitude of Pas-
want to feel her personality in my room, sionate Provocation, and The Rough Dancer
Listening between my speakers. The XX2A + SUP-200 and the Cyclical Night (Tango Apasionado)—
After playing six sides of six records with + Stjarna combination did every tone and is being reissued as a set. It’s the first time
the Stjarna, I played The Barbra Streisand tempo thing I needed to enjoy The Barbra these albums have been available on vinyl
Album (Columbia LP CL 2007), and when Streisand Album. It felt explosive. Barbra since their initial release on American
I came to “Happy Days Are Here Again,” I sounded fully present and in charge. She Clavé in the 1980s.
said “whoa, this is not a happy day for my dominated a wide, brightly lit stage. Her Artistically, The Rough Dancer and the
record player.” Instead of sounding round voice came through as clear and power- Cyclical Night (Tango Apasionado) appeals
and real, my beloved Streisand was sound- ful as it’s supposed to. I was especially to me on many levels. But the truest reason
ing flat and fake, and I was not connecting impressed by how 1963 it sounded; that’s I love it is because it is deeply mysterious
with her like I usually do. the year this album was issued. and mesmerizing, and I equate mystery
 GRAMOPHONE DREAMS

with beauty.
Rough Dancer’s recorded sound is dark,
heavily textured, and impenetrably dense
and shadowy. The Stjarna exposed more
layers of low-level sounds than I could keep
track of.
Listening through this density, I tried to
see into Piazzolla’s mind. I wanted to feel
his thinking while he was making his art
at this level of intensity. To my delight, the
Dynavector–Stjarna combo excelled at let-
ting me zero in and mind-meld with Tango’s
master creator.
Hum and hissing vipers returned when
I connected the Dynavector cartridge
directly into the Stjarna’s MC input, set to
55dB gain and shunted with 100 ohms. As
before, I didn’t care about noise, because arrived, I had already put 1000+ hours on position about 7' away.
the swerving rhythms and the melody lines my daily-driver XX2, and before that, I Standing noise from the Schiit was
of individual instruments were more pro- wore the tip to a nub on a DV-20X2. Using reduced when I installed the $850 Hana SL
nounced while going straight in, making the Dynavector XX2A made it easier to MK II,3 which has slightly higher output
mind melding with Astor even easier. I felt identify what part of the sound was from at 0.4mV, an 8 ohm internal impedance,
that on its own, without the Dynavector the cartridge and what part was the Schiit and a recommended loading of 80 ohms
SUT, the tube input Stjarna did a better job Stjarna’s tubed circuitry. or greater. With the Hana SL MK II, for
communicating the depth and complexity Unfortunately, the Dynavector’s low normal listening, the Z10e’s volume control
of The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night. output (0.28mV at 1kHz) and preferred 100 was a little lower, between 85% and 95%. Ap-
I chose the $2250, 0.28mV output Dy- ohms load meant I had to run the Stjarna’s parently, that was just enough, since noise
navector XX2A moving coil to begin this tube gain high, at 55dB, just one stop below
2 The rest of the system was the LTA Z10e driving my
report because Dynavector’s cartridges are its 60dB maximum, and the LTA Z10e virtu- Falcon Gold Badge LS3/5a’s.
the sound I know best through the widest ally wide open (90%–100%), which meant 3 A little more than 1/3 the price of the Dynavector
variety of phono stages. When the XX2A I heard hiss and hum from my listening cartridge.
 GRAMOPHONE DREAMS

was no longer a distraction. and out into my hall by the elevator, where Coming through the Stjarna, Luaka Bop’s
It was fun to watch and listen as the SL my 20-something neighbors danced and LP reissue (LB 0090) of Pharoah Sanders’s
MK II got kissy cozy with the Schiit Stjarna, hooted approval. The Nagaoka was at its 1976 performance of “Harvest Time” (India
playing record after record as if they were best pulling out Bootsy Collins and George navigation IN 1027) felt dark, introspective,
honeymooning. Piazzolla’s Rough Dancer Clinton grooves while showing off all that and atmospheric. Its droning tones and
came out with lush, intricate detail and a late-’70s solid state recording gear. With high-tactility saxophone textures forced
clear view of its compositional complexity. the MP-200, the sound was rough, dry, and my mind into something like LSD wonder-
These were the moments where I first period-correct. ment. Standing between my Falcons, Phar-
noticed the 6N1P tube’s subtle stoic beauty. When I played this Rubber Band album oah Sanders was a fully charged specter
The Stjarna’s view into speaking from The Other
this recording showed Side, and I couldn’t take my
mildly overcast lighting eyes off him. The value of
and relaxed, naturally a premium cartridge and
contrasted images. The phono stage, like Goldring’s
Hana played yin to the Ethos and Schiit’s Stjarna,
Dynavector’s yang. I’m lies in their ability to
glad I tried it; I imag- connect listeners with the
ine this was the sound personas of artists.
designer Jason Stoddard Schiit’s Stjarna tube
had in mind for this input presented Pharoah’s
product. “Harvest Time” as an ear-
One of this month’s nest mystical exploration.
most delight-filled mo- Listening to it was intense
ments occurred while yet gently rewarding and
the Schiit and Hana overtly contemplative. But
were playing Barbra even with 60dB gain, this re-
Streisand singing “A
Sleepin’ Bee” off The
Barbra Streisand Album
from 1963. Tone-wise
and expression-wise,
Barbra’s voice sounded like the perfect sum with the Hana SL MK II, it
of every time I ever heard it. The all-tube got all Shibata-stylus-de-
Stjarna did not sound tubey or dull or tailed and refined sounding,
silicon bright or feedback. It simply got which did not feel right.
Barbra’s tone and charisma right. While the MP-200’s ellipti-
As I mentioned above, when I play cal stylus showed more big
Streisand records, especially this first one, I Bootsy hats and mad Bootsy
need to connect to each song quickly and to grins, Hana’s Shibata
feel Barbra’s persona reaching through the preferred Nina Simone
microphones and speakers. Then I need to emoting quietly from her
smile with fanboy pride and feel like con- piano.
gratulating myself for having the aesthetic Across all these cartridge
bandwidth to appreciate the fullness of swaps, the Schiit Stjarna stayed clear, cording’s sound was not as bold, sharp, or
Barbra’s immense talent. The Hana SL MK unshakable, and exceedingly neutral. That’s intense as I remembered it. Stjarna’s 6N1P
II cartridge with the Stjarna’s moving coil a word I typically scowl at, but it was the tube was providing evocative glow and
stage satisfied those needs while showing Stjarna’s best trait: its lack of affect, its atmosphere, but the music felt light and
off the excellent quality of this legendary ability to disappear and put the vital core of distant, with minimal punch’n’presence.
recording. the music coming from the cartridge stage- On a seasoned hunch, I inserted Lun-
I was curious how the Stjarna might forward. By not adding color to the sound dahl’s silver-wired, amorphous-cored
get on with my Nagaoka MP-200 moving of the Dynavector, Hana, and Nagaoka LL1931 Ag step-up transformer ($1500 from
magnet cartridge. Using the Dynavector cartridges, the Schiit phono stage allowed VK Music), switching the gain to 40dB and
XX2A with Dynavector’s SUP-200 step-up each cartridge to speak unfiltered, with its the loading to 47k ohm. That made Pharoah
transformer gave me enough sense of the own voice. That’s a rare, five-star virtue. Sanders taller and pushed him forward in
Stjarna’s RIAA stage to know it is precisely my room. Striking, powerful, vivid, and
EQ’d with a faint blush of tube radiance. The Goldring Ethos affecting—these adjectives did not apply
The difference in sound character and Lundahl’s fancy metal while I ran these cartridges straight into
between the $509 Nagaoka MP-200 and the Directly into Schiit’s first tube, the higher the Schiit’s 6N1P tubes, but they were con-
$850 Hana SL MK II was more dramatic output Hana SL MK II played quieter and spicuous traits with the Lundahl step-up
than I expected. The Nagaoka really sounds more relaxed than the 6 ohm, 0.28mV Dyna- transformer inserted.
good playing This Boot Is Made for Fonk-N vector. I was curious how the even higher I can’t remember Pharoah’s “Harvest
by Bootsy’s Rubber Band (Warner Brothers output (0.5mV) of the Goldring Ethos Time” ever sounding this in-my-room close
LP BSK 3295). It put a Cadillac’s trunk full ($1599) and its lower (4 ohm) impedance or vibey and immediate. Lundahl’s silver-
of Bootsy’s swaggering funk into my room would get on with the Stjarna’s 6N1P grid. wired amorphous-core step-up was amp-

22 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 GRAMOPHONE DREAMS

ing up the wow and pizzazz, and I loved it. But they need a proper hi-fi to help with ing through. Premium phono stages like
I didn’t care if it was accurate; I find this that. Schiit’s new Stjarna do the opposite: Their
kind of super-immediate sound exciting to Sometimes, the intention of chordal neutrality and transparency let the colors
listen to. chanting is to invoke a deity. On this record- of all sounds pass through.
This $1600 cartridge, $1500 transformer, ing, that deity is Mahakala (Tib.: Gonpo): Making analog recordings sound vital
and $1800 phono stage played this Pharoah The Great Black Lord of Transcending requires a lot more than accurate RIAA
Sanders track with force and immediacy Awareness. With the Goldring, Lundahl, and low noise. No one knows that better
that I could settle down and count anniver- and Schiit, this record reproduced the than Mike Moffat and Jason Stoddard at
saries with. With these three components, sounds of wood, metal, and flesh in a man- Schiit. Likewise, nobody knows better than
the sound was never forward, in my face, ner that consecrated their materialities. Mike and Jason how to make phono stages
impolite, too polite, overstated, or under- Most of all, this recording is a sonic sound vibrant and compelling. They have
stated. It was just strong and dramatically spectacular. It excites me with its bass and been making preamps that sound that way
present. treble. The sound of its sound is its chief since high-end audio’s Golden Era in the
The Goldring Ethos MC + Lundahl Ag gift to listeners. 1980s. You could put the Stjarna in a thick,
SUT + Schiit Stjarna MM phono stage put a Besides adding scale and presence, the CNC-made box and charge five figures for
charge of brilliance into a David Lewiston most noticeable thing that changed when it, and no one would question its quality or
Nonesuch Explorer Series recording that I added the Lundahl LL1931 Ag was the ex- pedigree.
has fascinated me for 50 years. During tension and quality of its bass. Straight into Its vivo, tone purity, and overall neutral-
the ’90s, I used it as a demo record at CES, the Stjarna, the bass was soft and mostly in ity make the Stjarna a strong candidate for
where it could empty a room in 10 seconds. the background. With Lundahl’s SUT, the Stereophile’s Budget Product of the Year.
The record is Tibetan Buddhism–Tantras of big drum moved forward and pounded my Thank you, Mike and Jason, well done. n
Gyütö: Mahakala (H-72055). It’s an inspired chest hard, like it surely did to those monks
field recording recorded at Gyütö Tantric and Lamas.
College, Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh, CONTACTS
India, featuring a dozen or more chanting In sum
monks, a spattering of Lamas, gongs, bells, On the basis of a lifetime of listening, I Schiit Audio
chimes, and one extremely large drum. judge that perhaps eight out of 10 phono 24900 Anza Dr., Unit A,
These elements of traditional Buddhist stages make cartridges sound flatter, drier, Valencia, CA 91355.
chant do more than create sonic orgies; grayer, and more boring than they really Tel: (323) 230-0079
they invoke wholeness of spirit while are. Like cheap DACs, a mediocre phono Web: schiit.com
inclining listeners towards a “we” mindset. stage’s own sound colors all signals pass-
Reborn from Legacy.
Built for Tomorrow.

sphinxaudio.com
 PEERING INTO HI-FI’S BACK ALLEYS AND DUSTY NOOKS

BRILLIANT BY ALEX HALBERSTADT

CORNERS
THIS ISSUE: Alex visits
Paris, then Munich, and
drinks some good wine.

Munich, Je t’aime
uring the past decade and a half, the trips I’ve taken have tended to be for maga- of cracked glass and not even a sign to

D zine stories. I love to travel, but as a New Yorker living on a writer’s income,
I figure it makes more sense to do it on someone else’s dime and stay in nicer
places than I could afford otherwise. The downside is that these trips don’t feel
like vacations, or even particularly restful: My time tends to be taken up with interviews,
overly elaborate meals eaten (or tasted) in the company of chefs and winemakers, weeks
announce its existence. After knocking on
the locked door, I was greeted by François
Saint-Gérand, the garrulous and very loud
owner. With his round, vividly bald head,
kabuki eyebrows, and voracious grimace,
when I sometimes stay in four hotels, and (gratefully infrequent) run-ins with publicists. he looked a little like a sinister baby.
I’ve gone years without taking an actual vacation, when all I want is to hole up in a beach “You’re young!” was Saint-Gérand’s rather
town in the Yucatán and do nothing all day except read by the Windex-blue water of the odd greeting.
Caribbean and eat shrimp ceviche washed down with two or three cold Carta Blancas. As a chronicle of obsession, the sole
listening room at Ana Mighty Sound
Not so long ago, I both loved and re- at the Musée d’Orsay, and will skip directly reminded me of Jeff Catalano’s place in
sented these writing trips, but eventually to Ana Mighty Sound, probably the most New York or maybe a European monarch’s
came to appreciate that they lent my travel exciting hi-fi shop in France. It is located wunderkammer. Arrayed against three
shape, purpose, and depth. Rather than in the Belleville neighborhood in the 20th walls were maybe a dozen exotic-looking
wander from one guidebook attraction to arrondissement. Prior to my visit, several record players from CS Port, Dohmann,
another, I have people to see, places to visit, Parisians warned me that the neighbor- and J.Sikora, each tipped with an equally
and locals to take me to do the things that hood was “rough,” “ugly,” and that most exotic moving coil cartridge. The rest of the
are genuinely worth doing. I’ve learned passive-aggressive of adjectives, “edgy.” room was dominated by a pair of Stenheim
how to pack enough for a two-week trip When I walked out of the Pyrénées metro Alumine Five SX speakers connected to a
into my cheap Samsonite hardside suitcase stop, though, I found nothing of the kind. pair of equally eye-popping Phasemation
(which has somehow lasted more than Compared to the industrial catacombs I live MA-5000 monoblocks. Each uses two 211
two decades), how to find a good dentist in among in Brooklyn, Belleville looks like triodes in a parallel single-ended configu-
Moldova, and how to renew a passport in Versailles. I’m guessing the neighborhood’s ration to pony up 45Wpc. For our listening
24 hours. I’ve also discovered a foolproof Ethiopian and Lebanese restaurants and session, Saint-Gérand chose the Yukiseim-
way of finding the best places to eat in an €10 hair salons give it the “edgy” reputa- itsu AP-01, possibly the most beautiful
unfamiliar city: On your first night there, tion. turntable I’ve seen, along with an Etsuro
go to a good restaurant, sit at the counter or Located on Rue de l’Ermitage, Ana Urushi Bordeaux cartridge, Phasemation
a bar, chat up the bartender or preferably Mighty Sound greets visitors with a pane EA-2000 phono stage, and Boulder 1110 pre-
the chef, and as the night winds down, ask
where they like to eat. This gambit should The Ana Mighty
have you covered for a week, and it works Sound system.
as reliably in Sapporo as it does in Denver.
The key to an interesting story is finding
and teasing out aficionados: people who
have given a major part of their life to an
obsessive pursuit. This can mean shivering
at 4am on the lower Volga aboard the boat
of an angler hunting for 300lb catfish, or
manically taking notes in the office of an
MIT researcher dedicated to proving the
existence of complex emotions in African
grey parrots. Writing about audio and
music is no different. Follow the whiff of
obsession and you’ll do fine.
This year, prior to traveling to High
End Munich, I decided to spend some time
in Paris. As Yip Harburg’s famous song
PHOTOS BY ALEX HALBERSTADT

pretty much promises, April in Paris will

leave you with “a feeling that no one can
ever reprise,” but I’m here to tell you that
May in Paris isn’t completely terrible,
either. I won’t bore you with descriptions of
flowering chestnuts and all the Gauguins

stereophile.com n August 2025 25

 BRILLIANT CORNERS

amplifier, all connected with Hemingway playback is part of a search for all kinds of bled piece of pork alongside sauteed morels
Audio cables. extreme experiences, as we found out later and washed them down with enough old
This hi-fi, which costs as much as a sum- that night at Cave Pétillance, a wine bar champagne to end a war. When we said our
mer place on the Côte d’Azur, sounded, where we ate freshly steamed langoustines bleary goodbyes, I didn’t realize that my
well, stunning. I asked to hear Black with our hands and a magnificently mar- adventures with Saint-Gérand weren’t over.
Sabbath’s “War Pigs” from a recent vinyl
reissue of Paranoid, and soon Ozzy, Tommy,
Bill, and Geezer unfolded before me with High End Munich 2025 speakers like these were installed in movie
rich color, admirable transparency, surgi- Though it was well organized and briskly theaters and designed to sound their best
cal resolution, and dynamics so close to attended, the big show in the Bavarian capi- throughout that large space, a different
lifelike that I may have gasped. Purveyors tal was clouded with a slight pallor of mel- paradigm from most home hi-fi speakers,
of truly memorable audio systems usu- ancholy. The MOC was hosting the last High which only show their full capabilities
ally turn out to be music obsessives, and End Munich ever, because beginning next at a sweet spot accommodating a single
Saint-Gérand is no exception. During our year, the show will relocate to Vienna, a city listener. Chung delivered these remarks at
listening session, he introduced me to the I love. Yet there was something unmistak- the front of the room and even permitted
quietly transcendent work of British sing- ably sad about saying farewell to Munich’s himself a fleeting smile.
er-songwriter Bill Fay; after recording a English Garden, its museums, and even the I happened to listen to one of Chung’s
handful of cult albums in the 1970s, Fay had morning drinkers on the U-Bahn. demonstrations with Stereophile Editor Jim
a celebrated second career during the last The caravan of strangeness that is Silba- Austin, who looked suitably impressed and
decade (he passed in February). Also new tone returned to Munich after a year off, remarked how lucky the show’s attendees
to me was the languid, intoxicating Live bringing with it a pair of Western Electric were to hear such a remarkable system in a
in London by Pakistani-American singer speakers, each as big as a barn door, that room where almost nothing was for sale. It
and composer Arooj Aftab, one of the best were “conceptualized” for the show. Each was true: The giant Westerns haven’t been
sounding live recordings I’ve heard. The speaker consisted of a TA-4181 woofer, two commercially available for nearly a cen-
session concluded with analog tape played WE597 tweeters, and two 22b horns, with tury, Silbatone does not seem particularly
back on an Analog Audio Design TP-1000; two WE555 drivers per horn. Got that? determined to market or even sell its elec-
the highlight was a fresh-off-the-presses Most of these components date from the tronics, and the room functioned more like
copy of Chris Cheek’s Keepers of the Eastern 1920s and ’30s, but there was nothing dated an educational project and clubhouse for
Door, easily the most exciting version of about the sound, which was magisterial, likeminded experimenters and assorted
this album. ultravivid, and effortless. Silbatone head audio fanatics. During numerous visits, I
For Saint-Gérand, extreme audio honcho Michael Chung explained that chatted with Silbatone designer J.C. Mor-
 BRILLIANT CORNERS

rison, tonearm designer Frank Schröder,

Sound Practices founder and Philadelphia
philosopher Joe Roberts, speaker designer
John DeVore, audio journalist Christian
Bayer, and artist and designer Devon Turn-
bull, who was demonstrating the speaker
he collaborated on with Klipsch at an art-
ist’s studio elsewhere in Munich.
The few commercially available prod-
ucts that did reside in the Silbatone room
caught my eye. Most of the demonstrations
were played on one of two new direct- PA2 turntable. Playing a live had burned down. Behind
Left to right: Jun Nagamatsu,
drive turntables from Thomas Schick; like recording by Hungarian violin- Martina Schoener, Michael an infectious laugh and an
his terrific tonearms, they featured an ist Tibor Varga through the Ulbrich, and a thumbs-up from upbeat attitude, Manley
unfussy industrial design and sounded far massive Westerns, this analog EveAnna Manley. hides a particularly keen
more promising than their refreshingly front end produced the most bullshit detector, and
affordable price tags might suggest. I hope beautiful string tone I have ever heard. after much laughter and a little gossip, we
to spend some time living with one later Two of Kim’s cartridges—a stereo and a agreed to do a better of job of keeping in
this year. mono unit—are here for an audition. touch.
Then there was Daniel Kim, a young At lunchtime, most of the Silbatone crew Manley also introduced me to Martina
operatic tenor and cartridge repair special- skipped the MOC cafeteria and decamped Schoener, who is probably best known for
ist who has designed a series of pickups to a biergarten a short walk away, and it her popular L’Art du Son record cleaning
that may be the most exotic and impractical was there that I was surprised to run into fluid. As it turns out, she also makes the
ever made. Based on the classic Neumann EveAnna Manley, whose equipment I’ve L’Art du Son Reference Turntable, which
DST, Kim’s Analogtechnik cartridges are been using happily for the past several is almost certainly the most ambitious
built into hefty, vintage-accurate head- years. She and I had spoken many times but elaboration of the classic Garrard 301. Over
shells, feature mammoth ivory cantilevers never met, and over schnitzel and Helles lunch, Schoener told me about working on
and meteorite-iron pole pieces, and operate beer we talked about the California wild- the Garrard 501—a kind of super 301—dur-
at a vertical tracking force of more than fires in January that nearly destroyed her ing her tenure at UK’s Loricraft Audio,
6gm. He demonstrated his DST15 Ice Age home in Altadena; she showed me a photo and later continuing to further refine the
cartridge on an early-1960s Neumann of her next-door neighbor’s house, which project on her own. Among other improve-
 BRILLIANT CORNERS

Clockwise from lower left: a Thomas

Schick turntable with two Schick
tonearms; the all-Balkan system from
Greece’s Tune Audio; Daniel Kim’s
Neumann PA2 turntable featuring his
own Analogtechnik cartridge, with
a Consolidated Audio Monster Can
step-up transformer; a speaker in the
Silbatone system; the Yukiseimitsu
AP-01 turntable; the Harbeth System
with the NLE-1 minimonitors.

son team that had been build-

ing the cartridges for decades,
rehired the original suppliers,
and trademarked the Koetsu
name. Luckily, this means that the
ments, her turntable design focuses on company’s entire lineup is available once
nearly eliminating the vibration of the again; not surprisingly, it is distributed
301’s massive motor by constructing a he- in the US by AXISS Audio’s new owners.
roic power supply that’s as large as many As I write this, a brand-new Rosewood
power amps. Signature is bolted to the business end of
The following day, I heard the Reference my Schick tonearm. I will have more to
in action in the always superb-sounding report about these new-old Koetsus in an
Martion Audiosysteme room. Playing a upcoming column.
track from Calexico’s 1998 The Black Light Wandering the MOC’s mazelike first
through Heinrich Martion’s Aeonor horns, floor, I happened across the booth of
the turntable coupled the 301’s phenom- Consolidated Audio’s Michael Ulbrich,
enal sense of drive with palpably silent whose Monster Can remains my all-time
backgrounds and astonishing resolution, favorite step-up transformer. Ulbrich has journalists Michael Lavorgna, John Darko,
while managing to sound utterly natural. the appealing shyness of a botanist, which and Ken Micallef. In addition to geopoliti-
The low-six-figure price of the turntable, takes the edge off his high-luminance cal commentary and general bellyaching,
which comes accessorized with an Origin engineering mind. He was sharing the we exchanged reports about various
Live arm and a Lyra cartridge, nearly made booth with a friend from Berlin, a guitarist exhibitors’ rooms, some of which were as
me spit out a mouthful of Pellegrino, but named Hyun Lee, who along with his wife delightful as they were surprising.
the Reference is undoubtedly a work of Francesca manufactures an entire boatload One such room featured the large Anima
sonic art. of beautiful moving coil cartridges under horns from Greece’s Tune Audio. The com-
I rushed from my rendezvous with the Tedeska brand. Made by hand from pany’s always gracious founder, Manolis
Schoener to meet Arturo Manzano, the various tonewoods, bone, and mother of Proestakis, joked that he had assembled an
former head of Nashville-based importer pearl, the cartridges resemble a luthier’s all-Balkan system, which also featured all-
AXISS Audio. Years after becoming the creations. According to several friends who triode Rhapsody power amps from Serbia’s
first to import Koetsu cartridges to the US, own them, Tedeska pickups prioritize tone, Trafomatic Audio and a Rockna Audio Ref-
he has brought back the venerable Japanese color, and body. I hope to hear the Lees’ erence Signature DAC from Romania. With
brand as the company’s new owner and work here in Brooklyn later this year. sincere apologies to Proestakis, I found the
CEO. In Manzano’s telling, when Fumihiko Munich reminded me that spending look of the Animas to be rather challenging
Sugano passed away in 2023, his family an entire day at an audio show can addle … but their sound to be captivating. The
wanted nothing to do with the cartridge the brain and tax the body. It necessitated system played Tom Waits with dynamic
business and washed their hands of the occasional retreats to the courtyard and assurance, high musical insight, and that
company and its employees. Apparently, its helpful Paulaner kiosk, where I spent certain big-horn swagger, adding up to one
Manzano has brought back the father-and- much quality time conferring with fellow of the show’s most satisfying rooms.

28 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 BRILLIANT CORNERS

Munich is always a good place for having itsu room, where he was spinning records able for the depth of its cellars and Leone’s
one’s preferences challenged, or at least on the gorgeous AP-01, with its exposed almost neurodivergent level of knowledge.
gently prodded, and this is what happened magnetic bearing, straight tonearm, and One of my favorite things about High End
to me in the Harbeth room. That’s where midcentury sci-fi control-panel aesthetic. Munich is the way it throws together visi-
I sat listening to Billie Holiday’s Songs for There, he introduced me to its designer, tors from so many corners of the globe,
Distingué Lovers played over the company’s Jun Nagamatsu, who turned out to be and our outdoor table was no exception:
tiny NLE-1 minimonitors. I may have as- softspoken and thoughtful but not even Nagamatsu and his interpreter, Ayumi
sumed that, with their built-in class-D amps slightly dour—he had decorated the AP-01’s Kitano, had come from Chigasaki, Japan,
and DSP crossovers, they would hardly pristine, Bauhaus-inflected chassis with a Saint-Gérand lives in the French country-
be my thing. But in the fairly large room, plastic figurine of Godzilla. Also on hand side, and saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh and I
which also included Manley electronics and were Phasemation’s PP-2000 MC cartridge, hail from the hills of Brooklyn.
a Michell turntable, they sounded brilliant- EA-1200 phono preamplifier, and SA-1500 All night, we chatted with Leone, who
ly coherent, stable, exciting, and big, well 300B-powered integrated amplifier, as well must have been in a fine mood, because he
beyond what you might expect from their as the Wolf Von Langa WVL 12639 SON brought out wines I have only read about
lilliputian stature and sub-$4k/pair price. field-coil loudspeakers. Playing an LP of and never believed I would actually taste: a
Another highlight took place in the Tarentule-Tarentelle by the Atrium Musicae bracingly fresh 1968 Vega Sicilia Valbuena
VTL room, where Luke Manley and Bea de Madrid conducted by Gregorio Pani- and a 1975 Steinberger Spätlese Riesling
Lam paired their new Lohengrin tube agua, this elegant, moderately sized system made by the Cistercian monks in the cellars
monoblocks—each capable of putting out sounded as magical as a child’s music box. of Eberbach Abbey. Most unforgettably,
a whopping 400W—with Wilson’s Alexx It rendered the ancient Neapolitan folk Leone opened a 1993 Meo Camuzet red
V speakers. I didn’t know what to expect dances with holographic, rock-stable imag- burgundy from Nuits-Saint-Georges,
from such a display of brute power, but on ing, all the detail and color you might want, reputed to have been breathed on by Henri
an LP of a Beethoven concerto played with a spritely pace, and a beauty that reminded Jayer, one of the most brilliant winemakers
a Kuzma Stabi R/Safir 9 record player and me of a leaf emerging from a bud. of the last century. I’m not playing word
a Lyra Etna cartridge, the presentation After the show closed for the day, several games when I say that I don’t know how to
was appropriately Wagnerian: command- of us met in a sleepy residential neighbor- convey what it made me feel. Sitting across
ing, vast, and compelling, if maybe a little hood to go to Sticks and Stones, a wine bar from me in a trim navy kimono, Nagamatsu
ostentatious, with loads of presence, inner run by a Canadian-born sommelier named nursed the burgundy in its enormous crys-
detail, and force. It almost made me want to Justin Leone. This rather weird establish- tal glass and said nothing, but smiled shyly
add another x to my name. ment offers more bottles by the glass than from time to time and looked at peace with
I ran into Saint-Gérand in the Yukiseim- any in the world but is even more remark- the world. It was a swell night. n

DUNLAVYSPEAKERS.COM

IS BACK
STRICTLY ADHERING TO DUNLAVY’S ORIGINAL
Send Inquiries to: TESTING AND DESIGN CRITERIA WITH VASTLY
[email protected] SUPERIOR BUILD QUALITY AND PARTS QUALITY.
 WE COME SPINNING OUT OF NOTHINGNESS, SCATTERING STARS LIKE DUST.—RUMI

SPIN DOCTOR BY MICHAEL TREI

THIS ISSUE: The Spin Doctor visits Portugal and various
points in Germany including Innuos, High End Munich,
and the factories of Clearaudio, AVM, and ViaBlue.

A whirlwind European hi-fi tour

t was supposed to be so simple, a well-trod path I’ve followed almost every May for White sandy beaches, abundant sunshine,

I the last decade: A six-day trip to Munich to attend the final Munich High End Show
before it decamps to Vienna next year.
I see any trip to Europe as an opportunity to replenish my personal stash of
Anthon Berg Danish marzipan bars, a childhood favorite with a crack-like addictive pull.
My flights and hotel were booked months in advance. I was ready to go.
superb restaurants, and a relaxed attitude
toward life is the everyday norm here.
After a group of some 20 writers,
dealers, and distributors converged, and
after a night of resting up, we decamped
Then Jim Austin, my esteemed editor, asked if I could attend an event at the Clearaudio to Innuos’s newly built factory. There, we
factory in Erlangen a couple of days before the show, where they would be launching an were warmly greeted at the entrance by
unspecified new product. I’m the Spin Doctor, and Clearaudio makes record spinners, so Innuos founders Amelia Santos and Nuno
of course I said yes. I have set up literally hundreds of Clearaudio products over the last 30 Vitorino and several of the company’s em-
years, but this was my first opportunity to visit their home base and see for myself where ployees. We were quickly led into Innuos’s
and how their products are made. Besides, I’m always up for any opportunity to be un- dedicated listening room, where a video
leashed on the speed-limit-free German Autobahn for a few hundred miles, even if it’s only introduced us to the new streamer-server,
in a rental car. I rebooked my outgoing flight so that I could arrive a couple of days earlier Nazaré, named for a legendary Portuguese
than originally planned, to attend the event. surfing spot where 90'-tall waves challenge
the world’s best. Obviously, Innuos
Fast-forward a couple more weeks. I Surfing down to Portugal is expecting Nazaré to make waves.
bump into Steve Jain of Fidelity Imports in The first stop on my expanded audio mys- The giant waves at Nazaré are created
a hallway at AXPONA, the big hi-fi show in tery tour was the headquarters of Innuos. by a canyon on the ocean floor, and the
Chicago. “Hey Mike, we’re going on a trip The company was tight-lipped about what sculpted enclosure of the new server recre-
to a few audio companies after the Munich they wanted us to come and experience; all ates the shape of the canyon on its front
Show, do you wanna come?” The compa- I knew before I winged my way to Portugal panel. A light emanating from deep inside
nies on Jain’s itinerary weren’t turntable- was that they had a new flagship streamer- the front panel’s “canyon” represents the
focused, although AVM’s extensive product server, and even that part was top-secret. Farol da Nazaré, the lighthouse on the cliff
lineup does include a couple of turntables. The Innuos headquarters is located overlooking the surfing spot where specta-
I told Jain I was in. I rebooked my flight in the picture-postcard city of Faro in tors gather.
home, pushing it three days later than Portugal’s southernmost region, Algarve. Nuno Vitorino explained that Nazaré
originally planned. If you ever wanted to locate your company 1 See stereophile.com/content/jays-audio-cdt3-mk3-cd-
Then, just when I thought my plan was in paradise, Faro seems like a good option. transport.
settled—a visit to the last Munich High End
bookended by two short company tours—I Nuno Vitorino of
got another request from my editor. “We Innuos
need someone to go to Portugal a few days
before the Munich show, where Innuos will
be launching a new flagship streamer.”
“But I’m the analog guy,” I protested, “and
Innuos only makes digital products.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to spin it,”
he punned, then forwarded the invite. It
wasn’t unprecedented for me to cover digi-
tal stuff. One of my first reviews for Stereo-
phile was of the Jay’s Audio CDT3 Mk3 CD
transport.1 The agenda listed in the invite
looked enticing, and the timing worked—
the shindig would take place just before the
Clearaudio event—so again I said yes. Now
I had to rebook my outbound flight again
and add a round-trip flight from Munich to
Faro, Portugal.
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL TREI

The trip had ballooned from the

original, easy six-day jaunt into a two-week
marathon covering two countries, several
manufacturer visits, some fast driving, and
lots of frequent flyer miles.

stereophile.com n August 2025 31

 SPIN DOCTOR

(the streamer) consists of three compo- tion playlist. When it was my group’s turn
nents, each of which can be used indepen- to take the factory tour, we got to see the
dently, or they can all be used together to care Innuos takes in building products.
create a complete, state-of-the-art digital Before we could enter the production
source. The Nazaré is the streamer-server; area, we were all required to affix static
the Nazaré FLOW is a fully customizable discharge devices to our shoes and wear
digital output stage; the buyer can specify lab coats to avoid any chance of creating
what type of output module they need to an electrostatic charge. Vitorino explained
create the best connection to their DAC. A that this extreme level of caution makes the
third box goes on the input side: the Nazaré products more reliable, greatly reducing
NET, a state-of-the-art network switch. the likelihood of early failure.
The impressive reference system If Innuos had decided to unveil the Naz-
included a pair of Marten Coltrane Mo- aré, then send us on our way, it probably
mentum 2 speakers, a Gryphon Mephisto would have been difficult to get everyone The Innuos right on the stage among
amplifier and Essence preamp, and an to fly hundreds of miles a few days before Nazaré’s the musicians, giving us
main chassis
MSB Cascade DAC, all connected with the Munich show. Innuos knew there a truly unique perspec-
Transparent Audio cables. had to be some added highlights. To keep tive on the sound as they
Following the formal presentation, things interesting, they packed the two performed Beethoven’s Egmont Overture.
during which Vitorino explained how the days with some fabulous events. First up I was seated between the second violins
design process followed what Innuos calls was a boat trip out to the Ilha Da Culatra, and the French horns, and the sound was
their five core principles of engineering fo- where we were served some incredible about as vivid as it gets, if not particularly
cus, we got to do some listening, including local pastries and fresh clams that had well-balanced.
a direct comparison with Innuos’s previous been pulled from the sea minutes earlier. All of these activities were punctuated
flagship, the Statement Next-Gen. Then the This was followed by an exhilarating high- by fabulous meal after fabulous meal,
group was split into two halves. Half stayed speed race back to the mainland in two along with more listening at the factory
put for more listening, while the others Zodiac boats. where we each had time to play our own
toured the facility. We also got our own private classical tracks through the Nazaré. Finally, after
Prior to the trip, Innuos had sent each of concert by the Orquestra do Algarve in the what seemed more like a beautiful two-day
us a questionnaire asking us to name some fine-sounding 782-seat Teatro das Figuras. vacation than a working trip, it was time to
of our favorite evaluation tracks; these Following the main program, conductor head back to Germany for the next stop on
tracks had been added to the demonstra- Martin André invited us to come and sit the tour.
 SPIN DOCTOR

North to Clearaudio Litovel to assemble. Clearaudio also showed

Clearaudio’s home base is the northern a new entry-level moving magnet cartridge
Bavarian city of Erlangen, about 120 miles called the N1, which, in contrast to earlier
north of Munich. I rented a car at the Clearaudio MM cartridges, comes with a
Munich airport, which turned out to be a user-replaceable stylus. In Europe, MSRP
sinister-looking black 2025 BMW 5-Series will be €1290; US pricing is expected to be
sedan, the perfect Autobahn cruiser. For $2000 with the N1 cartridge.
the last 30 years, I have been a devout Mer-
cedes guy, so tooling around in a Bimmer Back to Munich
felt a bit like sleeping with the enemy. But It was time to head back to Munich for the
hey, when you’re in Munich, you go with big show. I think this was my 10th Munich
the home team. The drive to Erlangen was show, but it’s only now, just as it’s about to
refreshingly quick at Autobahn speeds, and go away, that I seem to have mastered the
I was at the hotel before 11pm, resting up The New and exchanges, and I was cryptic room-numbering scheme used at
for the next day’s activities. Clearaudio shown several bins filled the Munich Order Center (MOC). Word is,
Compass
Clearaudio’s factory is a busy place, with with dead cartridges, BMW bought the massive facility and plans
a lot of heavy machinery densely packed victims of various kinds of to raze it to make space for a new building.
into a tight space. As I found with my prior abuse and neglect. I have never been especially organized,
visits to Acoustic Signature2 and SME,3 Following the tour, Robert Suchy gave but this time I was determined to make a
Clearaudio is a true turntable manufac- a presentation, including a discussion of plan and stick to it so that I wouldn’t miss
turer, making most of the mechanical parts new power supply options and culminat- any important product launches. For the
for their turntables, tonearms, and car- ing with the unveiling of Clearaudio’s most part I was successful. Here are some
tridges in house. It’s also a family business, latest entry-level turntable, the Compass. of my Munich Show highlights.
founded by Peter Suchy in 1978 and now This model breaks with prior Clearaudio 01 SOULUTION 787, EST. CHF67,500
run by Peter’s children Robert, Patrick, and tradition in that it is mostly manufactured Perhaps the biggest turntable buzz—not
Veronika. During a tour of the production off site, with some parts and assembly literally—at the show was the Soulution
facilities, I was able to see turntables and completed by the Litovel factory in the 787, to which I give my “Move the Mountain
tonearms being built, and the microde- Czech Republic, which also builds Pro-Ject
2 See stereophile.com/content/spin-doctor-3-visiting-
tailed work involved in building phono turntables. The most critical parts, such as acoustic-signature.
cartridges. Clearaudio offers a generous the main bearing and tonearm, are made 3 See stereophile.com/content/spin-doctor-8-wand-
trade-in program for cartridge upgrades by Clearaudio in Erlangen, then shipped to 14-4-turntable-and-visit-sme-page-2.
 SPIN DOCTOR

01 02 03

I recently worked on one of these beautiful

German turntables. It deserves attention.
06 THALES REFERENCE, $28,500
Thales turntables are like little Swiss
jewel boxes: compact, elegant, and highly
sophisticated, with pivoted linear-tracking
tonearms and battery power supplies. I
have installed dozens of them for Audio
Arts NYC. The new Reference turntable
takes a unique approach to speed regula-
tion, with a mechanical governor that uses
04 05 sliding weights on a spinning wheel to keep
the speed consistent.
to Muhammad” award. Instead of having 07 KLAUDIO MAGNEZAR, $50,000
the cartridge follow the groove across the Here’s another turntable that breaks the
record, the cartridge remains in one place mold, in several ways. The Magnezar is a
while the record moves underneath it. direct-drive turntable with a magnetically
This approach has been used before. levitating platter, a pivoting tangential
In the 1970s, a British company called tonearm, a motorized record-clamping
Transcriptors made a turntable called system that automatically clamps the edge
the Transcriber, which had the cartridge and center of the record, and a liquid-filled
mounted on the underside of its glass lid, platter that stabilizes things by forcing the
while the platter was driven from left to liquid to the perimeter of the platter as it
right by a small motor. The Soulution 787 is spins, through centrifugal forces.
06
expected to sell for 67,500 Swiss francs. The ❱ DS AUDIO ES 002, ABOUT $4000
US price has not yet been set. Production is When I reviewed the DS Audio ES 001
set for Q4 2025. record centering device for Analog Planet
02 TECHDAS AIR FORCE IV, $33,000 a couple of years ago,5 the main complaint
There are superstitions in Japan about was its prohibitive price. The new ES 002
the number four, but this new model sits lowers the price of entry substantially,
between the TechDAS V and the TechDAS though it’s still expensive. A review is com-
III in their lineup, so what else were they ing soon.
gonna call it? I spotted several Air Force 08 ORTOFON MC X MOVING COIL CAR-
IVs at the show, including one with a Wand TRIDGES, $299 TO $999
Dark-Light tonearm—review coming Ortofon has replaced the slow-selling MC
soon—and one with the TechDAS Air Force Quintet range with the MC X series. Instead
10 arm. of Ortofon’s usual Red, Blue, Bronze, and
03 SME MODEL 35, £37,999 Black hierarchy, the MC X takes a page
SME has been busy creating new models 07 from the OM series, ranging from the $299
over the last few years, and the new 35 MC X10 to the MC X40 at $999. Ortofon says
marks a real change of direction, replacing tone room is always the place where you a new damper design delivers improved
SME’s first turntable, the Model 30, which can find ultra-unobtainium vintage gear, performance, while the four models are
was launched 35 years ago. The Model 35 such as 100-year-old Western Electric horn differentiated by stylus type and cantilever
takes the three-legged approach of the Mod- speakers driven by the rarest tubes on the material.
el 15 but with a suspension similar to that planet fitted to Silbatone amps made by That’s just a few high points from an
on the flagship Model 60.4 The 35’s tonearm my friend J.C. Morrison. This year was no impossibly large show.
is a brand-new variant of the Series V called exception. Nestled in the middle of a long
the Vi. It uses a resin armtube similar to the row of turntables from Thomas Schick Way out west
VA found only on the Model 60. and Frank Schröder was this uber-rare The final chapter in this four-legged trip
04 NEUMANN PA1 Neumann PA2. began the day after the Munich show when
Here’s one you can’t even buy. The Silba- 05 ARS MACHINAE M1, $38,000 I connected with Steve Jain and the crew

34 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 SPIN DOCTOR

me, and a real treat. Photography

inside the assembly plant was
strictly verboten, so I don’t have
anything to show.
Moving on to Malsch, we first
visited ViaBlue, where they
showed us their line of audio
cables and their custom termi-
nation work. I don’t have any
experience with ViaBlue, but the
cables look to be well-construct-
08 ed with some of the most serious
shielding I’ve ever seen, all at The ViaBlue NF-S6 impressive mansion called Villa
from Fidelity Imports and various writers sensible prices. Silver de(con)structed Schellbach. This is a fabulous
and YouTubers for a trip to AVM and Via- Down the road at AVM, we place to audition hi-fi gear,
Blue. Both companies are located around visited a local subcontractor that pro- with systems set up in nearly every room.
the corner from each other in a town called vides their chassis, faceplates, and other I rarely see retailers with such an impres-
Malsch, about 230 miles west of Munich metalwork, and another local company that sive variety of equipment on display, all of
near the spa town of Baden Baden, which populates their circuit boards with surface- it set up with care and attention, in a lovely,
is where we set up camp. Jain had pulled mount components. By keeping everything tranquil setting.
some strings to get us a private tour of the local, AVM boss Udo Besser explained, they The following morning, we hit the Auto-
Mercedes AMG engine plant, where they can deal with any problems that come up bahn one more time, winding our way back
famously have a single person assemble quickly and efficiently without having to west from Baden Baden to Munich, with
each engine from start to finish, after which ship parts around the world. plenty of time to turn in the Bimmer and
they apply a signed plate with the builder’s At AVM headquarters, we saw how the catch my flight home, dog tired but happy
name on it. In my many trips to the Stutt- parts are assembled and tested by hand to and ready for another trip, which is coming
gart area for Mercedes-related visits, I have create what AVM likes to call “Audiophile in July. n
seen just about everything, from private Masterpieces.”
4 See my coverage at stereophile.com/content/sme-60-re-
tours of the Classic Center’s secret ware- Finally, to bring the process full circle, cord-player.
houses to about a dozen times around the we visited a retailer in Baden Baden called 5 See analogplanet.com/content/ds-audios-truly-excellent-
main factory, but this was entirely new for SG Akustik Hifi Studio, which is based in an es-001-eccentricity-detection-stabilizer.

Introducing
Bit Diffusion Technology

Now available with The Cascade DAC

Bit Diffusion Technology was invented by MSB’s Chief Circuit Designer, Dustin Symanski, while working on the forthcoming Sentinel DAC project with
astounding results. Adapting this into the Cascade DAC with a minor hardware update, the result is much more than a small tweak! It is a significant,
technological step forward in musicality, resulting in wonderfully natural playback. Dustin’s concept for BDT was initially sparked by considering the
relationship between an atom and an electron’s probability density function. Mimicking this natural phenomena, Bit Diffusion is applied to the Cascade’s
unique architecture of 16 independent DAC channels. Low-level ambient noise and digital artifacts are diffused, adding to analog-like sound and a
much more relaxed, fatigue-free presentation. Listening to that one recording you know and love so well, thinking you knew every detail, it is shocking
to then hear so many new nuances and beautiful moments washing over you.

Dustin Symanski
CONTACT VINCE GALBO TO EXPERIENCE BIT DIFFUSION TECHNOLOGY AT A DEALER NEAR YOU. (716) 688-3527 | [email protected] | WWW.MSBTECHNOLOGY.COM
 EQU I P MEN T R EP OR T

JOHN ATKINSON

Magico S5 2024
LOUDSPEAKER

have lost track of how many loudspeakers I have measured

I with DRA Labs’ MLSSA system since Stereophile started ac-

companying its reviews with measurements in the late 1980s,
but it must be close to 1000. Most of those speakers have long
since faded from my memory, but there are some whose excellent
measurements stick in my mind. One such is the Magico S5 Mk.II I
reviewed in February 2017.1
That large, heavy, expensive three-way tower featured an enclo-
sure built on an aluminum space frame with extruded aluminum
walls. I was impressed not only by how it measured but also by its
lack of coloration and how effortlessly transparent it sounded. I
concluded my review of the S5 Mk.II writing that “it joins those
speakers as ones I could live with when I’m done with this review-
ing business.”
Well, I am not done with this reviewing business, so when Editor
Jim Austin asked if I would like to review a new incarnation of the
S5, the S5 2024, which was introduced last year to celebrate the
California company’s 20th anniversary, I enthusiastically agreed.

The S5 2024
The S5 2024 costs $82,000/pair in “Softec” finishes, or $91,300/pair
in High Gloss finishes. While it shares the name and some of the
technology of its predecessor and is still a dual-woofer three-way
in a sealed enclosure, the S5 2024 is otherwise a completely new
design. Most obvious is that while the earlier speaker had a flat

1 See stereophile.com/content/magico-s5-mkii-loudspeaker.

SPECIFICATIONS
Description Three-way, sealed-box floorstanding loudspeaker
with sculpted aluminum enclosure. Drive units: two 10"
(254mm) Graphene Nano-Tec Gen 8 cone woofers, 6" (152.4mm)
Graphene Nano-Tec Gen 8 cone midrange unit, 1.1" (28mm)
diamond-coated beryllium-dome tweeter. Frequency range:
20Hz–50kHz (in-room). Impedance: 4 ohms. Sensitivity: 88dB.
Recommended power: 50W–1kW. Supplied accessories: vibra-
tion filtering feet; USB stick with manual and warranty card;
white cotton gloves; polishing cloth.
Dimensions 48" (1220mm) H × 19" (485mm) W × 19.3" (490mm)
D. Weight: 262lb (118kg) each.
Finish Six Softec choices and six High Gloss choices.
Serial numbers of units reviewed 24226, 24227.
Price $82,000/pair in Softec finishes, $91,300/pair in High Gloss.
Approximate number of US dealers: 35. Warranty: 5 years from
date of purchase.
Manufacturer Magico LLC,
3170 Corporate Pl., Hayward, CA 94545.
Email: [email protected]. Tel: (510) 649-9700.
Web: magicoaudio.com/s-series.

stereophile.com n August 2025 37

 NEW!

Joni Mitchell Hejira

UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP Box Set These and many more definitive reissues are available
Limited to 3,000 numbered copies at MoFi.com and leading independent record stores
 MAGICO S5 2024

front baffle, the 2024’s aluminum baffle is gently curved. In a Zoom This process appeared to have been successful. On the sidewalls
interview, Magico founder Alon Wolf 2 told me that this optimizes of the earlier S5 Mk.II, I found two high-Q, low-level vibrational
diffraction. In addition, the new speaker is 5" deeper than the 2017 modes, at 436 and 744Hz, both audible when I listened to the
version, which increases the internal volume by 31%. This lowers enclosure walls with a stethoscope. As you can read in this review’s
the response by 5Hz; Magico specifies the 2024’s low frequencies Measurements and Listening sections, I neither measured nor
as extending to 20Hz in-room. heard any resonant behavior in the S5 2024’s enclosure.
This a massive loudspeaker, weighing 262lb. People often as- Wolf said that the vibration analysis methodology was also used
sume that adding mass minimizes resonant behavior, however, to design the three feet on which the S5 sits. The feet are related to
this isn’t correct. When mathematically modeled, mass behaves the more expensive MPods used on Magico’s M-Series speakers.
as a reactance, either capacitive or inductive depending on the Like the MPods, they act as a low-pass filter, coupling low-frequen-
situation, and as any engineer will tell you, you cannot dissipate cy energy to the floor while dissipating higher-frequency energy
energy with a reactance. Only resistance will do that, and the me- as heat.
chanical analog of electrical resistance is frictional loss. By itself, The S5 2024’s drive units are all new. The 1.1" diamond-coated
therefore, an undamped massive structure is no less resonant than beryllium-dome tweeter is very similar to the one used in Magico’s
an undamped lightweight one, and in fact, by acting as a bigger M-Series speakers, but with a slightly different neodymium-
capacitor, can make the situation worse. Mass and damping is what magnet motor system. Finite Element Analysis modeling was used
is required, along with strategic placement of bracing. to optimize the mechanical and acoustical performance of its back
Aluminum rings. I discussed this subject—vibration and mass— chamber.
with Alon Wolf, who said that people think that’s a bad thing. The S5 2024’s 6" midrange unit is built into a third-generation
On the contrary, he explained, it’s a good thing it rings because chassis and features a 3" titanium voice coil and two extra-large
it means it releases energy quickly. He told me that before they neodymium magnets. It employs Magico’s latest Nano-Tec v.8 cone,
actually build anything, the design is completely laid down. Three- which coats a curved aluminum-honeycomb core with a carbon-
dimensional modeling—simulation—is used to optimize the design fiber layer covered with a graphene skin. While the 2017 S5 used
of the S5 2024’s aluminum enclosure, maximizing stiffness while two 10" aluminum-cone woofers, the new S5’s 10" woofers, like the
enabling optimal damping. Following the simulation, a cabinet is midrange, use Nano-Tec v.8 cones. Each woofer features a 5" tita-
assembled, and a Polytec laser Doppler vibrometer is used to exam- nium voice coil and is said to be capable of 1/2" of linear movement
ine the vibrational behavior at many points on its surface. The re- with low distortion.
sultant data can then be used to calculate the sound-pressure levels The three-way crossover is still Magico’s Elliptical Symmetry
generated by the vibrations, and the enclosure’s construction is type, with Linkwitz-Riley low- and high-pass filters used to achieve
then remodeled by the simulator, addressing the problems found 24dB/octave slopes. It features Mundorf MResist Ultra Resistors
by the laser vibrometer. This iterative strategy enables Magico to and MCoil Foil coils.
ensure that the S5’s cabinet doesn’t add coloration. The end result, 2 Alon Wolf discusses his design philosophy in Jason Victor Serinus’s 2008 interview at
Wolf said, is the perfect enclosure. stereophile.com/interviews/508int/index.html.

MEASUREMENTS
mentioned. My B-weighted estimate was regions between 31Hz and 1253Hz and

I
used DRA Labs’ MLSSA system and a
calibrated DPA 4006 microphone with slightly lower, at 86.5dB(B)/2.83V/1m. below 2 ohms between 32Hz and 76Hz,
an Earthworks microphone preampli- The S5 2024’s impedance is specified as 4 between 322Hz and 724Hz, and between
fier to measure the Magico S5 2024’s ohms. My measurement (fig.1, solid trace) 6.9kHz and 20kHz. The minimum EPDR
farfield frequency behavior and dispersion. dropped below 4 ohms between 40Hz and values are 1.03 ohms at 42Hz, 1.81 ohms at
I used an Earthworks QTC-40 mike for the 650Hz and above 10kHz. The minimum 406Hz, and 1.05 ohms at 20.6kHz. As music
nearfield and in-room responses and Day- values were 2.8 ohms at 59Hz and 2.69
1 EPDR is the resistive load that gives rise to the
ton Audio’s DATS V2 system to measure the ohms between 270Hz and 285Hz. As the same peak dissipation in an amplifier’s output de-
impedance magnitude and electrical phase electrical phase angle (dashed trace) is vices as the loudspeaker. See “Audio Power Amplifiers
angle. I measured one of the S5 2024s in occasionally high, the effective resistance, for Loudspeaker Loads,” JAES, Vol.42 No.9, September
1994, and stereophile.com/reference/707heavy/
my listening room, but the loudspeaker or EPDR,1 drops below 3 ohms for several index.html.
was too heavy for me to lift off the floor.
To avoid having to aggressively window Stereophile Magico S5 2024 Impedance (ohms) &
Phase (deg) vs Frequency (Hz)
the MLSSA time-domain data, which would
reduce the measured response’s midrange
resolution, I took a full set of farfield mea-
surements with the microphone 1m away.
To make sure I wasn’t introducing errors, I
then repeated some of the measurements
with the microphone at my usual 50". How-
ever, the geometry of my room meant that
it wasn’t possible to measure the off-axis
response more than 60° to each side of the Fig.2 Magico S5 2024, cumulative spectral decay
tweeter axis. plot calculated from the output of an accelerometer
fastened to the center of a sidewall level with the
Magico specifies the S5 2024’s sensi- Fig.1 Magico S5 2024, electrical impedance (solid) and lower woofer (MLS driving voltage to speaker, 7.55V;
tivity as 88dB, with no voltage or power phase (dashed) (2 ohms/vertical div.). measurement bandwidth, 2kHz.).

stereophile.com n August 2025 39

MAGICO S5 2024

Those are the S5 2024’s ingredients;

the acoustic performance is realized with
another iterative strategy, using a Klippel
Near-Field Scanner. The speaker is placed
on a high stand, and in an automatic process
that takes 20 hours, a microphone takes a
large number of acoustic measurements
in a 3D sphere around it, generating a
complete picture of the speaker’s on- and
off-axis behavior.
Alon Wolf is a big fan of the Klippel: “The
Klippel allows us to have coherent measure-
ment down to 20Hz, which is something
that you cannot achieve in an anechoic
chamber. I’m not aware of a chamber that
is big enough. Even in the NRC [chamber in
Ottawa], the measurements are only really
viable down to 150Hz.” He discussed how
the design process used to be: “You design
a speaker, everything is looking good, then
you listen. You decide to change something
a little bit. Sometimes a deviation of just
half a dB makes a difference. You can spend
months working on that voicing. And then
you take the loudspeaker to another room,
and it’s not quite there. It’s just an endless
process. [With the Klippel] I don’t need to do
any voicing whatsoever. It’s just amazing.
The speaker comes out optimized in terms
of performance and voicing. … There’s noth-

measurements, continued

has high levels at the two lower frequen-

cies, the S5 2024 demands a lot of current
from the partnering amplifier.
When I investigated the enclosure’s
vibrational behavior with a plastic-tape
accelerometer, I didn’t find any resonant
modes at all (fig.2). The enclosure’s surfac-
es were all completely inert, as predicted
by Magico’s Alon Wolf. the usual “room gain” at low frequencies put rolls off rapidly above 200Hz. The blue
The peak at 27Hz in the impedance resulting from boundary reinforcement, trace in fig.2 shows the nearfield response
magnitude trace in fig.1 suggests that this the S5 2024 should give 20Hz extension in of the midrange unit, with its level plotted
is the tuning frequency of the woofers’ all but very large rooms. The woofers’ out- in the ratio of the square root of its radiat-
sealed-box loading. The red trace in fig.2
shows the summed nearfield response of
the two woofers, which behaved identi-
cally. The 3dB rise in the midbass region
Amplitude in dB

will be due to the nearfield measurement

technique, which assumes that the drive
units are mounted in a true infinite baffle.2
As expected, the woofers’ output is down
by 6dB at the tuning frequency, but with

2 This means that the loudspeaker is firing into

hemispherical space rather than a full sphere. A Frequency in Hz
speaker that has a truly flat response in the usual
“4pi” space will therefore appear to have a boosted
upper-bass output with a nearfield measurement, Fig.3 Magico S5 2024, anechoic response on tweeter Fig.4 Magico S5 2024, lateral response family at 1m,
the center frequency of that boost depending on the axis at 1m, averaged across 30° horizontal window normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back
physical dimensions of the speaker and the woofer and corrected for microphone response, with the to front: differences in response 60°–5° off axis,
alignment. See stereophile.com/content/measuring- nearfield responses of the woofers (red), midrange reference response, differences in response 5°–60°
loudspeakers-part-three-page-6 or aes2.org/publica- unit (blue), and their complex sum (black), respec- off axis.
tions/elibrary-page/?id=7171. tively plotted below 390Hz, 500Hz, and 310Hz.

40 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 INTEGR ATED AMPLIFIER

Welcoming you to a world of exquisite sound.

Pendulum is the gateway to a great musical experience in a compact form factor that revolutionizes
the concept of an integrated amplifier. Embodying the spirit of every component built by Dan D’Agostino
Master Audio Systems, Pendulum features the industry’s most advanced remote control, optional
digital streaming and phono stages, and an unstoppable 120 WPC of power into any loudspeaker.
A true lifestyle component, Pendulum introduces a whole new audience to a best-in-class audio adventure.
MAGICO S5 2024

ing for me to add. It allows us to build products that, at least from the room, log in to the subwoofer’s DSP control panels, and do the
an engineering perspective, are as good as it gets.” adjustments so we have good integration with the main system.”
The S5 2024s’ front baffles ended up 86" from the wall behind the
Installation speakers; the center of the right-hand baffle was 56" from the books
Magico’s VP for global sales and marketing, Peter Mackay, visited that line that speaker’s closest sidewall; and the left-hand baffles
to unpack the S5 2024s from their crates and set them up in my were 37" from the LPs that line that speaker’s sidewall. The Magico
listening room. He started with the speakers in the positions where speakers were toed in not quite all the way toward the listening
the S5 Mk.IIs had sounded best. I connected the new speakers to position, and the tweeters were a few inches above the height of my
a pair of Parasound JCA100 Tribute monoblock amplifiers with ears, which, when I was seated, were 36" from the floor.
AudioQuest Robin Hood cables. The source was a Roon Ready MBL
N31 CD player/DAC sent audio data over my network from my Listening
Roon Nucleus+ server. Peter accessed the network with his iPhone As always, I started my critical listening by playing the 1/3-octave
and streamed a variety of tracks, including some I hastily made warble tones on my Editor’s Choice CD.3 The tones were cleanly re-
a note of, from Belgian singer and flautist Melanie De Biasio and produced down to the 25Hz band. The 63Hz tone was slightly high-
Brazilian guitarist and songwriter Lari Basilio, to get a handle on er in level, the 40Hz tone slightly lower in level. The 32Hz tone was
how the S5 2024s interacted with my room. boosted by my room’s lowest-frequency mode, and I could readily
After about an hour of adjusting the speakers’ positions and hear the 20Hz tone. The half-step–spaced tonebursts on Editor’s
installing the feet on each speaker’s triangular outrigger base, he Choice spoke cleanly and evenly from 4kHz down to 32Hz, though
declared himself satisfied. with a slight touch of emphasis around 3kHz. The lower-frequency
Then something unusual happened. After setting up a Dayton tonebursts and warble tones sounded clean, with no “doubling”
Audio OmniMic V2 on a microphone stand above the center of my (second-harmonic distortion). Listening with a stethoscope to the
listening chair and connecting it to a USB port on his laptop, Peter enclosure’s walls while these test tones played, I couldn’t hear any
called Magico’s CTO, Yair Tammam, at his home in Israel. Peter resonances. None at all!
gave Tammam internet access to his laptop; I played the appro- The dual-mono pink noise track on Editor’s Choice was repro-
priate test-tone tracks from the OmniMic CD on my Ayre player; duced as a stable central image. The high frequencies sounded
and Tammam measured each speaker’s in-room response. Yair smooth, the midrange uncolored, though if I stood up, the noise
and Peter discussed the measurements; Peter made some slight sounded hollow. As I moved my head from side to side, I could
adjustments to the speaker positions; and Yair signed off on the hear very little comb filtering—what Stereophile founder the late J.
placements. Gordon Holt used to call “vertical Venetian blinding.”
When, later, I interviewed Magico’s Alon Wolf about the S5 Normally, when I audition a loudspeaker for the first time,
2024, I mentioned that Tammam had remotely measured the speak- various things catch my attention: maybe a touch of brightness
ers in my room. He explained that Magico started offering this 3 While this CD is out of print, the test-tone files can be downloaded free of charge from
service to help customers who buy subwoofers. “We can measure tinyurl.com/yfkvayat.

measurements, continued

ing area to that of the woofers. (The bump on the tweeter axis, which thus appears floor with the speaker supported on its
between 50Hz and 60Hz in the midrange as a straight line. The radiation pattern is feet, is shown in fig.4. A sharply defined
unit’s high-pass rolloff in this graph is due impressively even, which correlates with suckout develops more than 5° above the
to crosstalk from the woofers. As there accurate and stable stereo imaging. The tweeter axis, indicating that this is the
is only a single pair of binding posts, it dispersion narrows in the top two octaves, crossover frequency between the midrange
wasn’t possible to measure the midrange which will be due to the tweeter being unit and tweeter. Don’t listen seriously to
unit’s and woofers’ nearfield responses in mounted in a fairly wide baffle. The Magico the S5 2024 while standing. However, the
isolation from each other.) The crossover speaker’s radiation pattern in the vertical loudspeaker’s response doesn’t change ap-
between the midrange and low-frequency plane, again normalized to the response preciably 5° below the tweeter axis, which
drive units lies close to 200Hz. on the tweeter axis, which is 40” from the will be appropriate for seated listeners.
The black trace above 310Hz in fig.2
shows the S5 2024’s quasi-anechoic farfield
response, averaged across a 30° horizontal
window centered on the tweeter axis. The
Amplitude in dB

response is impressively smooth and even,

with a small excess of energy between
9kHz and 11kHz. There is a very slight
lack of energy above 13kHz before the
response starts to rise, peaking at 35kHz
(not shown in this graph), which will be
due to the tweeter’s fundamental dome
Frequency in Hz
resonance. The pair matching between the
two samples was superb, meeting ±0.5dB Fig.5 Magico S5 2024, vertical response family at 1m, Fig.6 Magico S5 2024, spatially averaged, 1/6-octave
limits between 500Hz and 20kHz. normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back response in JA’s listening room (red) and of the
to front: differences in response 20°–5° above axis, Magico S5 Mk.II (blue).
Fig.3 shows the S5 2024’s horizontal reference response, differences in response 5°–15°
dispersion, normalized to the response below axis.

42 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 Madison
Distilled Down to the Essence of Musicality

The Wattson Madision Amplifier

At AXPONA 2025, the Madison Amplifier—paired with the Madison Streamer—left a lasting impression. The
system delivered what Robert Harley called “a wonderful purity and expressiveness, transparent soundstage,
and excellent dynamics.” He noted the pairing “sounded fabulous.”

Jason Victor Serinus, reporting on a master-sourced recording of Buddy Holly, wrote: “The system sounded
superb—exceptional not just for the price, but by any standard. I ate up how clearly the system revealed
Holly’s subtle use of vibrato to heighten emotional expression.”

Like all Wattson products, the Madison Amplifier is shaped by a singular focus: to serve the music.

Learn More

www.wattson.audio
Designed and crafted entirely in Switzerland
 TIMELESS
PERFECTION
For over 50 years, Accuphase has
relentlessly pursued sonic excellence,
handcrafting some of the world’s finest
audio products. With a mission to
achieve the highest fidelity music
reproduction, Accuphase offers
unparalleled workmanship designed
to perform and delight for a lifetime.
Accuphase is an investment in perfection—
a symbol of enduring quality. Experience
the timeless art of sound.

“The A-300 inspired a state of wonder.

The more I listened to the A-300
monoblocks, the more I wanted to listen. In
mv too-busv life, everv occasion for listening
was an occasion indeed, a special event.”
—Jason Victor Serinus, Stereophile

Learn more about Accuphase and

find an authorized dealer near you
axissaudio.com
 MAGICO S5 2024

in the presence region; perhaps more top-octave “air” than I was the sound and became absorbed in the music—such was the warm
expecting; maybe a lack of midrange body to voices; or a lack of sweep of the sound, the realistic size of the soundstage.
low-frequency control. When I started listening to my usual music I am a reviewer, so I should be discussing sound quality, not
tracks with the Magico S5 2024s, it was difficult to get a handle on music. As I have written many times, piano recordings are reveal-
what they were doing. The speakers kept stepping out of the way of ing of problems in the midrange. Ms. Wang’s instrument was
the music I was playing. reproduced without any notes emphasized at the expense of oth-
After many evenings of music, I realized that there was a ers. Similarly, Robert Silverman’s Steinway on the 1993 Stereophile
clarity—a transparency—to the Magicos’ presen- recording of the Liszt B-minor Piano Sonata
tation. This wasn’t because anything was being The Magicos had (16/44.1 ALAC, STPH008-2) sounded uncan-
unnaturally emphasized. It was due to the fact that
my system’s noisefloor had been lowered so that re-
no problem keeping nilyIt wasn’t uncolored.
just pianos that were well served
corded backgrounds seemed blacker. For example, the low-frequency by the Magico S5 2024. Provoked by Jason
I must have played the late Lowell George’s “20 Mil- notes separate. Victor Serinus’s review in the May issue,4
lion Things to Do,” from his solo album Thanks I’ll I streamed Hildegard of Bingen’s “O vis
Eat It Here (16/44.1 FLAC, Warner/Qobuz), hundreds of time since it aeternitas” from Electric Fields (24/48 FLAC, Alpha Classic/Qobuz),
was released in 1979, but the music stand George knocks over at the performed by soprano Barbara Hannigan, the Labèque Sisters on
beginning and again at the end of the track sounded significantly pianos, and David Chalmin on synths and electronics. The way
farther away than I was used to. Hannigan’s voice soars over the low-frequency pedal notes and
The Magicos were superb at reproducing the scale of orchestral what sounds like prepared piano punctuations, hanging haunt-
recordings. As accurate and stable as the stereo imaging is with ingly in space between the speakers with echoed images in the far
my usual minimonitors, from KEF and GoldenEar, they produce a distance, sent shivers down my spine, even on repeated listens.
miniature orchestral image that I feel I am looking down on from a A recent discovery was the album Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau
distance. In contrast, the S5 2024 presented an appropriately large (24/96 FLAC, Nonesuch/Qobuz). More famed for his mandolin
soundstage, the images of the musicians stably placed in two di- playing than his vocals, Thile sings Johnny Green and Edward
mensions between and behind the plane of the speakers. This was Heyman’s “I Cover the Waterfront” on this album. As reproduced
very obvious on a recording of Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Rhapsody by the Magicos, it seemed that mixing engineer James Farber had
performed by Yuja Wang with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in placed Thile’s vocal quite a distance in front of Mehldau’s piano.
2023 (24/96 FLAC, DG/Qobuz). I first heard Ms. Wang performing More likely, the S5 2024s’ superb presentation of low-level ambient
Schubert and Franck piano quintets at a 2005 Santa Fe Chamber information was placing the piano further back in the soundstage
Music Festival concert. She was just 18 years old back then but than Farber anticipated. Nevertheless, Thile’s image was as palpa-
played with extraordinary authority and emotional maturity. Lis-
tening to her Rachmaninoff on the Magicos, I stopped focusing on 4 See stereophile.com/content/may-2025-classical-record-reviews.

measurements, continued

The red trace in fig.5 shows the Magico implementation. Ignore the discontinuity close to 16kHz, which is due to interference
S5 2024s’ spatially averaged response in at 6.4ms in the step response, which is from the MLSSA host PC’s video circuitry.)
my listening room.3 The spatial averag- due to the first reflection of the woofers’ As I expected from my prior experi-
ing hasn’t completely eliminated the output from the floor. However, the pres- ence of Magico loudspeakers, the Magico
small peaks and dips between 50Hz and ence of this reflection meant that I had to S5 2024 offers superb measured perfor-
500Hz, but the in-room response is gener- aggressively window the time-domain data mance.—John Atkinson
ally even above that region. The slight when I calculated the cumulative spectral
downward slope in the treble is due both decay (waterfall) plot (fig.7). The S5 2024’s 3 Using the FuzzMeasure 3.0 program, a Metric Halo
MIO2882 FireWire-connected audio interface, and a
to the increased absorption of the room’s waterfall is very clean overall, though some 96kHz sample rate, I average 20 1/6-octave–smoothed
furnishings and the speaker’s restricted low-level delayed energy is evident at the spectra, individually taken for the left and right
speakers, in a rectangular grid 36” wide × 18” high
dispersion as the frequency increases. The top of the midrange unit’s passband. (As
and centered on the positions of my ears.
blue trace in fig.5 is the spatially averaged always with my cumulative spectral decay 4 See stereophile.com/content/magico-s5-mkii-loud-
response of the Magico S5 Mk.II, which I plots, ignore the ridge of delayed energy speaker-measurements.
reviewed in 2017.4 Other than the earlier
speaker’s slight presence-region boost, the
upper-frequency in-room responses of the
two speakers are similar.
Turning to the time domain, the S5
Data in Volts

2024’s step response (fig.6) indicates that

all four drive units are connected in posi-
tive acoustic polarity. The tweeter’s output
arrives first at the microphone, followed
first by that of the midrange unit, then
by that of the woofers. The decay of each
Time in ms
drive unit’s step smoothly blends with the
start of the step of the next one lower in Fig.7 Magico S5 2024, step response on tweeter axis Fig.8 Magico S5 2024, cumulative spectral decay plot
frequency, implying optimal crossover at 1m (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth). on tweeter axis at 1m (0.15ms risetime).

stereophile.com n August 2025 45

MAGICO S5 2024

bly reproduced as Hannigan’s on the Hildegard of Bingen track,

free of coloration or tonal emphasis. ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
Farber also recorded and mixed two of the tracks on Sasha
Matson’s new album Fillmore Street/Little Woodstar, which I had Digital sources Roon Nucleus+ file server; Ayre Acoustics
co-produced.5 The second movement of the symphonic Fillmore C-5xeMP universal player (used with a balanced NHT passive
Street features a multitracked vintage Moog accompanied by tim- preamplifier); MBL N31 CD player/DAC; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 A/D
pani and an orchestral bass drum. Even though these instruments converter; NetGear Nighthawk router.
occupy similar frequency ranges, they were cleanly differenti- Power amplifiers Parasound JCA100 Tribute monoblocks.
ated by the S5 2024. The control and evenness of the Magico’s low Cables Digital: AudioQuest Vodka (Ethernet), AudioQuest
frequencies continued to impress throughout the six weeks the Coffee (USB), DH Labs (1m, AES3). Interconnect: Ayre/Cardas
speakers resided in my listening room. The bass guitars on Lowell (balanced). Speaker: AudioQuest Robin Hood. AC: AudioQuest
George’s “20 Million Things to Do” and Jimmy Webb’s “Friends Dragon Source & High Current, manufacturers’ own.
Accessories Ayre Acoustics Myrtle Blocks; ASC Tube Traps; RPG
Abffusor panels; AudioQuest Niagara 5000 Low-Z Power/Noise-
Dissipation System (amplifiers) and AudioQuest Niagara 1000
Low-Z Power/Noise-Dissipation System (source components).
HDPlex linear power supply for Roon Nucleus+; AudioQuest Fog
Lifters cable supports. AC power comes from two dedicated 20A
circuits, each just 6’ from breaker box.
Room 20' (left side), 25' (right side) × 16' × 8'.—John Atkinson

The speakers kept to Burn” (from Suspending

Disbelief, 321kbps AAC, Ele-
stepping out of the ktra) were reproduced with
way of the music weight and power but without
I was playing. boom. The tonal differentia-
tion between Ginger Baker’s
kickdrum(s) and Charlie
Haden’s double bass on “Ginger Blues” from Going Back Home was
superbly clear (16/44.1 ALAC, Atlantic, produced by erstwhile
Stereophile writer Chip Stern).
My ultimate test for bass articulation is the repeated 16th-note
bass line in “Last Train Home” from Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays’s
Still Life (Talking) (16/44.1 ALAC, Geffen). Reflex-loaded woofers
have a hard time keeping the onset of each bass note distinct from
the overhang of the previous one. The Magicos had no problem
keeping the low-frequency notes separate.
I finished my critical listening to the Magico S5 2024s with “With
All My Love,” a track from Melanie De Biasio’s album No Deal
(24/44.1 FLAC, Play It Again Sam/Qobuz), which Peter Mackay had
used when he set the speakers up in my room. De Biasio’s contralto
hung between the S5 2024s, set in front of what must have been a
close-miked piano, judging by the occasional pedal and keyboard
mechanism noises. And when brushed cymbals appear a couple of
minutes into the track, these were set way back in the soundstage,
as were the subsequent kickdrum interjections. The deep-pitched
synthesizer pedal notes that underpin the arrangement were
powerfully but cleanly reproduced by the Magicos. There was no
indication that the sound and the stage were being produced by a
pair of loudspeakers; the images simply hung in space at the end of
my room.

Conclusion
They may be large and heavy (and expensive), but Magico’s S5
2024s stepped out of the way of the music with every recording I
played. It is a revelation of what can be achieved by an apparently
conventional moving coil loudspeaker. And the fact that state-of-
the-art measurement techniques played such a large role in its
design appealed to this music lover’s inner engineer. I have no
doubts in declaring that the S5 2024 is one of the finest-sounding
loudspeakers that I have experienced in my listening room. n

5 See stereophile.com/content/my-new-album.

46 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 EQU I P MEN T R EP OR T

TOM FINE

Eversolo AMP-F10
POWER AMPLIFIER

century ago, pioneering psychiatrist Carl Jung had a “The men’s chorus began to sing, vigorous, bellicose melodies, not

A wild encounter with the power of sound. “In a village on

the way from Lake Albert to Rejaf in the Sudan we had a
very exciting experience,” Jung wrote in his book Memo-
ries, Dreams, Reflections. He goes on to describe his participation in
a tribal drum and dance ritual. “Night had fallen … when we heard
unharmonious, and at the same time began to swing their legs.
“The women and children tripped around the fire; the men danced
toward it, waving their weapons, then drew back again, and then
advanced anew, amid savage singing, drumming, and trumpeting.
“It was a wild and stirring scene, bathed in the glow of the fire and
drums and horn blasts. Soon some sixty men appeared, martially magical moonlight.
equipped with flashing lances, clubs, and swords.” A huge fire was “My English friend and I sprang to our feet and mingled with the
built. Women and children began dancing around the fire, and the dancers.
men formed an outer ring. Jung’s guides and armed guards fled the “I swung my rhinoceros whip, the only weapon I had, and danced
scene. Jung continued: with them.

SPECIFICATIONS
Description Stereo/bridged- ohms (23dBW), 320Wpc into watts/dB as calculated into a number of US dealers: 35.
mono class-AB power ampli- 4 ohms (22dBW), 450Wpc into 4 ohm load, logarithmic scale Warranty: 1 year.
fier. Inputs (per channel): 2 ohms (20.5dBW); bridged: from 3.4mW to 480W. Manufacturer
one XLR (balanced), 1 RCA 650W into 8 ohms (28dBW), Dimensions 17" (430mm) Eversolo,
(single-ended), switchable. 950W into 4 ohms (26.8dBW). W × 5.8" (147mm) H × 12.2" Floor 14, Building C,
Input impedance: 10k ohms Damping factor: >600 at 1kHz, (310mm) D. Weight: 39.7lb Huizhi R&D Center,
(balanced and single-ended). 200W, 8 ohms. Frequency (18kg). Xixiang Avenue,
Gain: switchable 29dB or 23dB response: 10Hz–30kHz ±0.5dB Finish Black powdercoat with Bao’an District, Shenzhen
(200W, 1kHz into 8 ohms). into 8 ohms. THD+N: 0.008%. white meter bulbs. China 518102.
Input sensitivity for rated out- Signal/noise ratio (1kHz, 200W, Serial number of unit Web: eversolo.com.
puts, stereo and bridged: 5.2V 8 ohms, A-weighted): 113dB or reviewed No serial number US distributor:
and 2.4V (balanced inputs); greater at 23dB gain; 110dB or on chassis. Designed, engi- Forté Distribution Inc.,
2.65V and 1.3V (single-ended greater at 29dB gain. Crosstalk neered, and manufactured in 4520 B St NW Suite D,
inputs). Continuous output (1kHz, 200W, 8 ohms): –95dB. China. Auburn, WA 98001.
power, stereo: 200Wpc into 8 Front panel meters show Price $2480. Approximate Web: forte-distribution.com.

stereophile.com n August 2025 49

 EVERSOLO AMP-F10

“By their beaming faces I could see that they The combination of the Eversolo no groove-jumping
approved of our taking part. by my Hana SL MKII
“Their zeal redoubled; the whole company power amp and Amphion speakers cartridge). Like Jung’s,
stamped, sang, shouted, sweating profusely. produced a pleasingly detailed, wide, it was a “very exciting
“Gradually the rhythm of the dance and the high soundstage, each instrument’s experience.” To quote
drumming accelerated. … [T]heir excitement the song, “The rhythm
began to get out of bounds, and suddenly the
tonality distinct and correct. has my soul!”
whole affair took on a highly curious aspect. The strong and large
“The dancers were being transformed into a wild horde, and I bottom end of the AMP-F10 is the place to start, because it is liter-
became worried about how it would end.” 1 ally foundational to the amplifier’s personality. Paired with the
Jung eventually bribed the Africans, with cigarettes, to stop the right speakers, this amplifier will deliver a visceral musical experi-
ritual and disperse. The modern interpretation is that he probably ence, felt throughout the body.
interrupted a sacred rite meant to call spirits of ancestors into the
living. He was lucky those lances, clubs, and swords weren’t turned Should a power amplifier have a personality?
on him.2 In my perfect, mastering-engineer world, amplification is linear
But that’s not the point. Decades later, musician Peter Gabriel and neutral, just gain across a straight wire. Any sort of tone shap-
read the words above and imagined Jung self-subsumed into the ing must be precise and under my control. It comes from an analog
tribal beat. He created his hit “The Rhythm of the Heat,” the first component like a system equalizer or (in my parallel life as a music
track on Security (titled Peter Gabriel outside the North American consumer) a tone control on a preamplifier, or from DSP built into
market), which was among much else an early-1980s turntable the system and controlled by a phone app or menu tree. If I want
trackability challenge, with its massive, bass-heavy drum and to hear exactly what a recording sounds like, I can remove all tone
percussion onslaught. shaping from the signal chain and hear it in its naked glory, as it is.
Which brings us, finally, to the Eversolo AMP-F10 power ampli- But that’s not how hi-fi systems work. Each component has its
fier ($24803). A hundred years after Jung’s African travels, I spun
my first-pressing Security LP, mastered by Townhouse Studios in 1 All Jung quotes are taken from the ebook version of Memories, Dreams, Reflections, bor-
rowed from my local library.
England,4 on my reference system, with the Eversolo amplifier in
2 See tinyurl.com/kt3jsy22.
place of my Benchmark AHB2. 3 Lily Luo, of Forté Distribution, Eversolo’s US importer, told me that for now, Eversolo
From the Bowers & Wilkins 808 speakers poured the buildup would not increase prices in response to the Trump administration tariffs.
to a drumming frenzy, with floor- and wall-shaking low end (and 4 See discogs.com/release/4169052-Peter-Gabriel-Security.

MEASUREMENTS
the audioband. the Eversolo’s frequency response started

I
used my Audio Precision SYS2722 sys-
tem1 to measure the Eversolo AMP- The output impedance was low, at 0.03 to roll off above 20kHz, reaching –3dB at
F10. I performed a complete set of ohms at 20Hz and 1kHz, 0.015 ohms at 74kHz into 8 ohms. While the AMP-F10’s
tests in Stereo mode, then repeated 20kHz. As a result, the variation in the reproduction of a 10kHz squarewave into
some of the tests with the two channels amplifier’s frequency response with our 8 ohms with the sensitivity set to “23dB”
operated in Bridged Mono mode. I precon- standard simulated loudspeaker2 (fig.1, featured short risetimes (fig.2), there was
ditioned the amplifier at 1/8 the maximum gray trace) was negligible. The response a small, critically damped overshoot on the
power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes before into resistive loads was flat up to 40kHz, waveform’s leading edges. This was absent
starting the testing. At the end of that rolling off by 3dB at 110kHz into 8 ohms with the amplifier set to “29dB” (fig.3).
time, the heatsinks were almost too hot to (blue, red traces), at 100kHz into 4 ohms
1 See stereophile.com/content/measurements-maps-
touch, at 139.1°F/59.5°C. The top panel’s (cyan, magenta traces), and at 80kHz into precision.
temperature measured 108.5°F/42.5°C. 2 ohms (green trace). This graph was taken 2 See stereophile.com/content/real-life-measure-
This amplifier needs plenty of ventilation. with the gain set to “23dB.” Set to “29dB,” ments-page-2.
Looking first at the Eversolo’s behavior
in Stereo: The amplifier preserved abso-
lute polarity with both the balanced and
single-ended inputs. The balanced input is
wired with pin 2 hot, the AES standard. The d
Sensitivity switch on the rear panel allows B
the gain to be set to “23dB” or “29dB.” r
A
The voltage gain at 1kHz into 8 ohms was
22.1dB, balanced input, and 22.6dB, single-
ended input, with the “23dB” setting. At
the “29dB” setting, the gain into 8 ohms
was 29.02dB, balanced, and 29.5dB, single-
Hz
ended. The balanced input impedance was
close to the specified 10k ohms, at 9.85k Fig.1 Eversolo AMP-F10, sensitivity set to “23dB,” Fig.2 Eversolo AMP-F10, sensitivity set to “23dB,”
ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz. However, the frequency response at 2.83V into: simulated loud- small-signal 10kHz squarewave into 8 ohms.
speaker load (gray), 8 ohms (left channel blue, right
unbalanced input impedance, which is also red), 4 ohms (left cyan, right magenta), and 2 ohms
specified as 10k ohms, was 4k ohms across (green) (1dB/vertical div.).

stereophile.com n August 2025 51

 EVERSOLO AMP-F10

own sound, to lesser or greater

degrees, which it imparts on
the system. The key is to build
a system with synergy or
tonal force-multiplying. Find
the balance by matching the
components with each other
and with speakers, and you end
up with a sound that’s in your
sweet spot. Importantly, such a
system (when it’s well-curated)
doesn’t sound like the parts are
fighting each other.
So if you want to be in the
driver’s seat, you need to learn
what tone qualities each part of
the system brings to the table so
that you know where to focus
attention if something doesn’t
sound right.
I’ve heard many amplifiers
over the years, tubed and solid state, integrated and separate—and the Specifications sidebar. It’s rated plenty powerful, with very low
no two sounded exactly alike. Whether I wish it or not, all ampli- distortion, a wide, flat frequency response, and excellent channel
fiers have some degree of “sound” or “personality.” separation. And, with a rated damping factor greater than 600 and
a published 2 ohm power rating, it’s designed to drive even the
A mighty amplifier from China, packaged to fit many spaces wildest and wooliest speaker loads with firm control.
The AMP-F10 is the first class-AB power amplifier from the young In an email conversation with Eversolo’s elusive designers,5 set
Chinese hi-fi company Eversolo, a division of Shenzhen-based 5 See Rogier van Bakel’s review of the Eversolo DMP-A8 streaming preamplifier for details
Zidoo Technology. The AMP-F10 is no shrinking violet—check out on the company and its shy engineer-executives at tinyurl.com/mryw74kf.

measurements, continued

In Bridged Mono mode, the gains in the The Eversolo’s unweighted, wideband and red traces). Repeating the analysis at
“23dB” and “29dB” settings were, respec- signal/noise ratio, taken with the input “29dB” raised the level of the random noise-
tively, 27.9dB and 34.8dB. As there are now shorted to ground and the sensitivity set to floor by approximately 5dB (green and gray
two output stages in series, the output “23dB,” was a very good 79dB ref. 1W into 8 traces). However, power supply–related
impedance was significantly higher, at 0.25 ohms (average of both channels). This ratio spuriae at 60Hz and its even- and odd-order
ohms in the bass and midrange, dropping improved to 86.5dB when the measurement harmonics were present in both sensitivity
to 0.2 ohms at the top of the audioband. bandwidth was restricted to the audioband, modes. The levels of these spuriae didn’t
The frequency response in this mode was and to 88.5dB when A-weighted. The S/N change when I connected a wire from the
still flat in the audioband but was down by ratios were 3–4dB lower with the sensitivity grounding terminal on the amplifier’s rear
3dB at 74kHz with the sensitivity set to “23” set to “29dB.” Spectral analysis of the low- panel to the Audio Precision analyzer’s
and at 52kHz with it set to “29dB.” frequency noisefloor while the Eversolo set chassis ground.
Back to Stereo mode: the channel separa- to “23dB” drove a 1kHz tone at 1Wpc into 8 Eversolo specifies the AMP-F10’s
tion was excellent, at >110dB in both direc- ohms revealed that the random noisefloor maximum power as 200Wpc into 8 ohms
tions below 3kHz and still 83dB at 20kHz. was very low in level, at –124dB (fig.4, blue (23dBW), 320Wpc into 4 ohms (22dBW),

d
B
%
r
A

Hz W

Fig.3 Eversolo AMP-F10, sensitivity set to “29dB,” Fig.4 Eversolo AMP-F10, spectrum of 1kHz sinewave, Fig.5 Eversolo AMP-F10, distortion (%) vs 1kHz con-
small-signal 10kHz squarewave into 8 ohms. DC–1kHz, at 1W into 8 ohms with sensitivity set to tinuous output power into 8 ohms.
“23dB” (left channel blue, right red) and to “29dB” (left
green, right gray) (linear frequency scale).

stereophile.com n August 2025 53

 EVERSOLO AMP-F10

up by Lily Luo of Eversolo distributor Forté Distribution, I learned lessly. In moving it around, it was easy to slip my fingers under it
that the AMP-F10’s output stage incorporates five pairs of Vishay and lift from the bottom, avoiding fingertips on fins. Still, I wore
IRFP9240 high-current MOSFET devices per channel. The transis- work gloves to unpack it.
tors are fed by a “1000 watt power supply,” with a current reserve It was smart to design this amp in a not-huge form factor with
of 160,000µf capacitance. At the front-end of each channel is an a pleasing and relatively low-key look. It can’t be tucked away
“Eversolo Ultra Low Noise Preamp Module,” which they described because it runs hot. It needs airflow around and above those
as “an audio operational amplifier with FET input to form the heatsinks. The amp’s designer explained: “The F10 is a class-AB
amplification circuit.” amplifier with a bias toward class-A. Class-AB amplifiers will
The AMP-F10’s marketing materials highlight its “innova- generate heat even when there is no music signal input, mainly
tive DC filtering circuit between the main AC supply and audio because their operating mode dictates that current still flows in the
circuit, effectively removing low-frequency DC interference.” static state. In the push-pull output stage of a class-AB amplifier, a
The description goes on. “This design ensures that only clean AC static bias current is set to avoid the crossover distortion between
power is delivered to the audio circuits, effectively enhancing the class-A and class-B. This current continues to flow through the
performance of the audio circuit while reducing the hum from the output transistors even without an input signal. This static current
toroidal transformer.” In all the systems I connected the amplifier creates a certain power dissipation in the power transistors, which
to, it ran dead quiet, whether wired in via its single-ended RCA or is then converted into heat.”
balanced XLR inputs. Inside, in the center of the chassis, is a large, heavy toroidal
This sharp-looking black metal amplifier is flanked by large transformer, surrounded by large filter capacitors.6 The output
heatsinks. Its front panel features brightly illuminated meters. transistors are on each side, along the walls. The input/output
The logarithmic scale is labeled “Watts/dB/4-ohms.” In my experi- connections and the power supply filter/control boards are at the
ence, most of the needle travel was between 0 and 34, so the needles rear. It’s not exactly a tight fit, but Eversolo has used the space
are active and bouncy, more eye candy than useful real-time data efficiently, packing in a lot of power. Given how much heat the amp
points, though I suppose they’d tell you if you’re approaching clip- generates, high-quality electrolytic capacitors are needed, so they
ping. Below the meters is the pushbutton power switch. don’t dry out and fail prematurely in the amp’s warm/hot internal
Given its power ratings and linear power supply, the AMP-F10 is environment. Eversolo’s designer said the capacitors are rated to
hefty, but it’s not overbuilt. It weighs about 40lb, and the heatsink “operate at 105°C for 3000 hours. For every 10°C reduction in oper-
fins aren’t ridiculously sharp—though they are sharp enough to
cut through the fabric bag it comes wrapped in if it’s handled care- 6 See tinyurl.com/ycxxtxee.

measurements, continued

and 450Wpc into 2 ohms (20.5dBW). We that maximum power should also be as- I examined how the AMP-F10’s THD+N
define clipping as when the THD+noise sessed at frequencies other than 1kHz.3 I percentage in Stereo mode varied with
reaches 1%. With both channels driven therefore repeated the clipping test with frequency at 12.67V, which is equivalent
and in both sensitivity modes, the Eversolo a 20kHz signal. Unfortunately, the THD+N to 20W into 8 ohms, 40W into 4 ohms, and
amplifier slightly exceeded the specified reached 1% at just 55Wpc into 8 ohms 80W into 2 ohms (fig.7). The THD+N was
powers with a 1kHz signal into the higher (17.3dBW; not shown) at this frequency. very low in the bass and midrange into 8
impedances, clipping at 205W into 8 ohms In Bridged Mono mode, the Ever- ohms (blue and red traces), but doubled
(23.1dBW, fig.5) and 325W into 4 ohms solo’s specified powers are 650W into 8 with each halving of the load impedance
(22.1dBW, fig.6). The amplifier clipped at ohms (28.13dBW) and 950W into 4 ohms (cyan, magenta, green, and gray traces).
430Wpc into 2 ohms (20.3dBW, not shown), (26.77dBW). I measured clipping powers More importantly, the THD+N rose precipi-
but it is fair to note that the wall voltage, of 605W into 8 ohms (27.8dBW) and 900W tously at higher frequencies. This will be
which was 121.6V with the Eversolo idling, into 4 ohms (26.5dBW), though the AC wall due to the amplifier having a limited open-
had dropped to 117.8V with the amplifier voltage had respectively dropped to 116.7V loop bandwidth, which means that the
clipping into 2 ohms. and 115.1V when the amplifier was clip- 3 See stereophile.com/content/ftc-updates-amplifier-
The FTC’s updated “Amplifier Rule” states ping into these loads. rule.

% %

Avg: 32
W Hz

Fig.6 Eversolo AMP-F10, distortion (%) vs 1kHz con- Fig.7 Eversolo AMP-F10, THD+N (%) vs frequency at Fig.8 Eversolo AMP-F10, 1kHz waveform at 50W into
tinuous output power into 4 ohms. 12.67V into: 8 ohms (left channel blue, right red), 4 8 ohms, 0.027% THD+N (top); distortion and noise
ohms (left channel cyan, right magenta), and 2 ohms waveform with fundamental notched out (bottom,
(left channel green, right gray). not to scale).

stereophile.com n August 2025 55

EVERSOLO AMP-F10

ating temperature, their service life doubles.” I was able to flummox the AMP-F10/One18 combo with a track
On the back panel is an assortment of switches that allow from my “Bass Test” playlist,7 specifically Aretha Franklin’s
flexibility in how the amp is used. There’s a switch for stereo and cover of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” from the 2021 anthology
bridged-mono modes, for example. (In bridged mode, the amp is ARETHA (24/96 FLAC, Atlantic-Rhino/Qobuz). When I turned it
rated at an impressive 950W into 4 ohms, but then you need two of up loud, the F10-powered electric bass in the left channel dug deep
them for a stereo system.) There are switches to select the balanced enough and loud enough to rattle the left woofer.
or single-ended inputs. There’s a gain switch: 23dB or 29dB, to op- I switched to my “Imaging Test” playlist,8 which I use when I
timize the system so that you can use a bit more of your preamp’s need to focus on the soundstage and the individual voices and
volume dial. The speaker connectors work with spade lugs or instruments within it. A song I recently added to this playlist is
banana plugs. And there are 1/8" input and output connections for “April Fool” from Rough Mix, a 1977 collaboration between the
12V power-on/power-off triggering. Who’s Pete Townsend and Faces’ Ronnie Lane (24/96 FLAC, Uni-
versal/Qobuz). Lane sings in the left channel; Townsend’s acoustic
Listening scenario #1: small scale guitar is in the right. Eric Clapton’s expertly picked dobro is in the
The AMP-F10’s first stop was my office, where I connected it middle, with Clapton tapping his foot in rhythm. In a well-matched
(unbridged) to my small, two-way Amphion One18 speakers and system, each instrument and Lane’s voice sound lifelike and bal-
to the preamp output of a McIntosh MA6500 integrated amplifier. anced, as if in the room. Through the little Amphion speakers, it
I let it warm up for a half-hour to shake off travel chills. Once the was like a miniature performance in front of me, with real, fleshy,
heatsink fins were warm to the touch, I figured it was ready to very small musicians.
make some sound. I streamed various familiar music from Qobuz Also on that playlist is my remix/remaster of Igor Stravinsky’s
through a Cambridge MNX10 streamer-DAC, getting an idea of how Tango (K62, orchestral version), performed by the London Sym-
the AMP-F10 played with the One18s. phony Orchestra, Antal Dorati conducting (24/96 FLAC, Mercury
Right away, the little speakers sounded more assured than they Living Presence/Qobuz), recorded in Watford Town Hall June 7,
do with the McIntosh amplifier, with more pronounced bass. They 1964, using three Schoeps M201 omnidirectional microphones. The
sounded like medium-sized speakers, capably transmitting all but recording, by my late friend and mentor Robert Eberenz, places
the lowest bass notes—and not in a boomy way or in a way that each instrument in the orchestra precisely, with an acoustic guitar
forced the little woofers to work harder than they should and break
up. The amp didn’t sound like it was working hard, even as I asked 7 See open.qobuz.com/playlist/21395182.
it to drive the speakers loud. 8 See open.qobuz.com/playlist/22204090.

measurements, continued

amount of corrective negative feedback odd-order harmonics were now pres- 100W peak into 4 ohms, while the differ-
reduces as the frequency rises. This behav- ent, though still at levels lower than the ence product at 1kHz lay at –66dB (0.05%),
ior is the reason for the limited clipping second. As expected, the levels of the even- the higher-order intermodulation products
power at 20kHz. order harmonics dropped by almost 40dB at 17kHz, 18kHz, 21kHz, and 22kHz were
The distortion waveform with a 1kHz in Bridged Mono mode; with two output higher in level. The levels of harmonic and
tone at 50W into 8 ohms was dominated by stages in series, the even-order harmonics intermodulation distortion were very simi-
low-order harmonics (fig.8). Spectral analy- in each stage are in opposite polarity and lar with both sensitivity settings.
sis with a 50Hz tone (fig.9) revealed that therefore cancel. With the amplifier in this Although the Eversolo AMP-F10 can de-
the second and fourth harmonics were the mode driving 1kHz at 100W into 8 ohms, liver high powers into low impedances and
highest in level, with the second lying at the third harmonic was now the highest in the spectrum of its harmonic distortion is
–77dB (0.014%). The spectrum at the same level, lying at –74dB. dominated by the subjectively innocuous
voltage into 4 ohms was similar, though The AMP-F10’s reduced linearity in second harmonic, I was concerned by the
the second harmonic had risen to –70dB the top audio octaves meant that when higher levels of distortion in the treble
(0.03%). Repeating the spectral analysis I examined the output spectrum with an compared with those in the midrange and
with a 1kHz signal (fig.10) indicated that equal mix of 19kHz and 20kHz tones at bass.—John Atkinson

d d d
B B B
r r r
A A A

Hz Hz Hz

Fig.9 Eversolo AMP-F10, spectrum of 50Hz sinewave, Fig.10 Eversolo AMP-F10, spectrum of 1kHz sinewave, Fig.11 Eversolo AMP-F10, HF intermodulation
DC–1kHz, at 50Wpc into 8 ohms (left channel blue, DC–1kHz, at 50Wpc into 8 ohms (left channel blue, spectrum, DC–30kHz, 19+20kHz at 100Wpc peak
right red, linear frequency scale). right red, linear frequency scale). into 4 ohms (left channel blue, right red, linear
frequency scale).

56 August 2025 n stereophile.com

Every note. Every word.
Every detail.

LS50 Meta
Introducing the successors to the iconic LS50. Building on the brilliance of the originals,
the LS50 Meta speakers provide an even purer sound, which brings out subtle nuances and
details you may never have noticed before. That’s because our unique Metamaterial Absorption
Technology eliminates the high-frequency distortion inside the speaker. So at last, you can hear
music as its creators intended.

Listen and believe

EVERSOLO AMP-F10

in front of the woodwinds, violins

to the left, and lower strings to the
right. Hovering behind, beyond,
and above is the room sound of
Watford. The combination of
the Eversolo power amp and
Amphion speakers produced a
pleasingly detailed, wide, high
soundstage, each instrument’s
tonality distinct and correct.
Another evergreen imaging
reality check is Southern Pacific’s
doo-wop a capella cover of “I
Go to Pieces” from Country Line
(16/44.1 FLAC, Warner Bros.-
Rhino/Qobuz). The voices are
spread across the soundstage, and
backup singers are behind the
primary voices. The little system
ably reproduced the recording’s
width and depth and separated
the voices even while preserving
the tight ensemble weave.
I also spun some vinyl from my
modest office rig (Philips AF-887
turntable, Shure M97xe cartridge, McIntosh MA6500 built-in pho- present, with adequate detail, but sometimes the bottom end was
no preamp). Especially enjoyable was the new Rhino High Fidelity out of proportion—too large. The soundstage was plenty detailed
version of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid (LP, Warner RHF1 3104), the but not quite as high-def pinpoint as with the Benchmark ampli-
album I consider the birth of heavy metal music.9 I drove the little fier, which costs more than $1000 more. Neither amp was stressing
Amphions hard, the Eversolo amp feeding them a steady onslaught out nor exceeding its optimum zone of operation with any kind
of hard-rocking fury. The amp and the speakers didn’t buckle, and of music at any volume I could tolerate. They simply had different
the experience was invigorating. sound profiles, with the Eversolo leaning heavier, the Benchmark
quicker but not lean.
Listening scenario #2: full scale Spinning vinyl in the reference system was also instructive.
Satisfied that I somewhat understood the sound of the AMP-F10, I Returning to Peter Gabriel’s “The Rhythm of the Heat”: The Ghana-
took it to the reference system in the living room. There, it would ian drums by the Ekome Dance Company were harder to separate
have the opportunity to drive full-sized, full-range, room-filling from Jerry Marotta’s drum kit through the AMP-F10 than through
B&W 808 speakers (two 12" woofers, two 4" midrange drivers, and the AHB2; through the latter, each beat was more distinct, but the
a dome tweeter on each side) fed by high-quality sources chosen cumulative bass energy wasn’t as massive. Gabriel’s vocals were
for quickness, neutral-leaning frequency balance, and detailed more enunciated and less chesty through the Benchmark. In both
resolution. cases, the rhythm had my soul, in slightly different ways. If a rhi-
When I swapped in the AMP-F10 and idled my Benchmark AHB2 noceros whip had been handy, I would have swung it.
power amp, I noticed right away that the system sounded different, It was an interesting contrast. I think the Eversolo amp would
especially in the lowest octaves. The Eversolo brought out usefully be perfect with floorstanding speakers sporting smaller-diameter
more bass weight than I had noticed before, but sometimes it was woofers. I suspect it can push every bit of gut punch out of 6.5"
too much. Turning to the “Bass Test” playlist again, there was a bit cones and probably produce pleasing low-frequency tone and
too much boom in “Flea” by St. Vincent, from All Born Screaming energy at lower listening volumes than some other amps can.
(24/48 FLAC, St. Vincent/Qobuz) and a lot too much in the remix of With my big B&Ws, I prefer the sound of the Benchmark, perhaps
Paramore’s “This Is Why” by Foals, from Re: This Is Why (24/44.1 only because I am accustomed to it and comfortable with it after
FLAC, Atlantic/Qobuz). But Charlie Watts’s kickdrum in “Honky hundreds of listening hours—or perhaps because it’s simply better
Tonk Women”—the version from Forty Licks (24/96 FLAC, Polydor/ suited to the rest of my system.
Qobuz)—sounded massively exciting, as if the song’s heartbeat had
grown a size or two. Listening scenario #3: the product manager’s choices
Both the AMP-F10 and AHB2 amps produced satisfying, house- During my e-mail conversation with the unnamed product man-
shaking bottom-octave synthesizer tones in Hans Zimmer’s title ager for the AMP-F10, I asked what music was used in designing
track to Blade Runner 2049 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) and “voicing” it. Answering on his behalf, distributor Luo said, “He
(16/44.1 FLAC, Epic/Qobuz). Through the Benchmark, each note usually listens to classical and electronic music, primarily using
was more distinct and detailed, and they were just as impactful. the Focal Sopra No.2 speakers (two 7" woofers, one 6.5" mid/bass
The B&W 808s aren’t what I call “modern sparkling” in the top driver, one 1" beryllium inverted-dome tweeter per side). He enjoys
end. They don’t sound dull or lacking detail, but they don’t hype the works like Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, and his
breathiness of singers or put a glossy sheen on a triangle or other personal favorite is Vangelis’s Chariots of Fire.”
high percussion. They never sound like they’re pushing too hard, With the Eversolo amp in the reference system, I streamed
top or bottom. With the Eversolo amplifier, the imaging was fine,
the sounds of instruments and voices in the upper octaves were 9 See my review of the 2021 Super Deluxe reissue of Paranoid: tinyurl.com/3upa3r4v.

58 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 EVERSOLO AMP-F10

the title track and the opening theme from Vangelis’s 1981 movie
soundtrack album (16/44.1 FLAC, Universal/Qobuz) and chose the ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
Reference Recordings version of Fanfare by Eiji Oue conducting
the Minnesota Orchestra (24/48 FLAC, Qobuz). Analog source Technics SL-1200MKV with KAB 3-speed mod,
The Vangelis synthesized soundstage sounded larger than I fluid damping and tonearm wiring; Hana SL MKII cartridge.
remembered it from a long-ago evening at the movies. It also didn’t Philips AF-887 with Shure M97xe.
sound as “early digital harsh” as I expected it to. It was quite nice, Digital sources dCS Bartók streaming DAC, Cambridge MXN10
with the AMP-F10 providing pleasant heft, giving this music-from- streaming DAC, Oppo UDP-203 universal disc player.
electronics an unexpected authenticity. Phono preamplifier ProJect Phono Box RS2.
Fanfare’s opening bass drum and gong sounded vastly magnifi- Line-level preamplifier Benchmark LA-4.
cent, as if a wormhole in the universe briefly opened and sound Power amplifier Benchmark AHB2.
shot out. The brass following it was not harsh; it was authoritative. Integrated amplifier McIntosh MA6500.
I also enjoyed Vangelis’s music through the Benchmark amp, Loudspeakers Amphion One18, Bowers & Wilkins 808.
noticing a few more small details in the chirpy top end of some Accessories Butcherblock Acoustics equipment rack, SME
synthesizer sounds. Fanfare’s percussion shot out into the room a turntable cable, various cables and connectors made by Belden,
bit faster, more like thunder after a lightning bolt overhead than the Canare, Mogami, Switchcraft, ITT Cannon, Neutrik, etc.—Tom Fine
opening of a wormhole. There was a bit more bell sound to the brass
and more detail in the articulation. I was equally pleased with both
sides of this comparison. Although the two amplifiers do not sound attitude, they can only do better and better.”
the same, each brings to the table a coherent sound concept. In the case of the AMP-F10, they needn’t be humble. They’ve
designed it smartly, and it sounds good. My suggestion for future
A worthy new voice amplifier designing is to make sure to listen through large speak-
As Eversolo’s product line expands, they are racking up good ers with big woofers and voice the bass accordingly. Then again,
reviews and widening their profile. there are already plenty of power amplifiers that fulfill that need.
Luo described the company this way. “Eversolo is a group of very Perhaps an amp that brings extra low-end weight and control to
low-key, humble, hardworking people. Most of them are in their smaller speakers is a marketably unique proposition.
20s and 30s, except senior management, [who are] in their 40s. If you’re in the market for a new power amplifier, especially if
They are not audiophiles but love and enjoy music and movies.” you have smaller floorstanders, standmounts, or bookshelf speak-
She added, “Even though their products are very popular, they ers that could use a little extra bass, the Eversolo AMP-F10 is worth
have admitted that they are still very green in audio and are mak- a look and listen. It may help your speakers punch above their size
ing mistakes. But they are eager to learn and improve. With that and weight. n

THE BEST SPEAKERS OF 2024

BY
JAY’S IYAGI
OWNED BY
NEMO PROPAGANDA
TONE AUDIO MAGAZINE
Z REVIEWS
IIWI

WWW.MONACOUSTIC.US
 EQU I P MEN T R EP OR T

ROBERT SCHRYER

Weiss DAC204
D/A PROCESSOR

eiss Engineering D/A

W processors are widely

known for their high
quality, in both home-
audio and pro-audio circles. Over
several Stereophile reviews, they
have always measured well. Oh, and
did you know they’d won a Grammy
Award? Weiss Engineering founder
and chief designer Daniel Weiss won
the 2021 Grammy Award for Techni-
cal Merit for his pioneering work
during the ’80s and ’90s designing
digital equipment for mastering
studios. Daniel is in good company:
Another winner of the same award
is Thomas Edison—though, unlike
Daniel, Edison won it long after he
was dead.
Daniel is one of those audio people
that Herb Reichert would call a Wiz-
ard. He took part in the digital revo-
lution just as it was taking off, at the
tail end of the 1970s, and has focused
his whole life on it ever since.
“I worked there between 1979 and
1984,” Daniel told me during our
interview. “There” was the Swiss
company Studer. “Studer started
doing digital audio in 1979 and to
that end opened a new lab, just for
digital audio. There, I worked on
analog reconstruction filters for D/A

SPECIFICATIONS
Description Digital/analog 0dBFS, selectable via rear-panel talk: <–120dB, 20Hz–20kHz. Warranty: 3 years.
processor based on the ESS toggle switches. Frequency Interchannel phase response: Manufacturer
Sabre 9018S DAC chip. Digital response: 0Hz–20kHz ±0.25dB ±0.05° to –20kHz; ±0.3° up to Weiss Engineering Ltd.,
inputs: One each USB, AES3, (Fs=44.1kHz); 0Hz–40kHz 80kHz. Florastrasse 42, 8610
and S/PDIF on RCA and TosLink ±0.8dB (Fs=88.2kHz); 0Hz– Serial number of unit Uster, Switzerland.
(optical). Accepted formats: 80kHz ±2.5dB (Fs=176.4kHz). reviewed 0536. Manufactured Tel: (41) 44 940 20 06.
PCM 44.1kHz–384kHz; DSD 64×, THD+N: –116dBr at –3dBFS in- in Switzerland. Email: [email protected].
128×. Analog outputs: Stereo put level; –125dBr at –40dBFS; Dimensions 4.2" (105mm) W × Web: weiss.ch.
pair single-ended (RCA) and –125dBr at –70dBFS. Linearity: 3.8" (95mm) H × 6.5" (165mm) North American distributor:
balanced (on XLR). Digital out- less than ±0.4dB variation, D. Weight: 2.4lb (1.1kg). Bluebird Music Ltd.,
puts: one each AES3, S/PDIF on 0dBFS to –120dBFS. Harmonics Finish Silver. 1100 Military Rd.,
RCA and BNC. Output voltage and other spurious compo- Price $3495. Approximate Kenmore, NY 14217.
range: 0.23V–7.5V balanced, nents at 0dBFS: –120dBr at number of dealers: 30 US, Tel: (416) 638-8207.
0.115V–3.75V single-ended at 1kHz, –115dBr at 4kHz. Cross- 10 Canada; also sold online. Web: bluebirdmusic.com.

stereophile.com n August 2025 61

WEISS DAC204

converters, on digital testing generators, on the SFC16 universal nicer chassis, elaborate digital signal processing, and a remote
sampling frequency converter and audio interface, and on digital control. When I got confirmation that I would be reviewing the
signal processing for the first DASH tape recorder we built.”1 DAC204, I was whistling heavy metal Krokus tunes in my shower
While he was there, Daniel received a fateful visit from German for a week.
mastering engineer Ben Bernfeld, he recounted. “Ben wanted to Maybe that experience affected my expectations, because when
have an interface between two Sony digital audio recorders, but I finally received the DAC204, it didn’t seem like heavy metal. The
Studer did not do such custom work, so I did that interface in my box looked a little small. It felt light in my grip. A big part of that
spare time. It turned out there was a huge gap in the market in is the absence of iron inside the chassis. Which is to say, it has a
digital audio equipment for CD mastering. The CD was very young switch-mode power supply. “Switch mode” is anathema for some
back then, and the mastering engineers, who do the last treatment audiophiles. Daniel wrote, in an email, “I often get asked how good
to a recording before it gets published, were using analog equip- the DAC204’s power supply is. To answer that, one needs to know
ment for those digital recordings, meaning they had to apply D/A that the power fed to the DAC204 is passing through two additional
and A/D conversion to do that. They did this with converters that voltage regulators in series before it gets to the analog circuitry.
at the time were compromised in terms of sound quality. So, we So, the power is cleaned up a lot.” The result, according to the
thought a digital signal chain for mastering would make sense, and Weiss website, is “an analog output free of ‘digital noise’ and chan-
that led to me found Weiss Engineering in 1984 to serve the pro nel crosstalk.”
audio industry.” In 2000, Weiss Engineering began to sell audio- For those who may want their power even cleaner, the company
phile consumer products. “The customer bases in the mastering sells the PSU102, an outboard power supply that closely resembles
studio and the residential markets are similar in that customers the DAC204. “We have customers telling us that the DAC204
are very demanding of sound quality,” said Daniel. “So, for our sounds even better with the PSU102,” Daniel said. The PSU102
high-end hi-fi products, we applied the same design philosophy: to retails for $2695.
make equipment which is measurably topnotch in terms of signal- The DAC204 is rather plain looking. Jay Rein of North American
processing quality.” Weiss importer Bluebird Music explained, “The casework of the
In general, Weiss products are not inexpensive. The Weiss DAC204 is deliberately plain. Some customers might lament the
Helios reviewed by JA in March 2024 cost a hair under $22,000 at lack of a fancy chassis, but we believe most customers would be
the time of the review. The Weiss DAC502 cost just under $10,000 glad to know that most of their money is going toward produc-
when JA reviewed it in the August 2020 issue. That makes the ing the best sound possible and not a fancy, expensive case.” Most
DAC204, the component I’m reviewing, a tantalizing value proposi-
tion at $3495, especially considering that it’s a Weiss DAC through 1 DASH stands for Digital Audio Stationary Head. It was a professional, multitrack, digital
reel-to-reel recorder developed by Studer in collaboration with Sony. Like analog record-
and through, designed by Daniel and built entirely in Switzerland. ers, DASH recorders used a stationary recording head, in contrast to DAT recorders, which
What it lacked compared to those more expensive DACs is the used rotating heads.
 WEISS DAC204

potential DAC204 buyers, anyway.

The DAC204 utilizes the ESS Sabre 9018S chip (which
has eight oversampling paralleled sigma-delta D/A
converter channels on a single chip) and employs four
per channel to optimize the signal/noise ratio. The 204
accepts audio datastreams from any USB-equipped com-
puter, tablet, or mobile phone, but it can’t stream music
directly from a portable hard drive.2
The 204 comes with familiar DAC inputs and outputs
but also with some that are less familiar to audiophiles.
There is one pair each unbalanced RCA and balanced
XLR analog outputs. Digital inputs include S/PDIF on
RCA and TosLink (optical) S/PDIF supporting sampling
rates up to 192kHz. The single USB input supports
signals up to 384kHz, plus DSD64 and DSD128. However,
Daniel said: “352.8 and 384kHz frequencies get downs-
ampled to half their value to be compatible with the AES/
EBU and S/PDIF specifications.” You can choose among
these inputs via a switch on the front panel.
The DAC204 also has digital outputs, specifically S/
PDIF over RCA and BNC (one each) and one AES3 out.
The 204, then, can be used as a digital-digital processor.
For example, it can convert DSD64 or DSD128 to PCM
in word lengths of 16-bit or 24-bit or sampling frequen-
cies of 88.2kHz or 176.4kHz. It can send data out to
some other device and take it back in again. “It could be
useful,” said Daniel, “for inserting a digital processor
in the signal path,” like a digital equalizer: USB into the DAC204 → 2 Or anyway, not without assistance. The trick is to turn the computer the disc is attached
DAC204 S/PDIF out to the EQ, then the EQ’s S/PDIF output to the to into a UPnP/DLNA server. Software is available to do exactly that. An example is Asset
UPnP from the makers of dBpoweramp. It can run under Windows, Linux, or Mac OS
DAC204. … Or the feature could be used to have a USB interface for (11 Big Sur or newer) as well as certain NAS operating systems (Synology, QNAP) and
a second DAC.” Raspberry Pi.

U.S. inquiries: Aldo Filippelli - VP of Sales & Business Development

[email protected]

Science-driven proprietary metallurgy

Silver & Gold Alchemy for Musical Purity

crystalcable.com/diamond-series-2
 WEISS DAC204

Between the 204’s USB, RCA, and TosLink inputs, which sounds “Snake Out,” which opens with ambient hall noise punctuated by a
better—or is expected to? “That question basically refers to clock trembling mass of clustered piano tones dealt by Waldron. Those
jitter,” Daniel said. “With the USB input, the clock generator sits in chords reverberated in what sounded like a huge, tunnel-like open
the DAC204—the DAC204 tells the computer to send data. That also space, triggering a frisson of vertigo followed by that familiar pre-
means that the DAC clock is very clean, as the high-quality genera- concert exhilaration.
tor sits right beside the DAC chip. In the case of the S/PDIF inputs Those hard-hit piano chords offered up a believable imper-
(RCA, TosLink), the DAC204 must extract the clock from the S/PDIF sonation of the real thing shuddering in an enclosed, theaterlike
signal and apply some dejittering in case the audio source isn’t space. They even sounded hard—not mechanically but tonally, like
that good in terms of jitter. The DAC204 has a default setting that what you’d expect a block of piano notes thrust into the keyboard
provides very high jitter suppression. In some cases, when there to sound like. They shouldn’t sound soft, or rounded; rather, they
is excessive jitter coming from the audio source, that suppression should sound sharp, dynamic, urgent, and a bit scary. And that is
may fail, and clicks in the audio are generated. In those cases, the how the 204 reproduced them.
dejittering can be put to a more jitter-tolerant setting. With the The drums, however, sounded mediocre—as they should; they
default jitter-suppression setting, the audio quality will be the were recorded that way. Still, the 204 managed to restore some of
same for all three inputs.” the illusion that amid the incessant tic-tic-tic of the cymbal taps, an
Also uncommon on civilian DACs: an “analog attenuation” fea- actual human being was tapping them—and it conveyed a convinc-
ture, which, via two toggle switches on the back panel, allows the ing sense of where each drum stood in relation to the microphone.
user to lower the DAC’s output by 10dB, 20dB, or a combined 30dB Electric bass lines offered a clean sound somewhere between
with switches on, for a range of maximum output voltage (at 0dBFS a buzz and a rumble. All those sounds conveyed a sense of the
digital input) from 0.23V to 7.5V RMS via the balanced output venue’s scale and of the volume of air trapped inside it.
and half those values unbalanced. Why such a wide range? “The Images were solid, with outlines that were clear but not etched.
sensitivities of preamps and power amps are all over the place,” Detail was plentiful and naturally presented. Vocal exclamations,
Daniel said, “hence it makes sense to adjust the DAC output level uttered while the music played, sounded unusually intelligible, as
accordingly.” if the mike had picked them up properly this time, unlike previ-
For Windows computer users, a driver is required to play high- ously. Manfred Schoof’s cornet and Steve Lacy’s soprano sax solos
rez PCM and DSD files via USB. I downloaded the driver available sounded and felt spontaneous, tonally authentic.
from the Weiss website and got started. The bracing, realistic sonority of Waldron’s piano notes
inspired me to reach for Being There by the Tord Gustavsen Trio
Listening (CD, ECM 2017 B0008757-02). I was happy I’d picked it. There is
I began my audition using a transport to play CDs, connecting considerably more studio reverb surrounding Gustavsen’s piano
the Moon 260D CD transport to the Weiss via a Kimber Kable than Waldron’s, but both delivered the timbre, dynamic range,
D60 S/PDIF cable. I started with the Mal Waldron Quintet’s live harmonic breadth, and character of actual notes taking flight from
album Hard Talk (CD, enja CD 2050-2), specifically the first track, a hammered string and wooden soundboard. It’s no small feat for

MEASUREMENTS
USB Prober utility identified the processor

I
performed a full set of measurements a full-scale 1kHz signal were 6.84V,
on the Weiss DAC204 using my Audio as “xCORE USB Audio 2.0” from “XMOS” balanced, and 3.42V, unbalanced. Two
Precision SYS2722 system,1 repeating and indicated that the USB port operated switches on the rear panel allow the level
some of the testing with the maga- in the optimal isochronous asynchronous to be attenuated by up to 30dB in 10dB
zine’s higher-resolution APx555 analyzer. I mode. The AudioMIDI utility revealed that steps. The measured adjustments in level
used optical and coaxial S/PDIF data—the the 204’s USB port accepted 16- and 24-bit were exactly –10dB, –20dB, and –30dB.
TosLink input accepted data sampled at integer data sampled at all rates from Except where noted, I performed all the
rates up to 96kHz—as well as USB data 44.1kHz to 384kHz. 1 See stereophile.com/content/measurements-maps-
sourced from my MacBook Pro. Apple’s The Weiss 204’s output levels with precision.

d
d
B
V B
r
r
A

sec Hz Hz

Fig.1 Weiss DAC204, impulse response (one sample at Fig.2 Weiss DAC204, wideband spectrum of white Fig.3 Weiss DAC204, frequency response at –12dBFS
0dBFS, 44.1kHz data, 4ms time window). noise at –4dBFS (left channel red, right magenta) into 100k ohms with data sampled at: 44.1kHz (left
and 19.1kHz tone at 0dBFS (left blue, right cyan) into channel green, right gray), 96kHz (left cyan, right
100k ohms with data sampled at 44.1kHz (20dB/ magenta), and 192kHz (left blue, right red) (1dB/
vertical div.). vertical div.).

stereophile.com n August 2025 65

 Founder 120H is no ordinary loudspeaker.
We’ve treated every part, large and small, as if it were the most crucial piece of the whole. Every component has
been thoroughly researched, designed, engineered, and tested. Not only are the drivers completely new, so is
their mounting hardware, the cabinet’s internal structure and shape, and even the feet. By leaving no element
unaddressed, we’ve created something that is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Designed, engineered, and fully Scan to learn

more about
Made in Canada, by people who Founder 120H
love great audio (just like you).
 WEISS DAC204

an audio component to reproduce a piano as well as the 204 did. in space, its material texture and tensile strain. Harald Johnsen’s
Not only that: The 204 allowed me to hear how Gustavsen uses double bass tones shifted like tendons on moving limbs, exposing
finger pressure to give each note its own personality. The delicate nuanced variations in string texture, finger pressure, and force.
notes at the beginning of “At Home” blew across my room in color- The 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition of Santana’s epony-
fully mutating, tactile, electrified clouds. I felt I could see into the mous debut album (CD, Columbia / Legacy CK 65489) has three
fabric of the sound, into the behavior of the individual sounds as bonus tracks recorded at the Woodstock Festival. One of them is
they decayed. “Soul Sacrifice,” whose fiery rendition made up for its lacklustre
Perhaps the most striking characteristic of the 204 was how it sound quality. The 204 showed me that it had a lot more life in it
endowed instruments with physical presence, providing each with than I gave it credit for. Via the 204, it sounded big and solid-toned,
its own small, deep soundstage within the overarching one. I swore with fleshed-out images and a stage full of observable activity.
I could hear and see cymbals flash into view, their indented metal- It was easy to see—to visualize—the back-and-forth interplay
lic frames wobbling in the air like saucers. Or that I could hear the between keyboardist Gregg Rolie (stage left) and guitarist Carlos
drumsticks’ cylindrical shape as its shaft struck a rim. Technique, Santana (stage right). I found myself trying to hear when, as re-
timbre, tones appeared on a tiny scale. That’s the drug, isn’t it? Dis- counted by Santana himself, the acid Jerry Garcia gave him, which
covering new things in our recordings? It’s musical space travel, he took before his set, kicked in and (as he has said) rubberized his
and my system with the 204 was my USS Enterprise. fretboard. I couldn’t hear it (when it took effect or the struggle), but
Cymbal taps slipped into fine-grained oblivion. Drum hits what I did hear—what the 204 gave me—was a bustling live-show
popped inside my air space. Before the 204, I’d never realized how atmosphere, a spaciously layered environment, and a keen sense of
good a percussionist Jarle Vespestad is, how skillfully he taps, the musicians’ intense, in-the-moment focus, as if they were play-
pounds, rolls, and creates painterly sonic texture across his drum ing for their lives. The song sounded fresh for a recording made
set—snare drum here, mounted tom there, bass drum and cymbals more than 50 years ago over a muddy field in upstate New York.
down here and up there, inches apart in the soundstage. I felt a pal- Santana’s Woodstock-performed “Soul Sacrifice” led into Ra-
pable sense of the size of each drum, its periphery, its movements diohead’s I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings (CD, EMI 7243 5 36616

measurements, continued

measurements without any attenuation. The red trace in fig.5 plots the error in 2 I asked Daniel Weiss how the S/N ratio varies with
The Weiss preserved absolute polarity the analog output level as a 24-bit, 1kHz the attenuation setting. His answer: For a full-scale
from the balanced and unbalanced line digital tone is stepped down from 0dBFS to (0dBFS) input, the S/N ratio varies from 112dB with
no attenuation to 108dB with attenuation of 30dB.
outputs. The output impedances were –140dBFS. The amplitude error is negligible For a 40dBFS input, the S/N ratio varies from 123dB
usefully low from the balanced and the down to –136dBFS, which implies superbly to 109dB under the same conditions.—Jim Austin
single-ended outputs at 94 ohms and 47
ohms, respectively, both consistent from
20Hz to 20kHz.
Fig.1 shows the Weiss 204’s impulse
response with data sampled at 44.1kHz. d d d
It is typical of a long linear-phase filter B B B
r r r
with symmetrical ringing before and after
A A A
the single full-scale sample. The magenta
and red traces in fig.2 show the Weiss’s
wideband spectrum with 44.1kHz white
noise data at –4dBFS. The response rolls
off sharply above the audioband, with full Hz dBFS

stopband attenuation reached at 24kHz.

Fig.4 Weiss DAC204, spectrum of 24-bit 1kHz tone at Fig.5 Weiss DAC204, left channel, 1kHz output level
Consequently, the image at 25kHz of a 0dBFS, DC–1kHz (left channel blue, right red; 20dB/ vs 24-bit data level in dBFS (blue, 20dB/vertical div.);
full-scale 19.1kHz tone (cyan, blue traces) is vertical div.). linearity error (red, 1dB/small vertical div.).
completely suppressed.
The Weiss 204’s frequency response with
44.1kHz, 96kHz, and 192kHz data (fig.3) is
flat in the audioband and follows the same
basic shape, with a sharp rolloff just below d
half of each sample rate. The frequency B V
r
response was identical from both output A
types and was not affected by the attenu-
ation settings. Channel separation was
superb, at >120dB in both directions below
3kHz and still 113dB at the top of the au-
dioband. The low-frequency noisefloor was Hz sec

very low in level and free from power sup-

Fig.7 Weiss DAC204, waveform of undithered 1kHz
ply–related spuriae (fig.4). The noisefloor Fig.6 Weiss DAC204, spectrum with noise and spuriae
sinewave at –90.31dBFS, 16-bit data (left channel
of dithered 1kHz tone at –90dBFS with 16-bit data (left
level rose by up to 10dB—no more—with channel green, right gray) and 24-bit data (left blue, blue, right red).
attenuation activated.2 right red; 20dB/vertical div.).

stereophile.com n August 2025 67

WEISS DAC204

2 5). I Might Be Wrong wasn’t meant to sound live—or

even from this planet. It was designed to provide a wall
of sound, real and manufactured, and that’s how the
204 served it to me: on a hotplate of glittering, swirling,
interstellar effects interweaved with an actual reverb-
drenched rock concert.
The album’s first track, “The National Anthem,”
spread out beyond my speakers as wide as an orca’s
mouth. The sound filled the air in front of me with an
energized, layered tapestry of parts moving at high
speed. Colin Greenwood’s buzzing bass sliced the
room in half from floor to ceiling pipes, while Thom
Yorke’s digitally morphed, warbling vocals sounded
eerily translucent even as they stayed solidly anchored.
It sounded simultaneously fake and authentic—a
tribute to the 204’s transparency and faithfulness
to this deliciously processed music. Above all, “The
National Anthem” sounded intentional—as in, as it was
intended—and also immense, colorfully engorged, and
aesthetically seamless.
The 204’s high-end pedigree was cemented with
hi-rez material. But first a tiny stumble. DAC204 didn’t
appear as an output device in Roon’s Audio tab, so I clicked instead I heard from a DSD-encoded file of Thelonious Monk’s Straight, No
on the WASAPI interface option instead. This lit up the DSD and Chaser and a 24/192 FLAC file of CSNY’s Déjà Vu to another level
192kHz LED lights on the 204’s front panel and brought the sound of sophistication compared to Red Book—more palpable, larger

measurements, continued

high resolution. When I examined the

spectra with 16- and 24-bit dithered data
representing a 1kHz tone at –90dBFS, the
increase in bit depth lowered the noise-
floor by 32dB (fig.6). This suggests a mea-
V
Level (dBrA)

sured resolution of 21 bits, which is state

of the art. When I played undithered data
representing a tone at exactly –90.31dBFS,
which consists of data at –1LSB, digital
zero, and +1LSB, the waveform was sym-
metrical, and the three DC voltage levels
sec
described by the data were clearly defined
(fig.7). With undithered 24-bit data, the
Fig.8 Weiss DAC204, waveform of undithered 1kHz Frequency (Hz)
Weiss DAC204 output a superbly clean sinewave at –90.31dBFS, 24-bit data (left channel
sinewave (fig.8). blue, right red).
Fig.9 Weiss DAC204, spectrum of 24-bit 1kHz
The Weiss 204’s distortion was primar- sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 0dBFS into 200k ohms (left
ily third harmonic, this lying at –114dB channel blue, right red; linear frequency scale).
(0.0002%) with a 1kHz signal at 0dBFS
(fig.9). Intermodulation distortion with
24-bit data representing an equal mix of
19 and 20kHz tones, each at –6dBFS, was
extremely low in level, even into 600 ohms d d
(fig.10). B B

The Weiss 204 was immune to jitter with r r

A A
all its inputs. Fig.11 shows the spectrum
of its output when it was fed 16-bit optical
J-Test data. The odd-order harmonics of
the undithered low-frequency, LSB-level
squarewave all lie at the correct levels; and Hz Hz
the noisefloor between those harmonics
is vanishingly low in level, as it was with Fig.10 Weiss DAC204, HF intermodulation spectrum, Fig.11 DAC204, 16-bit TosLink data, high-resolution
24-bit J-Test data (not shown). DC–30kHz, 19+20kHz at 0dBFS into 600 ohms, 24-bit, jitter spectrum of analog output signal, 11.025kHz
44.1kHz data (left channel blue, right red; linear at –6dBFS, sampled at 44.1kHz with LSB toggled at
The measured performance of the Weiss frequency scale). 229Hz (left channel blue, right red). Center frequency
204 is state of the digital art.—John Atkinson of trace, 11.025kHz; frequency range, ±3.5kHz.

68 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 WEISS DAC204

in scale, with a more spacious soundstage and better developed

images. Notes heard in hi-rez had more lower-body presence than ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
CDs and sounded a bit more harmonically complete.
I thought CDs through the 204 sounded free of distortion—but Digital sources Moon 260D CD transport, iFi iDSD Diablo DAC.
somehow, the hi-rez content sounded even more distortion-free. Integrated amplifier Grandinote Shinai.
The harmony vocals on Déjà Vu’s “Carry On” had never sounded Loudspeakers Focal Aria K2 936, Dynaudio Contour 30i.
this natural, steady, and spatially detailed. In fact, I was surprised Cables Interconnect: Kimber Kable 1016 (RCA). Speaker: Kimber
that this file sounded this good, because it never had before, even Kable Monocle-XL (w/banana plugs). Digital: Kimber Kable
through other components capable of 24/192 playback. I used to D60 (RCA S/PDIF), AudioQuest Forest (USB). Power: Shunyata
think this recording sounded flat, dynamically and spatially, but Research Black Mamba CX, LessLoss DFPC, DR Acoustics Red
the 204 showed otherwise by revealing how much dynamic and Fire Ultra.
spatial life I’d been missing. Accessories Shunyata Research Venom PS8 power conditioner;
Forgive the cliché, but throughout my time with the 204, I a component rack and a wood plinth stand (under turntable)
discovered new things in familiar albums, or at least things made whose brand names are lost to time.—Rob Schryer
more obvious, such as Neil Young’s fingerpicking technique in
guitar solos. I’m not sure it had ever occurred to me that he wasn’t
using a pick, but now it was obvious: that snappy, slightly dull tone presentation has an analog-like flow, but it doesn’t sound analog.
of a string being yanked rather than plucked. Neil’s electric guitar Rather, it sounds digital but ultraclean, vivid, and pure.
was also more holographic, providing a better perspective on its Quality hi-fi is a recipe of matching qualities, as they pertain to
angles, shape, and Neil’s grip. The organ solo was not only en- the model’s design, construction, function, and sonic attributes.
sconced deep into my room as I’d never heard it before; the chordal Our hobby isn’t just about sound any more than a novel is just
melody sounded almost liturgical. Where did that come from? about words. Both recorded music and written words are meant to
The Thelonious Monk DSD file shared sonic similarities with the paint a picture in our minds. The better the audio and writing, the
PCM one—huge, palpable images, tonal ripeness, natural timbre, more vivid the picture.
and a spherelike soundstage (appropriate for Thelonious “Sphere” The DAC204 paints vividly indeed. It paints a picture that
Monk) marked by layers of distance. I’d never heard Monk’s brings the music on each recording more into focus. It delivers
piano notes—nor those of Charlie Rouse’s saxophone—sound this sustained musicality and timbral authenticity. In sum, it sounds
vibrant, explicit, or realistic on CD. like it was designed by a digital guru—a wizard—and made in a
place like Switzerland, with mountains and pristine lakes and
The wrap valleys. I’m sure Krokus would have a blast hearing their music
The Weiss DAC204 allows me to hear deep into recordings. Its through it. n

Materially Superior, Award-Winning

Turntables & Tonearms

JSikora.eu
NotableAudio.com
 EQU I P MEN T R EP OR T

KEN MICALLEF

Treehaus Audiolab “The Preamplifier”

PREAMPLIFIER

magine navigating the hectic rooms of an audio show at which and out, sparking curiosity among jaded journalists and seasoned

I a sea of similar-looking, similar-sounding gear blends into a

predictable thrum, drawing a chorus of familiar nods. Then
you stumble into the room occupied by Rich Pinto and his
Treehaus Audiolab components. Here, the expected evaporates,
replaced by designs that offer something different, both inside
listeners.
Now step into the Southport, Connecticut, workshop of Tree-
haus Audiolab, where Rich Pinto crafts Treehaus Audiolab’s prod-
ucts, loosely but richly inspired by echoes of Western Electric and
Klangfilm. Picture SET amplifiers and SUTs forged like ’50s-era

SPECIFICATIONS
Description Two-channel, Output impedance: 150 ohms. Dimensions 20" (508mm) × Price $24,000 with tubes.
stereo, tubed preamplifier Frequency response: 20Hz– 13.5" (343mm) × 7" (180mm) Approx. number of US dealers:
with external power supply. 20kHz, ±2dB. S/N ratio: ≥90dB. each chassis. Weight: 60lb direct to consumer. Warranty:
Vacuum tube complement: Maximum gain: 6.5dB/13dB (27kg). 5 years, 1 year on tubes.
two 6CJ3 rectifier tubes, (user selectable). Maximum Finishes Two styles, A/Machines Manufacturer
two 4P1L signal tubes, all output voltage: 4V RMS at 2V and Kinsuido; myriad finish Treehaus Audiolab,
new old stock. Inputs: 5 pair RMS input (low gain setting); combinations for each. 909 Kings Hwy. West,
single-ended (RCA). Outputs: 8V RMS at 2V RMS input (high Serial number of unit Southport, CT 06890.
2 pair single-ended (RCA). gain setting). THD: <0.05%. reviewed 48 61 6c 6f 20 30 30 Tel: (917) 855-9649.
Input impedance: 40k ohms. Power consumption: 65W. 31 31. Made in USA. Web: treehausaudiolab.com.

stereophile.com n August 2025 71

TREEHAUS AUDIOLAB THE PREAMPLIFIER

muscle car motors standing in

contrast to field coil loudspeak-
ers that recall large woodland
sprites. Artistry and engineer-
ing intertwine: Pinto shapes the
handsome, industrial-looking
exteriors, while Radu Tarta of
Simple Pleasure Tube Amps1
handles the circuits. It’s a col-
laboration of rugged beauty
and sonic inventiveness.
“We approach our electron-
ics, as well as our speakers and
complete systems, as a recipe,”
Pinto wrote in an email when
I asked him about his design
goals. “We aim for a high de-
gree of clarity and purity, with
a bit of DHT (directly heated
triode) tube seasoning and
spice. DHTs have a magic about
them, a bit of second-harmonic distortion, that fits the essence of to attenuate the signal. The 4P1L signal tube we use has unique
the brand’s sonic signature. specifications and sonic characteristics that allow us to provide
“To create the Treehaus preamplifier,” Pinto continued, “we a clean variant of the DHT sound. Filament bias provides further
thought the signal path should be simple, with minimal compo- clarity, by eliminating the coloration a decoupling capacitor would
nentry, based on classic designs. The power supplying this circuit introduce.” The result—the two-chassis Treehaus Preamplifier—
should be modern and provide the best possible foundation for costs $24,000.
the amplification circuit to work its magic. We utilize transformer
1 See simplepleasuretubeamps.com. Tarta also publishes Glow in the Dark Audio, a
coupling rather than capacitor coupling, and we use a transformer fascinating site that offers commentary on classic and unusual audio designs: speakers,
volume control rather than the more common resistive designs amplifiers, drivers, and tubes. See glowinthedarkaudio.com/home.html.—Jim Austin

MEASUREMENTS

T
he tubes in the preamp chassis the volume control set to its maximum. varying from 110dB in both directions at
and the power supply were in- The response into both impedances is flat 100Hz to 64dB at 20kHz. With the volume
stalled when I unpacked the two in the audioband, with excellent channel control set to the maximum, the gain set
shipping boxes, but I checked that matching. However, the response into to Low, and the input shorted to ground,
they were correctly seated before starting the higher impedance starts to rise above the wideband, unweighted S/N ratio (ref.
the testing. I performed a complete set 30kHz, peaking by 11dB at 120kHz. This 2V output) was an excellent 88.5dBdB,
of tests with my Audio Precision SYS2722 peak is suppressed into the low impedance which increased to 97.5dB when the
system1 after powering up the preamplifier and with the gain set to High, but is joined measurement bandwidth was reduced
and letting it settle for 30 minutes. by a peak at 70kHz in the latter condition to the audioband, and to 105.5dB when
The Treehaus inverted absolute polarity (fig.2). The response and the excellent A-weighted. These ratios were all 5–6dB
with all of its inputs and outputs, which channel matching were preserved at lower lower with the gain set to High, but this
is what I would expect from a circuit that volume control settings. 1 See stereophile.com/content/measurements-maps-
uses a single triode in the signal path. The Channel separation was very good, precision.
Treehaus’s input impedance is specified as
a minimum of 40k ohms; I measured 85k
ohms at 20Hz, 89k ohms at 1kHz, and 79k
ohms at 20kHz. The preamplifier’s output
impedance is specified as 150 ohms. I d d
found that it was usefully low but different B B
in the two gain settings: it varied from 521 r r
A A
ohms at 20Hz to 677 ohms at 20kHz with
the High setting; from 103 ohms at 20Hz to
147 ohms at 20kHz with the Low setting.
The maximum gain was very close to the
specified values, at 6.75dB, Low gain, and Hz Hz
12.95dB, High gain. Fig.1 plots the Tree-
haus’s frequency response into 100k ohms Fig.1 Treehaus Audiolab, Low gain, frequency Fig.2 Treehaus Audiolab, High gain, frequency
response with volume control set to the maximum at response with volume control set to the maximum at
(blue and red traces) and 600 ohms (green, 2V into 100k ohms (left channel blue, right red) and 2V into 100k ohms (left channel blue, right red) and
gray traces) with the gain set to Low and 600 ohms (left green, right gray) (2dB/vertical div.). 600 ohms (left green, right gray) (2dB/vertical div.).

72 August 2025 n stereophile.com

[ sometimes ]
technology meets art...
Introducing the new “Flow ULTIMA”

US Distributor
Musical Artisans
Skokie, IL
(847) 877-2791
[email protected]

US Dealers
Euphoria HiFi
Southlake, TX
(817) 767-9002
[email protected]

Reference Cinema & Sound

Ridgefield, CT
914-666-0550
www.referencecinemaandsound.com

Joseph AVS Inc.

Midlothian, IL
(708) 522-2422
[email protected]

Tone of Music
San Francisco, CA
(415) 860-6818
[email protected]

Don Better Audio

Shaker Heights, OH
(216) 375-1393
[email protected]

WWW.ARGENTOAUDIO.COM
 TREEHAUS AUDIOLAB THE PREAMPLIFIER

Design
The Treehaus Audiolab website
states that “The Treehaus pream-
plifier essentially is an SET ampli-
fier in [its] design philosophy.” I
asked Pinto to explain. Its design
“is very similar to what you would
find in a traditional SET amplifier:
a directly heated tube, in this case
the 4P1L triode-strapped, output-
ting to a transformer, in this case
the line-out transformer.”
The Treehaus Audiolab pream-
plifier, in its A/Machines version,
has a forceful, weighty presence.
Each chassis—the control unit and
the matching power supply—mea-
sures a robust 20" wide × 13.5" deep
× 7.1" tall. Each aluminum-enclosed
unit weighs roughly a solid 30lb or
so. The aluminum top, sidewalls,
and bottom panels are 3mm thick,
and the front and back plates are 5mm thick—all aluminum. extends inside.
With its powder-coated Hammertone finish and chunky, retro I mentioned that this is the A/Machines version. There is
control knobs (including separate L and R volume and source- another. “The preamplifier [you have] is the ‘A/Machines’ design,
selection buttons on my sample, though it is also available with a inspired heavily by vintage Klangfilm and Western Electric,” Pinto
single knob for each), the Treehaus preamplifier evokes the indus- said. The alternative design, called “Kinsuido,” is quite different,
trial elegance of classic 1950s tube preamplifiers like the Stancil- with no chassis markings. Pinto says the two designs are electri-
Hoffman Western Electric Westrex or the Siemens Klangfilm 6S cally identical. “The ‘Kinsuido’ design draws from midcentury
ELA 2117. This homage to vintage industrial design, Pinto told me, modern and vintage Japanese electronics. ‘Kinsuido’ is the shop

measurements, continued

is still excellent performance. Spectral With the volume control set to –10dB rise above the noisefloor at 200mV, reach-
analysis of the Treehaus’s low-frequency and the level of the input signal increased ing 0.1% just above 2V, but the preampli-
noisefloor with the preamplifier set to Low so that the output was the same 2V didn’t fier doesn’t actually clip, defined as when
gain and outputting a 1kHz tone at 2V with raise the level of the random noisefloor, the THD+N is 1%, until 14V! With the gain
the volume control set to the maximum but the levels of the spuriae at 60Hz and set to High, the distortion remained below
(fig.3, green and gray traces) indicated that its odd-order harmonics increased by up to 0.1% until the output reached 4.5V, and
there were supply-related spuriae present 10dB (not shown). the Treehaus now clipped at 28V into 100k
in the noisefloor but these were very low in Fig.4 plots the THD+noise percentage in ohms. With the gain set to Low (fig.5), the
level. Repeating the analysis with the gain the Treehaus preamp’s output against volt- THD+N at low output voltages into 600
set to High increased the levels of these age into 100k ohms with a 1kHz signal, the ohms was higher than it had been into
spuriae and the random noisefloor, by gain set to Low, and the volume control set 100k ohms, but the clipping voltage was a
6–10dB (blue, red traces). to the maximum. The distortion starts to still high 12V.

d
B
% %
r
A

Hz V V

Fig.3 Treehaus Audiolab, spectrum of 1kHz sinewave, Fig.4 Treehaus Audiolab, Low gain, THD+N (%) vs Fig.5 Treehaus Audiolab, Low gain, THD+N (%) vs
DC–1kHz, at 2V into 100k ohms with volume control 1kHz output voltage into 100k ohms. 1kHz output voltage into 600 ohms.
set to the maximum and gain set to High (left channel
blue, right red) and to Low (left channel green, right
gray) (linear frequency scale).

stereophile.com n August 2025 75

where a very famous Japanese
hi-fi brand got its start and
whose industrial design work
I greatly admire.2 Part of the
design ethos at Treehaus is the
products should look good any-
where in the home, not hidden
away, which is why we like to
offer such choices.”
Peering inside the Treehaus
Audiolab preamplifier, I saw
a bundle of tiny wires run-
ning from those separate left
and right rotary switches to
dedicated Finemet transform-
ers. “The signal path is selector
switch to transformer volume
control or TVC (attenuation The Treehaus Preamplifier added a jolt The cores of those Finemet
only, no gain),” Pinto explained. transformers are made from a
“Then a 4P1L gain stage (one
of fresh energy and transparency; the nanocrystalline soft magnetic
tube per channel) to the output AirTight conjured natural dynamics, metal, which offers high perme-
transformer, which can provide fine-grained resolution, and vividness. ability, enabling efficiency, a
additional gain via the switches smaller footprint, good tempera-
on the back, for better amplifier matching. ture stability, and low hysteresis loss. Less energy is needed to
“Finemet TVC”—that’s Transformer Volume Control—“converts magnetize and demagnetize.
between current and voltage rather than obstructing the signal “Finemet transformers offer the right balance of extension, clar-
flow through a resistor, and we find they don’t degrade the audio ity, and liquidity,” Pinto noted.
signal,” Pinto continued. “In practice, at any volume level, the same Other standout elements of the Treehaus preamplifier include
amount of detail and energy is present in the music. Using multiple a pair of NOS Russian 4P1L DHP vacuum tubes operating in a
output taps to the rotary control switch, they carefully attenuate 2 I asked and Pinto confirmed: “Kinsuido” is a reference to the picture-frame store where
the incoming audio signal before the gain stage.” Luxman was founded 100 years ago.—Jim Austin

measurements, continued

The Treehaus preamplifier’s THD+N primarily the second and fourth harmonics –70dB (0.03%) in both channels.
percentage, plotted at 2V into 100k ohms (fig.7), though the second harmonic was The Treehaus Audiolab’s measured
with the gain set to Low (fig.6), was very higher in the left channel (blue trace), at performance is considerably better than
low across the audioband but higher in –67dB (0.04%), and was joined by the third I was expecting from a circuit that uses a
the left channel (blue trace) than the right harmonic at –83dB (0.007%). This graph single triode as the active device. It offers
(red). As expected from fig.5, the THD+N was taken with High gain; the second har- respectably low levels of distortion and
was higher into 600 ohms (green and gray monic was slightly higher in level with Low noise at typical output voltages in both
traces). The distortion only rose slightly gain, at –63dB (0.07%) in the left channel gain modes, provided the preamplifier
in the low bass, which suggests that the and –77dB (0.014%) in the right. Intermod- is used with a power amplifier that has a
output transformers are high quality. The ulation distortion with an equal mix of 19 high input impedance. That the distor-
behavior with the preamplifier set to High and 20kHz tones and the gain set to High tion signature is primarily the subjectively
gain was similar. The distortion signature was low in level (fig.8), the second-order benign second harmonic is a bonus.
at the same voltage into 100k ohms was difference product at 1kHz lying close to —John Atkinson

d d
B B
%
r r
A A

Hz Hz Hz

Fig.6 Treehaus Audiolab, Low gain, THD+N (%) vs fre- Fig.7 Treehaus Audiolab, High gain, spectrum of 50Hz Fig.8 Treehaus Audiolab, High gain, HF intermodula-
quency at 2V into 100k ohms (left channel blue, right sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 2V into 100k ohms (linear tion spectrum, DC–30kHz, 19+20kHz at 2V into 100k
red) and 600 ohms (left green, right gray). frequency scale). ohms (linear frequency scale).

stereophile.com n August 2025 77

 Dark star
A radical upgrade for a stone-cold classic

Contour 20 Black Edition is the apex

of 40 years of Contour.

We’ve taken every component and

upgraded it. (You want an Esotar 3?
You’ve got it.) We’ve taken every
nuance and improved it. (You want
a simpler crossover? Done.)
And we’ve looked at every surface…
and made it black. (Because.)

It’s an investment in sound.

An investment in your music collection.
And also… it’s black.

Contour 20 Black Edition

Book your demo session at www.dynaudio.com
 TREEHAUS AUDIOLAB THE PREAMPLIFIER

triode-strapped configuration with filament bias, utilizing Coleman Setup

Regulators, fed by a constant current source power supply. This The Treehaus preamplifier is bulky though less weighty than some
supply uses Cornell Dubilier Knowles metallized polypropylene other components I’ve wrestled onto and off of my rack. The pream-
film capacitors, Amtrans carbon-film resistors, Seiden and Elma plifier settled in on the shelf second from the top; the power supply
copper rotary switches (for input selection and volume attenua- occupied the shelf below. A combination of AudioQuest and Triode
tion), a custom-designed Finemet output transformer from General Wire Labs cables connected the Treehaus preamplifier to, alternate-
Transformer Japan with a high/low gain switch, and Mogami and ly, AirTight and Rogue Audio power amps, and Manley Chinook,
Iconoclast internal wire. The main signal board is mounted to a Ter- Tavish Audio Design, and Allnic phono stages.
raStone plinth, which in turn is mounted
to the aluminum chassis through isola-
tion bushings made of Sorbothane. These
fancy, high-value components don’t
guarantee good sound, but their pedigree
inspires confidence, as does the preamp’s
careful circuit layout.
The coordinated power supply, which
is connected to the preamp by a thick
umbilical cord with robust MIL-spec
Amphenol connectors, utilizes a CLCLC
(capacitor-load-capacitor-load-capacitor)
configuration for high-voltage power. It
includes a toroidal power transformer
with a Finemet choke in the final stage,
dual 6CJ3 tube rectification, Cornell
Dubilier Knowles aluminum electrolytic
capacitors, and a Vishay film capacitor.
Also used are Triad Magnetics power
transformers for the 4P1L heater cir-
cuits, dual Simpson VU gauges, and a
chunky power switch.
A key feature within the preamp is
the extensive damping applied to the
4P1L tubes. Because the 4P1L tubes are
microphonic, Pinto and Tarta have sur-
rounded each one with three prominent
tube-damping rings. “The tube damper
rings are two variants of ‘IsoDamp’
proprietary material from edenSound,” The alternative, “Kinsuido” version of the Treehaus When I snapped the preamp’s chunky
Audiolab Preamplifier, built with just one volume and
Pinto explained. “The smaller, darker one source-selection knob. Both the A/Machines Vulcan-Bomber-RAF Rotax double-tumbler
ones are metal-infused and have a slight- and Kinsuido versions can be built either way, with a power switch, the preamp emitted a series
ly different density, so they are placed single knob for those controls or with separate L and of pinging tones—those microphonic tubes.
R volume and source-selection knobs.
where the insulating spacers in the tube “The 4P1L is sensitive to microphony and
contact the glass envelope. The larger will make a few sounds during warmup,”
red one provides better glass damping. They are spaced slightly to Pinto explained. “In use, there is no issue, though physically
allow for some tube ventilation—though the 4P1L doesn’t run too tapping the chassis might be audible.” He went on to say that the
hot for a ‘power’ tube. It is a bit belt-and-suspenders, but a bit extra measures employed by Treehaus to mitigate microphony—damp-
doesn’t hurt to extract the best performance out of the tubes.” ers, the isolation platform—“keep this tube from interfering with
The Treehaus preamplifier’s facade is imposing but also music enjoyment during use. The benefits the 4P1L offers sonically
welcoming, a point of fascination at audio shows. The black knobs outweighed these concerns.”
and glass power gauge on the power supply chassis recall a classic
1950s-era American preamp, as intended. Its dual volume potenti- Listening
ometers rotate with a satisfying, silent motion as they move among In a recent video on my YouTube channel, Jazz Vinyl Audiophile,3
26 positions, marked from 0.00 to 11.00. Two smaller (but no less I reviewed releases from Analogue Productions/Verve Records’
chunky) knobs enable source selection from inputs 1–4. These con- Acoustic Sounds Series. These 180gm vinyl LPs, pressed at QRP
trols are recessed in a black, powder-coated aluminum panel. The and housed in lovely tip-on gatefold sleeves, highlight the work
surrounding outer bezels are finished in house in an oxidized gray. of Bernie Grundman, Matthew Luthans, and Ryan J. Smith, who
Around back are the usual assortment of RCA inputs and out- remastered and cut lacquers using the original analog tapes. The
puts, all Cardas-made, including five pairs of RCA inputs, two pairs assorted 33 1/3 titles feature such jazz legends as Ella Fitzgerald,
of RCA outputs, and two toggle switches for setting the output Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Milt Jackson, Sonny Rollins, and
transformer gain. Roland Kirk. They sound stupendous.
The preamp and power supply frames are lined internally with To me, some recent jazz reissues sound as if they were dipped in
thin, combined layers of aluminum and butyl rubber mastic, care- butter and baked into a sticky pie, but Chad Kassem’s AP/Verves
fully placed to dampen resonances. TerraStone Roller Bearings
footers are used under each unit. 3 See youtube.com/channel/UCjfY3q5vgp-JuoEDoHwoCkw.

stereophile.com n August 2025 79

New Finishes

*Finishes must be procured separately.

D I VA U TO P I A | H I - F I E XC E L L E N C E , W I R E L E S S A N D CO N N E C T E D
DIVA UTOPIA combines the finest elements of Focal audio and Naim electronics, crafting a listening experience
that is both effortless and extraordinary. This 3-way bass-reflex, wireless, active loudspeaker is designed for
versatility, allowing control via an app, remote, or voice commands. With an impressive 400W amplification
and access to top-tier streaming services through the Naim Pulse Platform, it delivers an exceptional audio
performance. The integration of ultra-wideband technology (UWB 96kHz/24bits) elevates sound quality, ensuring
a premier hi-fi experience. Plus, its striking design adds a touch of elegance to this remarkable Utopia creation.

Available in our Focal powered by Naim network

DIVA UTOPIA: $39,999.00 pair.

focal.com | focalnaimamerica.com | Distributed by Focal Naim America | For more information : 1 800.663.9352 / [email protected]
 TREEHAUS AUDIOLAB THE PREAMPLIFIER

sound lively, punchy, dynamic, and tonally rich. They retain the
original pressings’ jump and mojo while providing more of the ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
luster of the original tapes. (I haven’t heard the tapes, so this is an
assumption.) Analog sources J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme turntable with
Pianist Oscar Peterson and vibraphonist Milt Jackson’s tremen- KV9 Max Zirconium tonearm. Aidas Tru-Stone Gold Web phono
dous Very Tall (Verve Records B0037378-01) presents velvety vi- cartridge.
braphone, tepid acoustic piano, and taut, tight-fisted acoustic bass. Digital sources Tascam CD player, HoloAudio May DAC.
With the Treehaus in the system, the soundfield never expanded Preamplifiers Tavish Audio Design Adagio, Manley Chinook
beyond my Volti Audio Lucera loudspeakers, but it was more than (phono). Rogue Audio RP-6, Shindo Allegro.
satisfying. Instruments were palpable and upfront in the mix. The Power amplifier AirTight ATM-1 2024, Rogue Stereo 100.
Treehaus preamplifier provided a largely neutral, silken, open Integrated amplifiers Union Research S7, Riviera Labs Levante.
conduit to the music. Loudspeakers Voxativ Ampeggio 2024, DeVore Fidelity Super
The Treehaus preamplifier’s neutral mien, allied to its low Nine, Volti Audio Lucera.
noisefloor and impressive information retrieval, unmasked both Cables Interconnect: AudioQuest Pegasus, Triode Wire Labs
downstream and upstream components. John Lee Hooker’s menac- Spirit II (RCA). Speaker: DanaCable, AudioQuest William Tell,
ing It Serve You Right to Suffer (Impulse! AS-9103/Verve Records Auditorium 23. AC: AudioQuest NRG Z, Triode Wire Labs Obses-
602475207733) places Hooker in your face, pacing the studio like sion NCF.
an angry judge. With the Treehaus in the system, it punched hard, Accessories Pro-Ject VC-S2 ALU, HumminGuru record clean-
with the force of a freight train driven by a demon. Hooker’s ragged ing machines; AOCISKA soft-bristle dry record brush; Audio-
vocals and his studio band of hard-scrabble blues guitar, relent- Quest PQ-707 and IsoTek EVO3 Aquarius power conditioners;
less, pounding bass, and stomping and unruly drums struck with Salamander five-tier Archetype rack (2); Pangea audio rack; A/V
the impact of a blunt shovel blow. Despite a character that tends RoomService Equipment Vibration Protectors (EVPs); IKEA Apti-
toward the silken, the Treehaus preamp allowed this cast of sonic tlig bamboo chopping boards (under turntable, preamp, power,
marauders to engulf my listening space. and integrated amps); mahogany blocks (three to a stack) under
The Treehaus preamplifier revealed every subtlety and nuance bamboo boards.—Ken Micallef
in a recording. It was remarkably ego-free, allowing the system’s
other components to define the sound’s color and tone. Along the
way, it still delivered music with force and clarity I’ve rarely heard Compared with the Rogue Audio RP-7
from other preamplifiers. In my system, the $4995 RP-7, a full-function tubed preamp with
The Treehaus preamplifier partnered well with the colorful remote control, is often paired with the tubed Rogue Stereo 100
Tavish Audio Design Adagio phono preamp. It didn’t gel as well power amplifier. While the core functions may be similar, the
with the Manley Chinook phono preamp—a bit too much neutral- price and design of the two preamps are significantly different.
ity, perhaps. The RP-7 offered a more traditional, rich tube sound than the
The Treehaus-based system made plain the character of Treehaus preamp, with slightly more visceral images, but it lacked
the Lightnin’ Hopkins album Lightnin’ Strikes (Verve Records the dynamic range and transparency of the much more expensive
602458538359), a less raucous outing but just as dynamic and Treehaus, often blending instruments into a less well-defined
engaging. This album came across like an acoustic traveling road sonic mass and occasionally exhibiting an ever-so-slightly wiry-
band in my living room. This was a clear pattern: The Treehaus sounding treble. Still, on its own, the RP-7 is a very solid day-to-day
preamplifier consistently revealed a recording’s soul and intent. choice in a tubed preamplifier.
A shift of sonic landscape occurred as The Allman Brothers
Band’s Idlewild South (ATCO Records SD 33-342) played. The sound Compared with the Shindo Laboratories Allegro
was rich and vibrant, achieving a gravitas via a harmonious bal- My long-term reference Shindo Allegro preamplifier, one of Ken
ance between the Treehaus Audiolab preamp and the AirTight Shindo’s earliest creations, benefits from point-to-point wiring
ATM-1E stereo power amp. The Treehaus added a jolt of fresh and separate chassis for left and right channels. It has the un-
energy and transparency; the AirTight conjured natural dynam- mistakable Shindo sound and so provided an entirely different
ics, fine-grained resolution, and vividness. The vocal chorus in view into the music than the Treehaus did. The Shindo Allegro’s
“Revival” transported me to a Sunday morning Baptist church noisefloor was noticeably higher, and its presentation lacked the
service; the feral howl of the harmonica and the careening wail of layering, separation, and transparent personality of the Treehaus.
Duane Allman’s slide guitar in “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” peeled On the other side of the ledger, it manifested more physicality and
my ears back with their power. more flesh-and-blood tonality and texture, both very well-known
The gravitas and power continued with Aphex Twin’s Blackbox Shindo strengths. The Shindo plays records with stunning force
Life Recorder 21f / In a Room7 F760 (Warp Records WAP480EP) and and apparent realism. The Shindo’s soundstage is smaller than
the London Symphony Orchestra/Antal Dorati’s The Birds / Brazil- the Treehaus’s, but within that soundstage it rendered a sense of
ian Impressions (Mercury Living Presence SR90153). The Aphex intimate closeness, searing viscosity, and bristling texture never
Twin album found its electrifying advantage in the Treehaus’s equaled in my system.
deep, space-black noisefloor, each ferocious punch and visceral jab
striking like an assault with a sharp stick, but in a good way. The Verdict
Respighi was soothing to the senses, luxuriously relaxing, deeply The Treehaus Audiolab Preamplifier is a beast in velvet gloves,
fragrant, sweetly layered, intellectually and emotionally satisfy- with a silken, soothing personality that doesn’t force itself on
ing. Here again, the Treehaus preamplifier seemed paradoxically the music but rather invites it to bloom. With its subterranean
both retiring and life-giving, disappearing in most respects while noisefloor, clear, crystalline presentation, and cosmos-scale
providing music with life-like pacing, full-bore dynamics, and a soundstage, it allows music of all styles to sing, swing, and engage.
feeling of quiet reserve, allowing the music and the other compo- The Treehaus Preamplifier is one of the most exquisite preamps
nents to find full expression. to ever grace my humble Greenwich Village crash pad. n

stereophile.com n August 2025 81

 EQU I P MEN T R EP OR T

MARTIN COLLOMS

Kimber Kable Carbon Series

SPEAKER CABLE AND INTERCONNECT

or thoughts about cables generally and reviewing meth- tailored for local market circumstances. Russ is a good listener, and

F odology, see Martin Colloms’s essay “Colloms on Cables” at

stereophile.com/content/colloms-cables.
Ray Kimber founded his enterprise1 in the late 1970s, and
for the last half-century has withstood the ravages of this difficult
market. He first got involved in cable technology while addressing
he has been able to choose from a broad range of Ray’s designs those
that are most applicable to the UK, satisfying picky, critical purchas-
ers. I checked Russ’s online catalog and noted no fewer than 149
Kimber products or products that utilize Kimber technology.
Ray Kimber’s recipe for good cable sound is based on insulated,
the problems of induced interference in audio connections where geometrically well-defined copper conductor bunches in carefully
high-power installation lighting was involved, especially early chosen braided, noise-rejecting formations. Both insulator and
thyristor-controlled systems. conductor quality are important. Examples are the proprietary
He found that standard braided shielding was effective with “VariStrand” and related braided conductor topologies.
regards to induced noise but that such methods impaired sound Back in 1995, I reviewed Ray’s then-current flagship loudspeaker
quality. As an alternative, he began trials with variations on the cable for Hi-Fi News. That was the groundbreaking Black Pearl
classic twisted-pair conductor geometry, which is self-screening Model 88. Built with pure silver conductors, this cable’s construc-
to some degree, avoiding the need for an external shield. This ap- tion had many unique features. While breathtakingly costly, it
proach proved promising for sound quality and was the first step was so advanced in sound quality that it sensationally proved the
on the road to novel, more complex braided constructions where case for the audibility of many of the more subtle factors involved
both sound quality and electromagnetic noise rejection could be in audio cable design and construction. Pure silver-conductor
improved. cables remain in the Kimber range, including the KS 6068, which
Here in the UK, distributor and sometime audio designer Russ of course may be ordered with pure silver connectors from WBT.
Andrews has hosted the Kimber product range for decades, with The cables under review, from the Carbon series, owe much to that
judicious selection and occasional fine tuning of the cable recipe pioneering development.

KIMBER CARBON 18XL LOUDSPEAKER CABLE of heavy-duty but flexible tails, fitted with appropriate gold-plated
Packed in a sturdy Pelican transit crate, this substantially built WBT terminations for connection to amplifiers and loudspeakers.
loudspeaker cable ($8400 for a 6m pair) is quite rigid, with a large Up to now, I have not heard a second-rank Kimber audio cable,
bending radius, so before ordering, be sure to take into account the and the Carbon 18XL is not my first. Many positive qualities were
intended routing and make sure there is enough slack for all the evident in the 18XL. Robust, articulate, tuneful basslines were ac-
required bends. companied by expressive dynamics, the whole exerting a pleasing
Our 6m 18XL pair was fitted with top-quality locking 4mm WBT grip on the loudspeakers’ bass drivers. The midrange is neutral,
terminations. Pricewise, that puts it a step below the top-grade 1 Kimber Kable, 2752 S. 1900 W. Ogden, UT 84401. Tel: (801) 621-5530. Email: info@kimber.
Kimber Select,2 but it still ranks in Kimber’s premium class. com. Web: kimber.com.
Kimber Carbon 18XL features, as you might expect, 18 conduc- 2 A 3m pair of Kimber Select Silver costs just under $36,000.
tors, with an aggregate size of 8AWG per polarity. Built
with generous quantities of Kimber’s own oxygen-free
copper, it uses their proprietary VariStrand format: a
central 14.5AWG bundle is filled in by a carbon-based
polymer and wrapped in a Teflon dielectric; several ad-
ditional bundles of strands of differing gauge (19.5AWG
total) are spun in an interwoven rope form, encapsulated
in carbon-loaded polymer to absorb stray high-frequency
energy. Several such conductor “ropes” are interwoven in
the braided Kimber manner, aimed at avoiding electrical
impingement including at radio frequencies. The mildly
resistive carbon content in the insulator is likely to have
some mechanical vibration damping properties and is
expected to suppress triboelectric effects (friction-induced
PHOTOS BY CHUCK FRANCIS

currents) and to help dampen any induced electromag-

netic interference, which should lower the noisefloor and
aid transparency. Terminated with substantial anodized
alloy ferrules, which added a touch of luxury and mass
loading, this complex cable build finally emerges in a pair

stereophile.com n August 2025 83

KIMBER KABLE CARBON SERIES

low coloration, notably well balanced over this frequency range. in most stereo systems.
The highs are essentially natural and unforced if very slightly This quality was matched by good timing, sounding pleasingly
dry in the highest reaches. We—the listening panel and I—heard upbeat on classic rock material streamed from a local hard disc
very good stereo imaging, width, depth, and scale. Perhaps a touch under Roon Nucleus control; “Every Breath You Take” by The
muted in the far reaches, transparency would still rate very good Police (16/44.1) sounded crisp and well-paced.

KIMBER CARBON BALANCED INTERCONNECT

Constructed as a durable open weave wrapped in black Tef-
lon, this cable ($840 for a 2m pair) is similar to the Carbon
speaker cables but without the central core. The design
does not require shielding or an external jacket, so the Car-
bon interconnect is reasonably pliable. Tough FEP insula-
tion is extruded around high-purity VariStrand bunches
of copper conductors. Each channel section is a form of
twisted pair; these channels are then woven together into a
single stereo cable. In theory, this construction should help
control electrical noise induction by eliminating the usual
loop formed by physically separated L and R channels.
My first impression: neutrality. I heard no sins of com-
mission or omission. Once the listener finds that sense
of equilibrium in the replay, abandoning the search for
obvious artefacts, the cable’s sheer musicality became
apparent. Natural orchestral string sections were set in
expansive yet focused images with satisfying depth and
perspective. Soloists were well placed on a generous soundstage. They Danced,” from the album Rites (CD, ECM 1685/86), was
There is a sense of stability and calm as the musical performances rendered accurately, with Jan’s saxophone lead set in satisfying
take precedence. perspective within that familiar, sumptuous ECM acoustic. There’s
Bob Dylan’s “Man in the Long Black Coat” from Old Mercy (24/176 something special about Rites; it’s so subtly and deeply layered that
FLAC download, Columbia, served up via Roon) had beautiful each product assessment requiring analytical concentration is an
presence and immediacy. Again, focus was especially good. “Storm opportunity to discover new shadings of performance, atmo-
Comin’,” from the album Bright Morning Stars by the exquisite Ca- sphere, and microdetail.
nadian folk trio Wailin’ Jennys (24/44.1 CD rip, Red House Records This high-end cable is seemingly minimalist, physically
RHR CD 234), was rendered with presence and drama, crisp charac- unimposing, and easy to install. In its context, it’s a good value.
terful bass, and, not least, exquisite vocals. Jan Garbarek’s “Evenly Recommended.

KIMBER SUMMIT SERIES PK10 PALLADIAN POWER CABLE supported in some manner; otherwise it is likely to drag itself out
Built with a massive, heavy-molded polymer loading unit at about of the relevant sockets. Rather it should be dimensioned such that
the halfway point, with contents we can only guess at, this stiff, much of its length may lie on the floor or on cable supports.
heavy cable needs to be carefully dressed, so be sure to order After starting this review, I discovered to my surprise that the
enough length to allow sufficient slack for grappling with connec- top-of-the-line PK10 Palladian (currently about $2000 for 2m) was
tors, and do not plan to hang it on rack-mounted equipment unless first reviewed in Stereophile back in 2001.3 Apparently, this product
has changed little over the quarter-century.
I had to do some rearranging before installing the
Palladian so that it could be readily swapped in and out
for the listening comparisons. The system was allowed
to warm up and settle, playing a few test tracks for a
day or two before the listening tests. I worried that I
would not be able to hear what I assumed would be a
small difference. However, the change that resulted
when I swapped the $2000 PK10 in this circa £100,000
system wasn’t trivial. I enjoyed the gain in transparency
and image focus, the enlarged soundstage, improved
rhythm, and superior bass definition. I remain sur-
prised that inanimate pieces such as terminated mains
supply cable can exert such an influence in a highly
tuned system. I do not wish to exaggerate, but I have
heard smaller gains than this when swapping in a new
DAC that cost twice the price of the original design.
The historically good opinion of this cable’s contribu-
tion to sound quality was upheld. n
3 Skeptical? So was Barry Willis, apparently: See “Science Yields Magic?” at
stereophile.com/news/11187/index.html.

84 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 When it comes to choosing audio equipment, we
understand that sound is the most important factor – in
particular, how your music sounds when listening, and
how that makes you feel.

ONLY We believe the finest audio systems are those that give
listeners a clear and complete view of a recording, from the
subtle timing and spatial cues that give us a sense of space
and depth, to the sonic details that define music’s essence.

THE When all this is revealed, and presented without distortion

or coloration, we can connect with sound on a deeper level
- feeling closer to artists, and more immersed in the unique
soundscapes we know and love.

MUSIC The Rossini APEX embodies this ethos. Find out more about
the dCS listening experience, and the sonic qualities listeners
can expect from all our products, via the QR code below…

dcsonlythemusic / dcsaudio.com Find out more about the dCS listening experience
 Meet The Family

MyConnect 250

A10 Classic A12 Classic

Integrated Amplifier Integrated Amplifier

Advance Paris offers a family of products that combine bold and beautiful aesthetics,
advanced features and excellent sound quality.

Designed in France for Global Music Enthusiasts

Advance Paris product details Advance Paris Brand Story

Advance Paris products are now available in the United States Playbackdistribution.com
For more information visit: playbackdistribution.com/
playbackdistribution.com/collections
collections//advance
advance--paris @playbackdistribution
 EQU I P MEN T R EP OR T

KALMAN RUBINSON

PSI Audio AVAA C214

ELECTRONIC BASS TRAP

ver since I became interested in—nay,

E obsessed with—high-quality music re-

production, my goal has been to attain
the experience of being at a perfor-
mance. Some audiophiles target the recreation
of the event in their room—a “they are here” ex-
perience. Yet, it’s obvious that the ensembles,
orchestras, and choruses I enjoy would not fit
in my room, and so it would be foolish to try to
reproduce them as if they were.
In the early days of component hi-fi, all
was mono. Not until the emergence of stereo
was there any hope of creating the auditory
illusion of an acoustic space—a performance
venue other than the room I was listening in.
Reverberation captured in a mono recording
can hint at a space, but the spatial capabilities
of stereo are much more extensive. Similarly,
multichannel (and “immersive”) audio is more
effective than stereo at reproducing a perfor-
mance venue’s ambience.
Even so, you can never eliminate the
acoustics of the room you’re listening in—not
completely.
Committed listeners began to pay attention

SPECIFICATIONS
Description Active DSP-controlled elec-
tronic bass trap. Construction: Aluminum.
Controls: Power on/off, gain (required only
for very reverberant rooms). Optional web
control app. Voltage: 100/240V (50–60Hz).
Power consumption: Standby, 1W; regular
use, 20–40W; Maximum, 48W.
Dimensions 25.2" (640mm) L, 8.25"
(210mm) Diam. Weight: 33lb (15kg).
Finish Matte Black, Matte White.
Serial numbers of units reviewed
100002416198, 100002416092. Manufac-
tured in Switzerland.
Price $3950 each. Approximate number
of US dealers: 6. Warranty: 5 years on
transducers and electronics, 2 years on
aluminum enclosure.
Manufacturer PSI Audio, Relec SA,
Rue des Petits-Champs 11a+b,
1400 Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland.
Tel: (41) (0)24-426-04-20.
Web: psiaudio.com.

stereophile.com n August 2025 87

PSI AUDIO AVAA C214

to crucial issues such as speaker placement and acoustics early in When I saw the new AVAA C214 demonstrated at last year’s AES
the stereo era, yet many continue to find reasons not to do so. Dé- in NYC, I didn’t hesitate to suggest a review. The C214 is a roughly 2'
cor and the preferences of nonenthusiasts in the household often long (or high, depending on how it’s deployed) cylinder about 8" in
stand in the way. A major deterrent is the bulk of most effective diameter. It is sturdily constructed of cast aluminum; when stand-
treatments, especially those used to tame bass. In the conventional, ing vertically (as in a corner), it can serve as a stand for a plant
well-proven approach, the thickness of the material used to absorb or sculpture. Or not. An optional foot ($395 each, only in Black)
sound must be a significant fraction of the wavelength—and the permits the C214 to be mounted to a wall or attached securely to
wavelength of a 100Hz soundwave is about 10'. the floor.
DSP has exploded and is close to becoming a panacea, especially AVAA traps work by creating an interior volume in which
in multichannel home-theater setups, but many hi-fi purists refuse loudspeaker-like diaphragms move to maintain fixed acoustic
to accept its alteration of signals whose purity they are so invested impedance. In other words—this is my interpretation—the AVAA
in preserving. I’m a DSP advocate, yet I cannot deny that I would responds to increased pressure by retracting the diaphragms to in-
prefer to address room acoustics directly via physical treatment crease space and responds to decreased pressure by extending the
and reduce the amount of signal processing that’s necessary. diaphragms to decrease space. It does this in real time over a wide
Mid and high frequencies can be managed with panels on the range of frequencies, from 15 to 160Hz. The effect, PSI Audio says,
wall and irregular surfaces such as bookcases, record shelves (both is to create a virtual open window in the area of the trap that essen-
for diffraction), stuffed furniture, and carpeting (for absorbing tially “short-circuits” room modes. The new C214 differs from the
high-frequency energy). Sound energy below the Schroeder (“criti- still-current C20 in that it employs DSP in place of analog circuitry,
cal”) frequency is distorted by room dimen- offers adjustable gain, and supports remote
sions, and if passive methods are chosen to control and firmware updates. Perhaps
correct these distortions, they are neces- its biggest advance is that it’s smaller and
sarily bulky.1 Due to their wavelength and lighter than its predecessor—yet claims to
the timescale of their modal resonances, be nearly 20% more effective.
correcting these frequencies also demands
the most intensive DSP. Unpacking and setup
A novel way to address low-frequency I cannot think of another active, effective
problems is with active, electronically con- component that was as easy to get going as
trolled bass traps. These devices incorpo- the AVAA C214. I removed the protective
rate electronics—even speakers—but have foam packing and plastic wrap and placed
no influence on those precious, delicate the C214s in the front corners of my room.
electrical music signals; these devices are I attached the power cables and switched
not even in the signal path. They just sit in them on. That’s it. Done.
the corner and do their things. A subtle LED on the C214’s front indicates
Over the decades, Stereophile has covered its functional status. On the back, in addi-
these relatively rare birds a few times, tion to the IEC power port and the power
starting with Nelson Pass’s large Phantom switch, a multicolor LED indicates the gain
Acoustics Shadow active low-frequency setting, and a pair of buttons allows you
acoustic control devices in 1989;2 that re- to adjust that gain, switch from manual
view was followed (almost 20 years later) by control to web-based remote control, and
the more compact Bag End E-Trap, reviewed enable firmware updates. I played with
in 2008.3 Each of those devices utilized a these but always ended up returning to the
built-in microphone, analog electronics, factory settings. The C214, then, is trivial to
and one or more woofers. Placed in a high- install and needs no further attention once
pressure location (typically room corners), you have decided where to put it.
they detected LF signals and inverted, am- You might not even think it was doing
plified, and converted them to soundwaves anything save for two observations. The
(via transducers) to acoustically cancel first is that it is sensitive to movement. If
room modes. They required careful tuning you reposition it while it’s powered up, it
to find a sweet spot between doing too little might trumpet like a molested swan. The
or too much. The result of overuse could be other is the effect it has on music playback
instability or the essentially total loss of low and on room acoustics broadly.
frequencies.
The PSI Audio AVAA C20 offered a totally These really work!
new approach, which does not introduce After placing them in the front corners
new audio-frequency energy into the room. of my room, I sat down in my listening
These devices don’t necessarily meet with chair: No music, just me and my room,
home-decorator approval; though in- and outside, barely audible noise from
trigued, I hesitated because I was not happy
about adding these blocky black boxes to 1 The now-discontinued MSR SpringTrap came closest to
my room’s accumulating clutter. Sound offering both effective treatment and acceptable appearance.
See stereophile.com/content/music-round-56-page-2.
engineer Bob Katz reviewed them almost 10
2 See stereophile.com/roomtreatments/1289phantom.
years ago, in 2016,4 in his home studio. He 3 See stereophile.com/content/music-round-31-page-2.
presented an excellent technical discussion 4 See stereophile.com/content/psi-audio-avaa-c20-electronic-
and expressed his emphatic approval. bass-trap.

88 August 2025 n stereophile.com

EXPERIENCE THE NEXT GENERATION

SM-025
SIGNATURE MONAURAL POWER AMPLIFIER

vitusaudio.com
PSI AUDIO AVAA C214

early morning traffic on Third

Avenue. Using the web app
on my iPad, I switched on the
C214s. The effect seemed subtle
at first, but the more I focused,
the more I noticed it. Outside
noises seemed more distant
but also somewhat clearer
and more discrete. This was
particularly noticeable with the
low frequencies produced by
an idling city bus. Switching the
C214s on and off, I discovered
a Zen-like sense of calm with
the AVAAs in operation, which
must be due to the reduction of
room modes excited by exter-
nal sources. What else could
cause it?
Then I added piano. The
album French Duets (FLAC rip
from CD, Hyperion CDA68329),
with pianists Steven Osborne
and Paul Lewis, has been near
the top of my most-played list
since its 2021 release, because
of the delightful music, the
brilliance of the performances, and the clarity and balance of the ers, and also seemed a bit lower. Second, the bass was taut and
recording. The performers are recorded up close, and the captured corporeal. I heard this on all tracks, but the effect was especially
ambiance is not generous. With the AVAA traps in operation, tangible on the opening of the Poulenc Sonata, where four hands
the changes were not huge, but they were significant. First, the create some powerful chords. Typically, such sounds can only
soundstage got wider, reaching beyond the left and right speak- be played so loud in an average-sized domestic room before they
begin to seem congested by the room modes they excite. With the
AVAAs installed, the chords could be heard clearly as constructed
of distinct notes, the lowest notes enhanced by the resonance of the
instrument’s wooden body. I could play this music as loud or as soft
as I wanted to; the piano remained clean and realistic at all levels.
There seemed to be no direct effect on the midrange or treble, but
these ranges, too, benefited from cleaner bass and reduction of
the masking effects of those modal resonances. The impact on the
music was eminently satisfying.
I moved on to the pipe organ. I pulled out my old buddy, the
Mendelssohn Organ Sonata in F, from Six Organ Sonatas, Op.65,
performed by Thomas Murray on the E. & G.G. Hook instrument at
Fig.1 AVAA OFF: Bass decay spectrograms from OmniMic V2 showing
frequency (x-axis) vs decay time (y-axis) with the color code indicating the relative the Hook Brothers’ home church in Jamaica Plain and on the W.B.D.
magnitude of the decay over time. This graph [AVAA OFF] shows numerous peaks Simmons organ at the Most Holy Redeemer Church in East Boston
of high magnitude and long decay time (in darkest purple), which correspond to (CD, Raven 390, originally from a Sheffield Town Hall LP, S-13). I
modal resonances.
remember hearing this music for the first time and being thrilled
by the power of the bass lines. Some of that thrill was due to the
quasi-immersive illusion created by resonances in my playback
system and room. Now I can see every pedal tone via the JRiver
frequency analyzer, including the lowest fundamental tone from
the 16' Grand Open Diapason stop (32Hz) accompanied by a lot of
correlated rumblings below. With the AVAAs I heard both unmis-
takably, regardless of listening level.
An enduring earworm is a recording of “Stand By Me” by Don
Shirley on the LP Drown in My Own Tears (Cadence, CLP 25057).
Shirley’s rendition is mournful and spiritual; a ground of bass
fiddle, organ, and cello and tasteful percussion accents anchor
Shirley’s lead on piano. Unfortunately, the bass on this recording is
Fig.2 AVAA ON: This graph shows a dramatic reduction at those peak over-resonant and congested, and all the instruments are cramped
frequencies. Note, too, that lower magnitude and shorter decay activity (in white), together. This was never an audio treat but rather something for
which includes direct and short latency sound, is relatively unaffected by the AVAA
traps. The activity in the 20Hz region is random street noise. the soul.
I no longer listen to vinyl records, so instead I return to this

90 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 PSI AUDIO AVAA C214

recording via a reissue (FLAC CD ripped from Don Shirley–Golden

Classics, Collectable Records, COL-5746). With the installed AVAA ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
traps, there’s finally a realistic, intimate (which is to say rather
small) soundstage with each instrument clearly in its place. Balance Digital sources Custom Intel/Win11 music server running
is restored: As the bass and cello carry the pleading melody, Shirley JRiver Media Center v33, Roon 2, and DiracLive-ART. Merging
comments and embellishes, rolling us to an abrupt, inevitable end. Devices Hapi II DAC. QNAP TVS-873 NAS. Oppo Digital UDP-103
Bob Katz found that using three of the original AVAA C20s had a universal disc player.
substantial, constructive impact on frequency response. His figure Power amplifiers Benchmark AHB2.
2 shows how the original AVAAs “broadly improve the 90–110Hz Loudspeakers 3 × KEF Blade 2 Meta with IsoAcoustics GAIA II
range by about 1dB, including the dip near 120Hz.” “The AVAAs feet (L/C/R). KEF LS 60 Wireless (surround L/R), KEF KC92 and SVS
smoothly and effectively attenuate the 29Hz peak at the listen- SB2000Pro subwoofers.
ing position by an amazing 2dB, … effectively flatten the 25–55Hz Cables Digital interconnects: Mogami Gold AES TD DB25-XLR0
range within 1dB, … fill in the 45Hz dip by a significant 1.5dB,” and snake. Analog interconnects: Mogami Gold AES TD DB25-XLR
“attenuate the 70Hz peak by 1.25dB.” snake, In-wall Cat6 wiring per AES72 with Thomann Sssnake
My frequency-response measurements (not shown) are similar and Studio-Hub adapters between XLR and RJ45. Loudspeaker:
to Bob’s, though with peaks and troughs at different frequencies. Blue Jeans speakON-terminated Canare 4S11.
Yet, from the start, I felt that the real salience of the AVAA traps Accessories Furman Elite 15 DM.
was in the time domain, since much of the energy they absorbed— Listening environment 24' L × 14' W × 8' H, furnished with GIK
the most important part—arrived after the direct sound, reflected Monster Bass Traps built into front wall. Sidewalls lateral to L/R
from room boundaries. speakers have 2" thick, 2' wide floor-to-ceiling OC 705 panels.
Figs.1 and 2 show the decay of bass sweeps fed to my left speaker Front wall has large windows variably covered by solar shades.
and subwoofer before and after activation of the two C214 traps. Rear of room opens into 10' × 7' foyer and a 12' × 8' dining
What’s striking from the figures is how much faster these bass area.—Kalman Rubinson
modes decay with the traps engaged.

Does it work in multichannel? were better defined. That void on the right was now filled by the
The extra musical and ambient information with multichannel lower strings of the cellos and bass fiddles! The fault was not in the
audio makes listening room acoustics somewhat less important. recording or my system but in my room. The bass was always there
However, the room is still there, and there are good reasons to but obscured. Now it was resolved.
think that anything that improves acoustics would benefit stereo,
multichannel, or even live music. The lowdown
I’ve found a great example in a recording made by Seigén Ono I now spend part of my days eagerly re-auditioning my recordings
at Praça Onze in Tokyo before a live (and lively) audience: Esquina to hear how they sound with the AVAA traps. In every instance
de SP by Wilma de Oliveira (SACD, Saidera Records SD1027H). The (stereo or multichannel, with or without DiracLive) and with
atmosphere is tight and intense, the performances of classic bossa almost every music selection, the effect of the AVAA C214s is
nova irresistible, but the multichannel playback has long filled my beneficial, though in most cases (despite all that I have written) it is
room with a pulsing sound cloud. subtle. If your listening room has more serious issues, you may not
When I switched in the AVAA traps, space expanded in all even notice their contribution. On the other hand, there was never
dimensions. The crowd was still raucous, but now it was mostly be- a downside. I heard only improvements.
hind me and to my sides. The performers, still up front, were now I’ll end with a list of the consistent benefits. With the AVAA
spread wider than my room, and their individual contributions traps installed:
(voices, guitar, drums) were distinct and full. Finally, I was able to
❱ Bass below 200Hz was cleaner, with more detail.
experience the electricity of this event fully and appreciate Seigén
❱ Localization of bass instruments was sharper.
Ono’s reputation.
❱ The ambiance of the recording venues captured was more
Ever since my listening room was renovated and my new speak-
characterful and distinctive.
ers installed, I’ve noticed a very slight imbalance favoring the left
❱ The soundstage was wider and more consistent.
side. It is most obvious, to no surprise, with recordings to which I
have the tightest connection. Yet measurements of each speaker At $7900/pair, the C214s are more expensive than some home
and subwoofer (as well as DiracLive EQ ) demonstrate that they hi-fi systems. Even if your budget can swallow the cost, the best
were all matched in output. I’ve had many guests, and none have advice might be to start with traditional, physical room treatments
commented about any asymmetry. Maybe they were just being and capable room EQ software. The C214s will work best in a room
tactful and kind, or maybe it’s that my guests are not as familiar that’s already very good. And remember that they deal only with
with the recordings. Still, I hear what I hear. low frequencies.
The best example of this is a 5.0, DSD256 recording of Teresa On the other hand, if you have a pretty good room with decent
Carreño’s Serenade for Strings in E-flat Major for chamber orches- acoustics but space or aesthetic constraints, the AVAA option
tra, performed by A Far Cry.5 Tom Caulfield, the recording engi- could work well, as it did for me. Even if you think you have
neer, was kind enough to send me a copy of the original DFF256 already done a good job with your room and you even use room
master early in 2021, and I am still hooked on it. Lovely, surprising EQ—maybe especially then—the AVAA traps might surprise you as
music, beautifully played and recorded with transparency and they surprised me. n
careful tonal balance. However, after the opening tutti, as the
melody passes to the upper strings on the left, I sense something of 5 This wonderful recording has not been released to the public, and there are no commer-
a void on the right. cially available recordings of the Serenade. However, I have had similar experience with
another recording by A Far Cry and recorded by Tom Caulfield: Britten’s Variations on a
I listened to this recording soon after the AVAA traps were Theme by Frank Bridge on Crier Records CR1801 “Visions and Variations” (available in many
installed. The soundstage extended wide, and all the lower strings formats from NativeDSD).

stereophile.com n August 2025 91

POWER. HERITAGE. REVELATION.
The Gryphon Antileon has never followed. It leads—with presence, with purity,
with purpose. Crafted not to follow trends, but to rewrite them, Antileon stands as a
monument to uncompromising design and sonic authority Every generation an icon.
Every note, a legacy reborn. For those who understand that true power is timeless.
Visit your nearest Gryphon dealer or explore more at Gryphon-audio.com

BEGINS
ENDS, REVELATION
WHERE INNOVATION
 ing engineer. He’s also the former editor-in-
chief of Pro Audio magazine, and he teaches
at the university-level HKU School of Music
and Technology in Utrecht. He has given
keynote addresses at gatherings of the
international Audio Engineering Society.
In spring 2025, after I had tasked myself
with learning more about the LS1 system, I
spent a day with Eelco at the High End Mu-
nich audio show. Over the next 12 months,
we had a half-dozen phone and Facetime
calls and exchanged countless emails.
This is what I discovered: Like the
equipment he designs, Eelco (pronounced
ale-co) is polished, but there’s no PR gloss
or braggadocio. One example: He told me in
Munich that Grimm Audio was replacing
the beryllium tweeters in the LS1. Ecologi-
cal concerns and supply-line issues had
forced the use of new composite-carbon
tweeters. The carbon version, Eelco told
me, was “roughly as good. Very close to the
beryllium tweeters.” I stifled a smile. Other
manufacturers would’ve sung the new
driver’s praises, insisting that it improved
the sound. Eelco was content to suggest that
the carbon tweeter was a lateral move.
The interview below is compiled from
our emails and other discussions.
ROGIER VAN BAKEL: It’s rare for a pro
audio brand to successfully cross over into
consumer territory. How did you manage
that?

THE GRIMM TRUTH

EELCO GRIMM: The LS1 is an active
loudspeaker with built-in DACs. That’s
an obstacle to some. I mean, in pro audio,
it’s a widely accepted design choice, but
in hi-fi, not really. Although we developed
A Q&A WITH AUDIO DESIGNER EELCO GRIMM the LS1 as a studio monitor, it turned out
BY ROGIER VAN BAKEL to fit well into people’s living rooms. And
luckily, we’ve seen things change in the last
OST AUDIO ENGINEERS SPLIT HAIRS. few years: There are more and more active
EELCO GRIMM SPLITS MICROSECONDS. high-end loudspeakers on the market now,
HIS EXPERTISE IN HIGH-PRECISION and their sonic virtues speak for them-
AUDIO LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR selves.
GRIMM AUDIO, THE DUTCH VENTURE RvB: What’s been your greatest stumbling
HE COFOUNDED IN 2004 WITH FELLOW block in selling Grimm Audio products to
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER GUIDO TENT. THE consumers?
COMPANY’S MASTER CLOCKS AND DACS, EG: We weren’t good at getting exposure.
DEVELOPED FOR BOTH THE PRO AUDIO We’re a bunch of engineers who are
AND HOME HI-FI MARKETS, COMBAT focused on achieving the ultimate sound
TINY TIMING ERRORS AND JITTER THAT quality, so whenever a nice sum of money
CAN BLIGHT DIGITAL AUDIO. came in, we spent it on new engineers to
develop more and better products. But of
But Grimm Audio’s engineering acumen Stereophile reviews of the Grimm Audio course, customers will only buy those high-
also extends to the analog domain, as evi- MU1 music streamer (JA, March 2021) and quality products if they know about our
denced by the LS1c active speaker system MU2 streamer-preamplifier (KR, August existence in the first place. We learned the
that made the cover of Stereophile’s April 2024), and an extended conversation with hard way that investing in a sales network
PHOTO BY VERMEER PHOTOGRAPHY

2025 issue.1 In John Atkinson’s measure- Eelco Grimm seems like a splendid idea. and proper marketing isn’t optional!
ments section accompanying my admiring How did he and his team pull off this suc- RvB: Between pro audio and home hi-fi,
review, JA wrote that over his 40-odd years cession of standout products? which is currently Grimm’s bigger market?
of bench-testing audio equipment, the LS1c It doesn’t hurt that the 58-year-old EG: From about 2012 until now, without
is “the best-measuring loudspeaker I have entrepreneur combines formal training a doubt it’s the hi-fi segment. That’s in
encountered.” in electrical engineering with practical 1 See stereophile.com/content/grimm-audio-ls1c-active-
Considering that accolade plus glowing experience as a studio owner and record- loudspeaker-system.

stereophile.com n August 2025 93

 THE GRIMM TRUTH

part because pro audio sales went down version with the motional feedback sub
worldwide when the revenue from stream- was developed by our team without Bruno.
ing didn’t yet compensate for the drop of And in the 2024 LS1c, every element has
CD sales and paid downloads. We’re happy been replaced except for the cabinet and
with our success in the hi-fi world and the magnesium SEAS woofer. Our current
will keep expanding our product line for team has 10 developers including Guido
that market, but we’ve also kept our heart and me, and almost everybody contributed
for professional audio. We’re investing in to the LS1c.
marketing and sales for the pro audio mar- RvB: With streamer-preamplifiers as
ket, and we have a series of professional sophisticated as Grimm’s MU15 and MU2,6
multichannel converter products under and speakers that are as “shaped” by DSP
development. as the LS1s are, I wonder why there are no
RvB: Convince me: Why is an active speak- room-correction features on board. Will you
er system better than a passive one? add those in the future?
EG: With an active speaker, the designer EG: It’s complicated. Room EQ always
has a lot of freedom that can be used to compensates both the room and the loud-
sonic advantage. For instance, every speaker in one go. Sure, if the loudspeaker
loudspeaker driver is directly connected to doesn’t have a flat frequency response or
an amplifier, creating a signal path without a linear phase response, the room EQ may
capacitors or coils, which reduce control be able to improve it a bit at the listening
and add distortion. Also, high-order active I CAN BECOME ENCHANTED position. But if a speaker is linear by de-
crossovers can be used, and they have less WHEN I WAKE UP WITH sign, touching its response almost always
impact on sound quality than high-order CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING degrades the sound. We invest a lot of
passive crossovers do. One advantage of a ON MY MONO FM CLOCK knowledge, time, and effort in the indi-
high-order crossover is that a lower cross- RADIO. vidual calibration of every LS1 speaker that
over frequency can be chosen for the same leaves our factory. So by just placing a mi-
tweeter-woofer combo and still protect PrimaLuna and Grimm Audio are located crophone in a living room, running some
the tweeter from distorting. That brings and where Philips grew into a multination- piece of room EQ software, and adding its
further improvement in vertical disper- al—that works to your advantage? complex filtering to the audio path, users
sion. It also lowers breakup distortion of EG: It’s not just audio-equipment manufac- aren’t likely to achieve optimal quality.
the woofer. turing. There’s also a rich history of record We think that the best solution for room
Next, in an active design, designers labels and internationally renowned mode problems is acoustic treatment of the
aren’t limited to the standard voltage-style orchestras and musicians here. It must be room. The second-best treatment is mini-
drive. The current drive of a loudspeaker related to the fact that the Netherlands is a mizing the amount of energy that is put
can lower some forms of distortion, and relatively wealthy and densely populated into the modes—lowering the resonance of
when you combine that with our subs’ country, so people live close to clubs and the speakers and cutting down on distor-
motional feedback, distortion is dramati- concert halls and have the money to go tion. So in our experience, room modes
cally reduced. there. rarely pose a serious problem with our SB1
With the LS1, we take the active-speaker Philips was a global market leader motional feedback subwoofers.
concept a step further by making it a in radios and televisions—any electric RVB: That was my experience. With the
digital active system with DACs—one DAC product really—in the ’50s and ’60s and dual Grimm subs engaged, a room mode I
per driver. Now all filters are made in the remained influential in the ’70s and ’80s. have around 35–38Hz was just about gone.
digital domain. That provides better ways That inspired many people and turned the Normally that requires room correction.
to correct the frequency response of driv- Eindhoven region into a high-tech area that EG: Yes, and that’s an important point. The
ers and gives us unique possibilities, like still flourishes. extended low-frequency response that
taking the acoustic driver response into Of the brands you mentioned, Grimm manufacturers of passive loudspeakers
account when calculating the crossover Audio, Mola Mola, Hypex, and Kii are all aim for means that they’re often designed
filters. The crossover becomes acoustically connected through Bruno Putzeys, who with less-than-optimal damping. As a
correct, not just electrically correct. Oh, invented UcD4 amplification when he was a consequence, the time response around
and we can also add digital phase correc- Philips employee. Guido Tent and our em- the resonance frequency is extended—
tion to the crossover so that the speaker ployees Gertjan Groot Hulze, Pieter Meijer, smeared, really. Especially bass-reflex
becomes completely phase linear. That’s and Marco Schmidt also worked at Philips. speakers can suffer from this because their
impossible by definition with higher-order So the impact of Philips on Grimm Audio perceived strong bass response is based on
filters in a passive system. has been very substantial. the resonance of the air in the bass-reflex
RvB: The Dutch seem to have an aptitude RvB: What was Bruno Putzeys’s role in the
for audio design. Off the top of my head, development of the LS1 speakers? How 2 Kii started in the Netherlands but relocated to Ham-
there’s Grimm, Mola Mola, Hypex/NCore, about Guido’s—what kind of division of minkeln, Germany, a few years ago. Hamminkeln is just a
stone’s throw from the German-Dutch border.
Dutch & Dutch, Crystal, Kharma, Kii,2 Prim- labor is there between the two of you? 3 See philips.com/a-w/about/our-history.html.
aLuna, and of course the various audio ad- EG: I developed the concept of the LS1.
PHOTO BY HELEEN WIERING

4 Universal Class D is a type of class-D amplifier topology.

vances pioneered by Philips,3 including the Guido supervised the oscillator and power It’s known for its self-oscillating design, high efficiency,
CD. What is it about the Netherlands that supply design. Bruno did the electronics and exceptional linearity.
5 See stereophile.com/content/grimm-audio-mu1-music-
makes it fertile soil for the development of and the software design. He left Grimm streamer.
high-end audio? Is there something about Audio in 2014 to head for new adventures 6 See stereophile.com/content/grimm-audio-mu2-stream-
the Eindhoven region in particular—where at Kii and Purifi. The 2016 LS1be beryllium ing-preamplifier.

94 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 Your Favorite Power Amp’s
Favorite Power Conditioner

Better than the wall! Inside Niagara 3000, a 45-amp on-demand current reservoir enables thrilling dynamics and jump-factor.

Amps I plug into the Niagara 3000

never sound compressed, rubbery, or
otherwise compromised, but they do
play considerably quieter.
– Alex Halberstadt, Stereophile

Whether feeding flea-watt single-ended triodes or kilowatt monoblocks, Niagara, featuring

Linear Noise-Dissipation and Transient Power Correction, might just be your favorite power
amp’s favorite power conditioner.

Thank you for listening.

 THE GRIMM TRUTH

pipe. If you damp this resonance too much, Now, this is true for
Eelco Grimm, left,
the intended effect will vanish. Unfortu- and co-founder a loudspeaker too. The
nately, the resonance frequency of all but Guido Tent generic narrow speaker
the largest loudspeakers often occurs in the that is so common these
same audible frequency range where the days has more or less the same width as the
lowest room modes reside: 20 to 60Hz. The human head. So frequencies below about
room resonance that corresponds to these 650Hz will completely bend around it, and
modes needs time to collect energy. Our from 1300Hz and up they’re more focused
theory is that because of the lack of control to the front.
and the time-domain smear of especially When we designed the LS1, we asked
bass-reflex systems, room modes receive ourselves what the best frequency would
more energy and become more audible. be for this baffle step effect, as it’s called.
The resonance frequency of our SB1 mo- We decided that 650Hz doesn’t make much
tional feedback sub is around 15Hz, below sense, because the mid frequencies would
the lowest frequency that humans can hear, then be radiated into the room in a com-
and it’s optimally damped. That means pletely different way than the high frequen-
that all audio frequencies are reproduced cies. We aimed instead for 250Hz, because
without energy smear, and room modes below that frequency all sorts of room
don’t receive more energy than what’s in effects, like room modes, become dominant.
the original audio signal. So this is kind of an “acoustic crossover
At the resonance frequency, the efficien- frequency” in the room. If a loudspeaker
cy of a loudspeaker is higher than above or enclosure needs to gradually become an
below it. So more amplifier energy is turned has a way of accentuating the very low obstacle from 250Hz upwards, it has to be 2'
into sound. You do not necessarily see this frequencies even more, which can sound wide—like the LS1.
in the frequency response, but you can pleasing, but precision suffers both in the RvB: I’m beginning to see your point about
always see it in the time domain response, bass and in the midrange. With the SB1s in toe-in. Drive it home for me.
like in waterfall graphs: It takes time before the system, all that changes. You still get EG: Sure. So if you toe in a standard narrow
the energy at the resonance decays. This 20Hz, but the woofers of the main speakers loudspeaker, the frequencies above 650Hz
means that there is effectively more energy are no longer under stress, and the mids will be directed away from the nearby
played into the room at the resonance fre- sound purer. sidewall due to the effect described above.
quency than at other frequencies. So room RvB: On your recommendation, I toed in But all energy below 650Hz will still find
modes around that frequency receive more the LS1s roughly 40º, much more than its way to that wall. Because these mid fre-
energy and become more audible. other speakers. I expected the soundstage quencies have a strong impact on the stereo
RvB: Motional feedback7 was developed to narrow, but the opposite happened. picture, you will get a blurrier image in the
by Philips in the 1970s and slowly slid into Can you explain why drastically toeing in mid frequencies and a more focused image
oblivion. If it’s such a great technology, why these loudspeakers seems to embiggen the in the higher frequencies. The result is a
hasn’t it been used much by other manufac- soundstage? lack of stereo definition. The highs become
turers of high-end audio? EG: This is going to necessitate a long an- narrow, but they sound separated from the
EG: I guess the main reason is that motional swer. Every object is an obstacle to sound. rest of the frequency band. To counteract
feedback, by definition, only works in an Whether the sound is reflected by the this problem, many audiophiles place their
active speaker, and the market has been object or bends around it is determined by narrow-baffle loudspeakers parallel with
dominated by passive solutions. But yes, its frequency. High frequencies are small, the walls. That way, the reflection receives
we’ve wondered why so few companies are with short wavelengths. Low frequencies about the same frequency balance as the di-
incorporating the technology. My cousin are the opposite. For example, 100Hz is rect sound. This is a good decision, though
Rob Munnig Schmidt, a mechanical and roughly 10' long, 1000Hz is 1', and 10kHz is it comes at a price, because now the full
electrical engineer who worked for Philips 0.1'. If an obstacle is larger than two-thirds frequency band suffers from a reflection
and ASML, helped us develop the SB1. He of the wavelength of the sound, the sound that impacts the stereo image. But at least
explains how to design a motional feedback is reflected. If it’s smaller, the sound bends the sound is spectrally coherent.
woofer in a series of white papers that we around it. So, for example, a 1000Hz tone It’s different with the LS1 and similar
put on the Grimm Audio website.8 I hope will reflect against an obstacle that’s larger wide-baffle speakers. Below 250Hz, there’s
the idea will finally get the following it than 8" wide. much less stereo information. So by using
deserves. The next thing to realize is that the first a large toe-in, you attenuate the sidewall
RvB: I listened to the LS1s with and without object that a sound encounters is the body reflection for the full frequency range that
the SB1 subs. Even without them, my brain of its own source. A human voice is acousti- defines the stereo image. It’ll be very stable
believed it was still hearing the entire cally modeled by the person’s head. If a head and precise.
bottom octave in bass-heavy music—even is roughly 0.5' wide, it will reflect frequen- RvB: Your life’s work is all about pushing
though according to the specs, the main cies above 1300Hz. As a result, frequencies for perfection, and now I’m curious about
speakers bottom out around 35Hz. What below 1300Hz bend around the head, but whether you ever listen to imperfect re-
was happening? higher frequencies will become attenuated cordings on an imperfect stereo and really
PHOTO BY HELEEN WIERING

EG: In two-way mode, we use DSP to correct on the back and projected more to the front. enjoy them.
for the absence of the subs, and we can get This is a gradual effect; you will already EG: Oh, hell yes! That happens often! I can
the LS1 to play as low as 20Hz all by itself. hear the impact of the object at lower fre- 7 See mfbfreaks.com/motional-feedback/geschiedenis.
But that does greatly increase cone excur- quencies, let’s say about an octave lower. So 8 See for example grimmaudio.com/publications/speakers-
sion, so distortion sets in. That distortion with the head, that means around 650Hz. white-paper.

stereophile.com n August 2025 97

 THE GRIMM TRUTH

become enchanted when I wake up with that the audio playback nevertheless starts EG: One of the most overlooked aspects of
classical music playing on my mono FM instantaneously. Equally important is that jitter is that low-frequency modulations
clock radio. And before I installed an MU2 the power supply regulator of our oscil- seem to be even more audible than high-
player in my girlfriend’s house, I enjoyed lator has extreme high isolation from all frequency ones. Higher-frequency modula-
listening to her 1950s Grundig 3068 Hi-Fi disturbances on the power rail over a very tions manifest themselves as an increased
Zauberklang tube radio. A friend of mine wide frequency range. However, all these noisefloor and perhaps some harshness
restored it and it made me consider what 70 measures increase the resolution of the in the sound or a certain coloration.
years of audio development have improved system, and if you increase the resolution, Low-frequency modulations, on the other
in the listening experience. Could we have even smaller anomalies become audible. So hand, don’t matter spectrally so much but
stopped back then and remained happy I don’t dare say that there will be no audible have an impact in the stereo image, in the
forever? I have some 78rpm jazz records difference between good and bad sources coherence of the sound, and even in better
that belonged to my dad, and I ask myself on an MU1 or MU2, but the differences will musical timing—what people refer to as
the same question when I play them on be exceedingly small. pace and rhythm. Those aspects have a lot
my 1920s Columbia gramophone. There’s RvB: Can you describe a concrete sonic to do with sound quality.
something tangible in that type of repro- effect—something audible, not just measur- RvB: What factors most affect how good a
duction. It’s hard to achieve with modern able—that you’ve heard vanish thanks to DAC sounds?
technology. better clocking? EG: In audio, everything matters. If you
RvB: Speaking of which, the CD was intro- EG: The low end becomes more solid, the reach for the top, you can’t just do one ele-
duced in 1982, so we’ve been at this for 43 stereo image more tactile, and the high end ment right and then use standard solutions
years now. Are we getting to the finish line less brittle. A large part of the so-called digi- for the rest of the design. So a good DAC has
with digital? At what point will the tiniest tal sound can be attributed to clock jitter. to have an extremely low jitter oscillator,
of improvements cease to make an audible RvB: Engineers thought they had jitter beat a very high-quality power supply, great
difference? decades ago, but you’re still managing to jitter suppression of the input circuitry, an
EG: I’m quite sure that will never happen. improve DACs by reducing timing errors. extremely high precision upsampling filter,
Behind every door we open, there ap- What degree of timing errors are we talk- a smart and precise sigma-delta modulator,
pears to be a room full of improvements to ing about? How low does jitter need to be very high quality analog circuitry, a superb
explore. In a way, digital is just like analog: before it ceases to be audible? board layout, hand-picked components,
When you improve resolution, you hear highly stable control software, etc. When
more, so further improvements in resolu- all factors are of equally high quality, the
tion become audible. It seems infinite, and design starts to sing.
for me that’s what keeps it interesting. RvB: Other than Grimm’s own products,
But in another way, digital is also very what would you look for if you went shop-
different from analog: It’s easy and cheap ping for an audio system today?
to build very complex systems. Many EG: Back when we founded the company,
designers embrace that nowadays. I see it we had a love for high-efficiency loudspeak-
happening in pro audio, where powerful ers and low-power tube amplifiers. Those
computers make it possible to add dozens can be highly addictive, with a great ability
of effects to each recorded track while to draw you into the music. But they’re not
mixing, and in hi-fi, where DSP is used to tonally neutral, which makes them of little
generate artificial immersive sound. In my use for professional mixing and mastering
experience, all these treatments reduce purposes. On the other hand, the average
resolution and lead us away from feeling professional audio system won’t move you
connected to the original musicians. That’s emotionally. My dream with Grimm Audio
why it is so important to keep playing was to develop equipment that would
vintage vinyl on a minimalist, high-quality sound both neutral and emotionally involv-
system. Listening to an old reference like ing. That’s also the quality I’d be looking
that helps to check if we’re not losing some- for if I bought a new hi-fi system. If I were
thing along the way. listening purely for pleasure, I’d probably
RvB: If a digital signal can be reclocked return to my first love, the tube setup. But
and reshaped to near-perfection, does the I’m a musical omnivore, and with most
source matter anymore? Do transports or genres, I would dearly miss the spectral
streamers really make an audible difference neutrality and bass control of a more linear
once the signal hits the system? audio system.
EG: Good question. The MU1 and MU2 fea- RvB: In English, grim is kind of a negative
ture the highest possible jitter suppression word—dark in mood, dismal. Was it risky
for external digital sources. Our FLL—Fre- to give the company your name?
quency-Locked Loop—uses a buffer mem- EG: Well, Grimm has a different meaning
ory to completely isolate the jitter of the than grim, of course. People will perhaps
source clock from the internal clock. The be reminded of the brothers Grimm, who
internal clock is then very slowly shifted to were well known for the fairy tales they col-
the source clock frequency to stay locked in lected in the early 19th century. Apart from
the long term, but that’s so slow that even it being my last name, the association with
extreme low frequency jitter is still attenu- magical sound qualities appealed to us. And
ated. The advantage of the FLL concept is I do really like stories with a little edge! n

stereophile.com n August 2025 99

 THERE’S ONLY TWO KINDS OF MUSIC: THE BLUES AND ZIPPETY DOO-DAH.—TOWNES VAN ZANDT

AURAL BY ROBERT BAIRD

ROBERT
THIS ISSUE: A new trove of music
from The Boss makes it clear
why it wasn’t previously issued.

Bruce Springsteen’s later-career back catalog

eeing Bruce Springsteen perform live in the 1970s and early ’80s, pre–Born in the himself, including a lot of Yamaha DX7 and

S U.S.A., could be a life-changing experience. Bruce was the hungry leader of a re-
lentless, turn-on-a-dime R&B band. A burning star streaking across the rock’n’roll
sky, he threw his fiery young self into maximum shows full of urgency (to invoke
one of his best rhymes) and those wordy, anthemic pleading/strutting urban fairy tales.
He was leagues beyond almost everything and everyone else in those days.
Korg M1 synthesizer. The biggest revela-
tion from these sessions is the easygoing
“Waiting on the End of the World.” The
upbeat “One Beautiful Morning” is worth a
second listen.
The reality of creatives and creativity, however, is that the muse is fickle. No one can Springsteen’s “country” album, Some-
hope to function at their highest level of inspiration forever. Since 2002’s The Rising—or where North of Nashville, was tracked after
if I’m being generous, 2020’s Letter to You—the once untouchable singing and songwriting the 1995 release of Greatest Hits and at the
dynamo has been floundering through fallow fields. Albums like 2009’s Working on a same time as the sessions for The Ghost of
Dream and 2014’s High Hopes are at least as forgettable as that earlier low point, the 1992 Tom Joad. Here is old-time rocker Springs-
pairing of Human Touch and Lucky Town, two albums released on the same day. teen cutting loose on rockabilly rock-outs
“Repo Man” and “Detail Man,” both in the
Most of what’s on the new box set, Tracks same bloodline as “Pink Cadillac.”
II: The Lost Albums, was recorded after For those with a high tolerance for
Bruce had passed the peak of his creativity. cheese, the West Coast–influenced Twilight
These seven albums (though one’s more a Hours is hands down the most astonishing
collection of tracks than a coherent album) discovery within Tracks II. In his liner-
and 82 tracks that make up this bounty note essay, Bruce attributes this music to
(the first Tracks set was released in 1998) listening to “Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb,
are the sound of the maturing Springsteen Burt Bacharach, those kinds of records. I
after the waves of passion had passed. It’s don’t know if people will hear those influ-
noticeable here, for example, how female ences, but that was what I had in my mind.”
characters are invariably referred to as Recorded in 2012, this is Bruce writing,
“wives.” Rosalita and Sandy are distant singing, and becoming a reasonable fac-
memories. simile of the suave pop of Sinatra-meets–
A problem for Springsteen completists Burt Bacharach. Smooth, string-heavy
at least is that the credits on Tracks II are arrangements and lyrics from the guy who
not granular enough. They don’t tell us wrote “Thunder Road” are nothing short
what players are playing on each track of mind-bending. “Late in the Evening,” on
or exactly which take of the track you are which he croons “Come late in the evening/
hearing. Other than Springsteen’s own although only one tune, “My Hometown,” Drive home in my car/’Neath a sky without
essays, which accompany each album and made it onto the album. While much from a star/And wonder where you are,” seems
mention where in his discography these these sessions has, according to the liner convincing and heartfelt, but coming from
sessions fit, precise dates are lacking. notes, “emerged on B-sides and antholo- Bruce it is also profoundly strange. But it is
These albums also mark the time when gies,” several tunes from the ’83 sessions no stranger, it must be said, than Bob Dylan
instead of assembling the band and work- are not well known, including “Jim Deer,” growling his way through “Here Comes
ing it out in the studio, Springsteen was a charming, compact slice of Americana Santa Claus.”
getting better at recording tracks at home. in the vein of Nebraska and The Ghost of Artists need to grow to stay vital. This
As writer Erik Flannigan notes in his ex- Tom Joad. surprising turn from Springsteen into an
cellent introductory essay, “In the winter Recorded in his second Los Angeles– unexpected stylistic quarter is remarkable,
of 1981–82, Springsteen began working area house (after the first was damaged in and it’s the best reason to own Tracks II:
on a TEAC 144 Portastudio multitrack an earthquake), the Streets of Philadelphia The Lost Albums. In his liner essay, Boss
cassette recorder, … [which] enabled him Sessions is the Springsteen album most cov- crooner exclaims, “Andy Williams! I’m a
to craft a song’s arrangement, structure, eted by Bruce cognoscenti because it was fan. All this stuff could have come right off
and tone, as well as allow for bounces and built on West Coast hip-hop drum loops. of those Sixties albums. It’s for lovers only.”
vocal effects.” Eventually, Zack Alford (drums), Tommy Thanks to Neil Young and Bob Dylan, the
I auditioned this album using prere- Sims (bass), and Shane Fontayne (guitar), concept of rock giants unveiling vaults of
lease WAV files. Despite the fact that most all of whom toured with Bruce during the previously unknown recordings is no lon-
PHOTO BY DANNY CLINCH

of this material was recorded in a home Human Touch/Lucky Town tour in 1992–’93, ger a revelation. Tracks II: The Lost Albums
studio, the sound is good to excellent. Four went into A&M Studios in 1994 and added is for dedicated fans who’ll be grateful that,
of the albums hold worthy discoveries. their instrumental voices to six of the 10 as Bruce explains in his notes to the Streets
The 18 tracks of LA Garage Sessions ’83 are songs. Despite that, this is still mostly the of Philadelphia Sessions, “I always put them
basically the demos for Born in the U.S.A., sound of Bruce playing all the instruments away, but I don’t throw them away.” n

stereophile.com n August 2025 101

You Take Your
Music Personally.
So Do We.
• Free Turntable Setup with Purchase*
• Dedicated Customer Service Team
• 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee

Eli C.
Turntable
Specialist

We Proudly Carry Gear from These

Leading Brands — And Many More.

Contact Us!
Check Out Our
312-433-0200 Latest Catalog! *Free turntable setup is included
with the purchase of a turntable
www.musicdirect.com Call for a free copy. and phono cartridge.
 A MONTHLY SURVEY OF THE BEST NEW LP REISSUES

REVINYLIZED! BY ROBERT BAIRD

THIS ISSUE: A Tone Poet reissue by
the other bebopper called Parker.

Rollin’ with Leo

orn players were always the show ponies of bebop. While drummer Art

H Blakey, pianist Thelonious Monk, and other instrumentalists were also power-
ful pioneers, it was the saxophonists, building on the legacy of the great Charlie
Parker, who’ve come to symbolize this once-hated, now-revered form of jazz.
While the tenors and altos got the lion’s share of saxophone glory, baritone players also
made their mark, on bebop and also swing. Perhaps the most famous is Harry Carney, a
mainstay of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Serge Chaloff, Pepper Adams, Gerry Mulligan,
and Cecil Payne are all baritone sax players of note. More recently, Gary Smulyan and
Hamiet Bluiett have added their distinctive voices.
Demanding more air and a different, more supportive embouchure, the baritone sax
emits an unforgettable tone. Often described as “brawny,” that sound is immediately dis-
tinct when the hefty instrument is played with verve and gusto.

One of if not the earliest bebop baritone Parker moved to tenor saxophonist
saxophone practitioners was Leo Parker. Illinois Jacquet’s band during a period
His last album, Rollin’ With Leo, which was captured on Toronto 1947, a live recording
recorded in 1961 but not released until 1980, released on CD on the Uptown Records la-
is one of the most recent releases in Blue bel. That session included bassist Al Lucas, famous for the time he spent playing with
Note Records’ uniformly excellent Tone who later appeared on Rollin’ With Leo, Dizzy Gillespie, though he also recorded on
Poet vinyl-reissue series. as well as pianist Sir Charles Thompson. Blue Note albums by James Moody, George
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Leo In 1951, Thompson and his All-Stars cut a Wallington, and Dexter Gordon. Philadel-
Parker made his mark after World War II, session for Apollo Records with the great phia-born pianist Johnny Acea, who was a
when jazz was first evolving from big band Charlie Parker that would produce the hit sideman on sessions by Grant Green, Roy
to bebop. Initially an alto saxophonist, he “Mad Lad,” on which Leo Parker played Haynes, and Don Wilkerson, among others,
made his first recordings at age 18 on the a particularly memorable solo. The title more than holds his own on these tracks.
alto as part of a 1944 Coleman Hawkins of the song would thereafter become Leo The drummers on the date are Purnell Rice
session that also included trumpeter Dizzy Parker’s nickname. Parker, who was the and Wilbert Hogan. Perhaps the most well-
Gillespie, tenor saxophonist Don Byas, leader on a pair of 10" albums in 1951 for realized tune on the session, the moody
bassist Oscar Pettiford, and drummer Max the Savoy label, also contributed to early “Bad Girl” by bassist Stan Conover, who
Roach. These sessions, considered by many 1950s sessions on labels including Gotham, alternates with Lucas on this session, gives
to be the first bebop recordings, were later King, Prestige, United, Aladdin, and Chess, both Parker and Burns a chance to work in
collected and released, in 1992, as Rainbow some of which remain unissued to this day. a deeper, bluesier vein.
Mist, on Bob Koester’s Delmark label. In Sadly, Mad Lad Parker became yet Parker is an uncommonly nimble
1945, Parker switched to baritone saxo- another drug casualty of the bebop era, a baritone player, capable of projecting the
phone and became a member of Billy Ecks- time when heroin was widely considered a instrument’s big sound but also adept at
tine’s band, joining a sax lineup known as rite of passage to the music. After scuffling eliciting a crying, melancholy articulation
“The Unholy Four.” and struggling mightily during the 1950s, and timbre, his signature legacy. Rather
he re-emerged from a decade of silence in than an opportunity to blow, the title track
1961 to make a pair of records for Blue Note, is another midtempo excursion leaving
Let Me Tell You ’Bout It and Rollin’ With Leo, plenty of room for Parker and Burns to
both recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in 1961. stretch on uncommonly inventive and
Leo died of a heart attack in early 1962 be- appealing solos. Another Parker original,
fore the second session could be released. the swinging “Jumpin’ Leo,” is exactly what
Cut from the original analog tapes, the the title implies, while the fast tempo of
2025 Tone Poet release of Rollin’ With Leo “Music Hall Beat” features another of the
was mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent underrated sidemen on this session, tenor
Audio and pressed at RTI. The project was saxophonist Bill Swindell.
supervised by Joe Harley, he of impeccable Rollin’ With Leo is a treasure from
taste and open ears. bebop’s past that’s been reissued several
Five of the eight tunes on Rollin’ With times on CD and LP since 1980. This new
Leo are Leo Parker originals. The album version, with its freshened sound, proves
opens with his smooth gliding “The Lion’s again that Dexter Gordon’s concise ap-
Roar,” on which the baritone shares solos praisal of Parker was on the mark: “The Kid
with trumpeter Dave Burns. Burns is most could play. Lots of bottoms.” n

stereophile.com n August 2025 103

I’m mature.
Started in a garage.
Reinvigorated US manufacturing.
Saved the world from delta-sigma.
Refused ridiculous pricing.
Brought back discrete design.
Rejected silly unicorn formats.
Crafted unique topologies.
Attracted the youngest audience.
Broke planned obsolescence.
Reinvented the UI.

15 YEARS OF FUN, AFFORDABLE, END-GAME AUDIO

S C H I I T . C O M / 1 5 T H
 CLASSICAL
ROCK / POP
JAZZ

RECORD REVIEWS
ach time I approach a new record- improvised: Biber knew what he wanted

E ing, the music always comes first.

In that spirit, with thoughts of
savoring the abundant beauties in
six of the eight Sonatas for Violin Solo that
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber dedicated
EDITOR’S PICK
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
from his soloist and wrote out every note
the violin plays. Not so the continuo (aka
accompaniment), which in true baroque
fashion consisted of a single bass line. Here,
Brecon Baroque performs wonders. Wait
to Maximilian Gandolf Graf von Kuenburg, until you hear the organ sounding for all
the Archbishop of Salzburg, in 1681, I cued the world like a drone as its timbres and
up Channel Classics’ latest offering, Just textures contrast beautifully with violin.
Biber. But once I heard the first 10 seconds Parts of these sonatas overflow with
of the 70-minute recording, the union of its pastoral grace, other parts with joy, yet
extraordinarily silent background with its others with sobriety. I love how easily
abundance of color and clarity, captured to Biber can shift from bold and vigorous
perfection by engineer Jared Sacks, left me passages to stately courtly dances (includ-
in awe. ing gavotte and allemande). Shifts are
Given that Sacks records in DSD256 with frequent and often unexpected. Savor, for
excellent equipment—he uses a Merging example, the contrast between the First
Technologies Horus A/D converter, Brüel Sonata’s Adagio and its Variations. The
& Kjaer 4006 and Schoeps microphones, First’s finale is so transcendent that you
a Pyramix workstation (also from Merg- may bliss out while listening.
ing Technologies), van den Hul 3T Carbon JUST BIBER For all his presumed holiness, Archbish-
cabling, custom Rens Heijnis microphone op Gandolf clearly had a sense of humor.
preamplifiers, and Grimm LS1 mastering Rachel Podger, baroque The nine-movement Sonata Violino Solo
speakers—I expected top-notch sound. But violin; Brecon Baroque Representativa in A Major, C. 146, which
none of that could account for the venue’s may have been copied from Schmelzer,
Channel Classics CCS48525 (reviewed in DSD128
pristine silence. and 24/96 PCM). 2025. Jonathan Freeman-Attwood,
includes imitations of nightingale, cuckoo,
I asked Sacks himself to account for the prod.; Jared Sacks, eng./edit/master hen, frog, and cat. The violin’s clucking is
uncanny sonics. As if reflecting my own PERFORMANCE delectable.
values, he began with musical commentary. SONICS By email, Podger shared a few thoughts
“What is special about this recording is the on Biber’s music. “Biber’s Mystery Sonatas
use of two gambas,” he wrote. “The sounds are mind-blowingly beautiful pieces,” she
from these beautifully played instruments sometimes in back. I add this signal to the wrote. “Since they follow the Biblical sto-
added extra character to the music.” stereo pair to adjust the stereo imagery and ries of Christ and Mary, they have strong
Then he addressed the venue. “I recorded depth. It adds exceptional depth and clarity spiritual meaning.
Rachel Podger and her ensemble, Brecon to the overall sound.” “In contrast, the sonatas of 1681 have a
Baroque, during a very cold December in Sacks also gave credit to Heijnis’s more secular feel. Although there are lots
an English church in a little village near battery-powered unit, which supplies of devout moments, of repose and contem-
Oxford. Maybe 20 houses at the most. No power to the microphones and their plation, such moments are brief. The flam-
traffic or airplanes to disrupt us—just the preamplifiers. “When working in difficult boyance of the written-out improvisations
extreme cold! We only had infrared heaters situations (like churches in England) where and flights of fancy is on a different level.
churning out a bit of warmth. I sat in a the current is not always stable, this power There’s so much jubilance in the virtuosity
back room open to the church with its own unit is fantastic for keeping recording qual- in these pieces—not just in the rapid scale
heater. But maybe that is what makes it ity at its highest level,” he wrote. figurations but also in the many rhythmi-
sound more silent.” The pristine silence and superb engi- cally dotted chordal sections. And then
Sacks’s challenge was to create a sound- neering enable us to fully savor the unique there are the gorgeous ‘Arias’ with those
stage that would sound natural, yet very timbres of Podger’s gut-stringed Pesarin- stunning, written-out improvisations—so
intimate to the listener. He turned to his ius violin from 1739, Walter Chinaglia’s touching and inventive.”
usual setup: B&K4006 and an MS (mono/ste- authentic wood organ, and modern copies I hope you can find the time to savor
reo microphone) between the gambas, with of Italian theorbo, Venetian baroque guitar, these sonatas and Podger’s accomplish-
Podger under the main pair and a couple of archlute, and viola da gamba. ments, not just as background music but
Rens Heijnis MPM-91s supporting her. All Podger’s technique is faultless. As fully immersed in the glories of this music
microphones were modified to 4-pin XLR. virtuosic as the music may be—the rapid as recorded and presented in high-resolu-
“The microphone setup is similar to passagework is made even more riveting tion two-channel or surround.
the Decca tree with a stereo pair, except I by a dedication that consistently values Masterfully captured in a special venue,
always put a mono/stereo microphone in musicality over showmanship for show- these sonatas are truly a treat.
the middle—sometimes in front of the tree, manship’s sake—nothing Podger plays is —Jason Victor Serinus

stereophile.com n August 2025 105

 Feel the Music

DISTRIBUTION

forte-distribution.com www.eversolo.com motetdistribution.com

(USA Distributor) (Canadian Distributor)
 RECORD REVIEWS
JA ZZ

ADAM O’FARRILL BILLY MOHLER LOUIS STEWART/JIM HALL

For These Streets The Eternal The Dublin Concert
O’Farrill, trumpet, flugelhorn, compositions, Mohler, bass; Devin Daniels, alto saxophone; Louis Stewart, Jim Hall, guitars
arrangements; seven others Jeff Parker, guitar; Damion Reid, drums Livia LRCD2402 (CD). 2024.
Out of Your Head OOYH034 (CD). 2025. Spencer Murphy, Contagious Music CGM011 (CD). 2025. Dermot Rogers, prod.; Gerald Davis,
prod.; Chris Krasnow, Alex Conroy, Nicky Young, engs. Dan Seeff, prod.; Pete Min, eng. Daire Winston, engs.
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
SONICS SONICS SONICS
Adam O’Farrill has gained well-deserved Remarkably for a thriving metropolis, Maybe it’s the decades spent hustling, but
recognition as a leading light among con- Los Angeles hasn’t really been a hotbed of jazz musicians don’t seem to know how
temporary jazz trumpeters. But as far as jazz—except for the 1940s, when Central to take time off. Case in point: this newly
I’m concerned, nothing in his discography Avenue in the city’s Black community was unearthed recording of a 1982 Boxing Day
foreshadows the scale or vision of his new thriving, and the 1950s, when West Coast concert by guitarists Louis Stewart and Jim
octet project. For These Streets is a work of “Cool” jazz was much in vogue. Hall, captured while Hall was on holiday
extreme ambition and originality. But a new, edgy energy is audible in in Dublin. Livia Records founder Dermot
It’s a concept album, inspired by town. It’s loosely associated with the Herbie Rogers hastily arranged the gig at a Jewish
O’Farrill’s fascination with music, lit- Hancock Institute of Jazz, clubs like Sam community center, the only venue available
erature, and film from the 1930s. Concept First, and players like Dan Rosenboom, the day after Christmas in a country that
albums must be taken on faith. We may Julien Knowles—and the four people on at the time was highly religious. Now back
never understand how Henry Miller’s The Eternal. in business, the Livia label has compiled
novel Tropic of Cancer or Charlie Chaplin’s Billy Mohler’s resumé is atypical. A highlights from that concert.
movie City Lights filtered into this edgy, Berklee-trained jazz bassist, he’s been a In 1982, Hall was one of the most revered
21st century jazz—or tease out the melodic session bassist for pop stars like Lady Gaga guitarists of the postbop era, with nearly
shards and rhythmic echoes that O’Farrill and Dolly Parton. His quartet here is new, three decades of performances behind him.
reportedly draws from Ravel and Weill. but it shares a quality with Mohler’s previ- Stewart, 13 years younger, had come up
What matters is that O’Farrill’s intriguing, ous bands: The quartet’s jazz is hardcore, through the British jazz scene with Tubby
unsettling pieces feel like a suite—an arc— but it suggests a pop sensibility, which Hayes in the late ’60s and was active on
unified by a single motivation. makes the groove more accessible. both sides of the Atlantic. The material on
Most composers who use octets are Most of the tunes are assertive anthems The Dublin Concert is drawn from the jazz
interested in scale, but O’Farrill says he like “Destroyer” and “Those Who Know,” and Great American Songbook canons,
seeks intimacy, noting that “there are only with a big beat from Mohler, surging most of it well-trodden by both guitarists.
a few moments where all eight people are drums from Reid, and killing solos from Though this gig seems to have been their
playing.” On a piece like “Swimmers,” he alto saxophonist Devin Daniels and guitar- only encounter, Stewart and Hall play
proves again that, as an improvising trum- ist Jeff Parker. But there is variety. “Hawk with a jubilant, empathetic connection.
pet soloist, he can pin you back in your Wind” is suspenseful, moving deliberately, Particularly charming are their exchanges
chair. On “Streets,” O’Farrill and guitarist tense with withheld force. “Reflection” is a of single-note lines on “Stella by Starlight”
Mary Halvorson are essentially alone brief, rapt, burning ballad with no solos but and “How Deep Is the Ocean.” Their take
for five volatile minutes. “The Break Had with Mohler’s bass at its center, powering on “St. Thomas,” by Hall’s former boss
Not Come” is a captivating juxtaposition it. Sonny Rollins, is remarkable. After a rela-
of Halvorson’s obsessive strumming and You’ll be hearing more about Daniels. He tively straightforward intro, the pair first
Patricia Brennan’s lingering vibraphone is a merciless improviser. He already has deconstruct the theme into its percussive
vibratos. More representative are move- his own sound, one that slashes the air like elements then move into a long section of
ments like “And So On” and “Rose,” where a switchblade. His quick, fresh ideas keep broad chords, eventually sounding like a
the focus shifts from solo voices to the coming at you; around him, you can never lost track from John McLaughlin’s Extrapo-
quietly seething ensemble. relax. lation.
For These Streets is shadowy, atmospheric Parker, with his intelligent comping and The sound is surprisingly good for what
chamber music. The eight musicians play vivid solos, is the voice of reason in this was essentially an archival recording, not
12 instruments, and while the palette is var- band. Mohler threads five solo bass inter- intended for public release. There’s some
ied, colors are mostly muted. As listeners, ludes—iterations of “Eternal”—throughout minor distortion in louder passages, and
we never resolve this album’s mysteries. the album. All five are dark and gripping. the between-song announcements—likely
Instead, we sit rapt as scenes shift and pass They are the anchors of the album, around not miked—are sometimes hard to make
by us, cinematically.—Thomas Conrad which the band pieces flow.—Thomas Conrad out.—Andrey Henkin

stereophile.com n August 2025 107

 RECORD REVIEWS
JA ZZ CLAS S ICAL

DENNY ZEITLIN SHOSTAKOVICH

With a Song in My Heart Piano Concerti 1–2; Piano Works
Zeitlin, piano Yuja Wang, piano; Boston Symphony/Andris Nelsons
Sunnyside SSC 1781 (CD). 2019/2025. Zeitlin, prod.; Deutsche Grammophon 486 6956 (CD). 2025. Shawn
Vadim Canby, Zeitlin, engs. Murphy, prod.; Shawn Murphy and Nick Squire, engs.

PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
SONICS SONICS

From 2009 through 2019, Denny Zeitlin Yuja Wang and company shine in a con-
gave an annual solo piano concert at the vincing account of the Second Concerto.
Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland, Cali- After a light-textured orchestral march,
fornia. Half of With a Song in My Heart was the soloist takes off at a gallop with clean
recorded at his final appearance there, in runs; a sudden hush heralds the mysteri-
2019; the other half comes from sessions in ous second group. In the Andante, the
his home studio. In both settings but espe- strings’ searching, contained chorale turns
cially at Piedmont, engineer Vadim Canby introspective, while Wang’s delicate phras-
ably captures the vivid, tactile presence of ing almost evokes a Chopin nocturne. The
Zeitlin’s piano. finale, launched attacca, grows unbuttoned
As an artist, Zeitlin blends many virtues: but never quite rambunctious. Wang’s
chops, fearless creativity, taste. As a man, runs sparkle, though her topmost chords
he is a force of nature. Today, at 87, he still lack depth. Woodwinds sound pushed in
works as a clinical psychiatrist and goes the first movement’s quirky, Festive Over-
ballroom dancing twice a week. When he ture–like passage; otherwise, the orchestra
recorded this album, on which he plays his supports her marvelously.
ass off, he was only 81. In the First Concerto, conversely, almost
From 2014 on, each of Zeitlin’s concerts everyone involved seems slightly miscast.
at Piedmont focused on a single composer, The Boston strings are haunting in warm,
selected by the company. In 2019, the translucent sectional lines, but soft-edged
spotlight was on Richard Rodgers. Zeitlin attacks dilute the score’s spiky propulsion
takes bold liberties with Rodgers’s mate- into an anodyne flow, particularly in the
rial. His expansive introductions often scurrying finale. Tonal definition suffers
feel freely improvised, but the melodies in the tempo transitions. And, while Wang
always emerge. On the patient, searching again offers lapidary articulation in run-
prologue to “Falling in Love with Love,” the ning figures, her insufficiently supported
theme gradually coalesces from scattered tone in the central movements leaves her
fragments. He frequently surrounds the no room for coloring the harmonic shifts.
composer’s harmonies with new counter- Only Thomas Rolfs’s crisp, cheeky trumpet
lines and unexpected digressions. obbligatos capture an appropriate carnival
Occasionally, Zeitlin gives tunes new atmosphere.
time signatures. In 7/4, “I Didn’t Know What As a follow-up, we get an odd cross-
Time It Was” takes on a quirky, impulsive section of the 24 Preludes and Fugues. Two
new personality. “This Nearly Was Mine,” preludes stand alone, shorn of their ac-
composed as a waltz, has always been a companying fugues, and vanish before they
poignant song, but in Zeitlin’s 5/4, its sad- leave a mark. Their brevity makes them feel
ness has grandeur. “Wait Till You See Her” like sketches—interesting but too slight to
keeps its original time signature of 3/4 , but register with emotional weight. Best are the
Zeitlin slows it down and turns it crystal- A minor Prelude and Fugue: the Prelude’s
line. rippling, fluid textures, which again don’t
Perhaps the most literal reading is the quite shimmer, take on a foreboding tone as
title track. But Zeitlin, with his clean, they descend, and Wang projects the Fugue
strong touch, ingenious modulations, and with crisp energy. The D-flat Major pairing
imaginative addenda, cannot touch a song offers heartiness, agogic rhetoric, and
without making it his own.—Thomas Conrad restraint as needed.—Stephen Francis Vasta

stereophile.com n August 2025

 RECORD REVIEWS
C L A S S IC AL

BEGIN THE SONG! CHOPIN

A Purcell Academy 24 Préludes; Sonata 2
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, countertenor; Le Consort Emil Gryesten, piano
Harmonia Mundi HMM 902741 (CD, reviewed as 24/96). Con Fuoco 5707785014844 (24/96 download). 2025.
2025. Alban Moraud, Alexandra Evrard, prods.; Federico Mattioli, prod. and eng.
Moraud and Evrard, eng.
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE SONICS
SONICS In a Romantic extension of the “historical
In his first recorded recital, distinctively performance” movement, Emil Gryesten
voiced Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian exhibits plays his program on an Érard grand piano
a true alto with far more body, weight, and built in 1837, the same year Chopin com-
emotional import than most countertenor posed the Préludes. In common with many
voices. A 2017 HSBC Révélation award older instruments, it’s smaller scaled than
winner at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the modern concert grand, with a quicker
Bénos-Djian has already sung with many of action and a lighter sound.
the world’s leading period music conduc- In some Préludes, the immediate attack
tors and ensembles. His arrestingly beauti- and rebalanced voicings are an advantage.
ful instrument seems fully engaged and The rapid writing in the brief D major co-
at ease transitioning from rapid runs to alesces in soft-edged, fluid harmonies. The
plangent lyricism. C-sharp minor’s high trills shimmer. Light,
The subject of this month’s Recording of uncluttered textures benefit the turbulent
the Month, Salzburg-born Heinrich Ignaz F-sharp minor and transform the E-flat
Franz von Biber, composed instrumental major into a buoyant cloud of tone.
music that was both serious and light- Interpretively, Gryesten scores in the
hearted. Apparently many of his English gentle rubato of the waltzish A major—not
counterparts composed vocal music too sentimental—and in the C minor’s
grounded in sadness—that, at least, is ambivalence. On the other hand, some of
what’s on this recital. Bénos-Djian and the his rubatos are strained, and the rippling G
superb four-person early music ensemble major’s themes ought to stand in sharper
Le Consort (augmented by musicians who relief.
play flute, recorder, oboe, theorbo, and Other pieces sound limited. The pro-
baroque guitar) intersperse 14 pieces by clamatory opening chords of the B-flat
Purcell with others by Barrett, Croft, Eccles, minor lack depth, although the ensuing
Blow, Jeremiah Clarke, and anon. Even “O passagework is dazzling. The hard-edged
Ravishing Delight,” by Eccles, seems to tone in the F minor clearly comes from
equate joy with suffering. You may feel the the piano, not the engineers. In lyrical
need to come up for air midway through. episodes, especially in the A minor and E
For those who seek cheer, there are minor, Gryesten, perhaps to compensate
two saving graces: Bénos-Djian’s consis- for the Érard’s more restricted sustaining
tently mellifluous, graceful singing and the power, accents every note of the broad
glories of Le Consort’s six colorful, often melodies, which don’t bind and sing.
upbeat instrumentals. Their imaginative Oddly, the difficulties mostly disappear
instrumental blend inspires a mixture of in the B minor Sonata. The opening bass
respect and gratitude. attack is firm and balanced. I’d still have
Don’t miss Purcell’s well-known “Sound liked fuller high chords in the second
the Trumpet.” Compare what Bénos-Djian subject. The turbulent Scherzo scales down
and Paul Figuier do to the classic recording delicately with a graceful, rocking Trio; the
by countertenors Paul and Alfred Deller— famous Funeral March, steady and grim,
two completely different sound worlds and gradually turns tender. The busy finale
different sensibilities. feels too short.
In every respect, this wonderful new I never noticed the sonics—high praise,
recording takes the palm.—Jason Victor Serinus indeed.—Stephen Francis Vasta

stereophile.com n August 2025 111

 RECORD REVIEWS
C L A S S IC AL ROCK/POP

RACHEL YONAN GOOSE

Kiss on Wood Everything Must Go
Rachel Yonan, viola; Kwan Yi, piano. Sono Luminus No Coincidence Records 0617308092165
DSL-92283. CD (reviewed in 24/352.8). 2025. (auditioned as LP). 2025.
Ulrike Schwartz, prod.; Daniel Shores, eng. D. James Goodwin, prod. and eng.
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
SONICS SONICS
In an intriguing, surprisingly short Since late last year, Goose has emerged
program, violist Rachel Yonan and pianist as one of the most talked-about bands in
Kwan Yi mix three intentionally sparse rock. Building on its jam-band roots, the
“modern” pieces by Arvo Pärt and Sir group recently headlined Madison Square
James MacMillan with Robert Schumann’s Garden, got booked for top slots at major
four far more effusive Märchenbilder (fairy summer festivals, and drew attention from
tales). The contrasts are many, and the national news outlets. Everything Must Go,
rewards are considerable. Goose’s fourth album, feels like both a cul-
Those rewards are enhanced by Daniel mination of that momentum and a bold new
Shores’s commitment to recording in DXD. chapter. It’s a 14-track, 91-minute journey
Images are realistically large, the sound through road-honed favorites, plus new
full, detailed, and free of digital edge. songs that are among their strongest yet.
Shores’s kinship with the DXD team of engi- Recorded with producer and longtime
neer Jim Anderson and producer Ulrike collaborator D. James Goodwin, Everything
Schwartz is reflected in Schwartz’s involve- Must Go stays connected to Goose’s guitar-
ment as producer and Anderson’s hand in driven roots as it embraces splashes of pop
supplying booklet photographs. color. Tracks like the single “Give It Time”
The major draw is the first recording of retain the band’s dynamic swells and soar-
MacMillan’s seven-minute Kiss on Wood, ing guitar climaxes, elements longtime fans
arranged for viola and piano by Yonan. De- will recognize, even cherish. But there’s a
scribed by MacMillan as “a short, static and new sense of maturity here—likely shaped
serene meditation,” its inspiration lies in by the patience the group showed in road-
a Latin phrase that on Good Friday invites testing this material—and a pushing of
church attendees to come forward and kiss musical boundaries.
the wood on Christ’s cross in adoration. The new songs are standouts, none more
The slow, still beauty of the piece is marked so than the album’s third track, “Dustin
by sighing, groaning, and some of the same Hoffman.” It’s a funky strut with tight
stillness that makes Pärt’s Fratres and horns and a slick groove, evoking Lowell
Spielel im Spiegel so magical and riveting. I George–led Little Feat, perhaps with a
sat transfixed by the increasingly soft piano dash of Tower of Power brass. On the other
chords at the end, whose subtle transforma- end of the spectrum is “Your Direction,”
tions are captured to perfection by DXD. a breezy slice of ’70s Southern California
Occasionally, Yonan’s flow is interrupted yacht rock reinvented for the 2020s and
by slight unsteadiness. In Spiegel im Spiegel, capped with a ride-out featuring Larry
her decision to alternate between straight Carlton–like guitar lines. That blend of
tone and moderate vibrato seems capri- groove and refinement carries through the
cious. Most striking, her time travel (with entire record. Every spin uncovers new
Kwan) to Schumann’s era does not find textures and choices, evidence of a band
them plumbing the romantic depths. In thinking in album-length arcs.
works as short as the Märchenbilder, chang- The vinyl edition is a lavish five-sided
es in tempo and dynamics are essential. release, with a visual identity as considered
To compare this duo’s final melancholic as the music. Side six features the cover
movement with those from other artists art imprinted in the vinyl—a final flourish
is to discover what more could have been that turns a great record into a collector’s
said.—Jason Victor Serinus prized possession.—Ray Chelstowski

stereophile.com n August 2025

ELEVATE
YOUR SOUND
PK10 ASCENT PowerKord
w/ Audio Grade connectors Rhodium plated (pictured)
(available in 10 AWG & 14 AWG versions)
CONNECTOR OPTIONS
AU(gold plated)

WG 330 AU EVO WG 350 AU EVO

US PLUG IEC

MADE IN THE USA

www.kimber.com - 801-621-5530
 RECORD REVIEWS
ROC K / P OP

MARK PRITCHARD & THOM YORKE SONS OF THE EAST HAYDEN PEDIGO
Tall Tales SONS I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away
Warp Records 505681800856 (auditioned as LP). 2025. Bry Jones, Nic Johnston, prods.; Lachlan Mitchell, eng. MEX374 Mexican Summer (WAV files). 2025.
Mark Pritchard, prod.; Josh Wermut, eng. Sons of the East Records, SOTE06V Scott Hirsch, prod. and eng.
PERFORMANCE (auditioned as CD). 2025. PERFORMANCE
SONICS PERFORMANCE SONICS
Thom Yorke first met producer Mark SONICS Still prone to painting his face blue and
Pritchard after a Radiohead concert in Sons of the East, a trio from the northern donning outrageous cowboy outfits,
2012, leading to a brief collaboration in beaches of Australia, has spent the last fingerpicking marvel Hayden Pedigo says
2016. Four years after that, during the decade building a global fan base, amass- he’s gotten serious for this third and final
pandemic, Yorke reached out again, asking ing more than 700 million streams and 75 installment of his Motor Trilogy albums.
if Pritchard had material in progress. That million YouTube views across their singles, After the success of 2023’s The Happiest
exchange sparked a remote partnership: EPs, and debut album. With this, their Times I Ever Ignored, Pedigo—whose play-
The two traded some 20 demo files, which second full-length outing, the Oz outfit is ing echoes that of spiritual forefather John
eventually evolved into Tall Tales. poised for an even wider breakthrough. Fahey—toured with Jenny Lewis, Devendra
The album is devoid of guitars. It feels Blending CS&N-style harmonies, Gram Banhart, and Hiss Golden Messenger. Then
more like an ambient experiment than a Parsons–inflected country, and vocals he retreated to a remote Wyoming ranch
rock record. It sets Pritchard’s composi- that recall Gasoline Alley–era Rod Stew- where he, a native of Amarillo, Texas, com-
tions in a landscape of synths, manipulated art, the band has carved out a signature posed these new pieces.
vocals, and abstract sonic textures. Drum sound that has broad appeal. Recorded Instrumental solo acoustic albums offer
tracks weave in and out of each song, an- in the musicians’ own studio, the album no place to hide. Weak writing and sloppy
choring the shifting textures and keeping reflects a lovely DIY ethos and captures playing gets exposed. While many of these
it from dissolving into atmosphere. It’s a the unpolished energy of their live shows. recordings feature subtle, well-arranged
dense, immersive listen, but rewarding. It’s a relaxed record that seems engineered accompaniment, Pedigo’s fingerwork is the
Centered around themes of dread, dis- for long drives and open windows. For focal point throughout. Staying clear of ef-
connection, and crisis, Tall Tales has been example, the record opener, “It’s Alright,” is fects pedals, he favors a pure, ringing tone.
fittingly described as a lockdown record. a sun-warmed track that channels the easy Electric guitars appear in sparing bursts.
The mood is bleak at first, but it gradually surf feel of Donavon Frankenreiter. Produced by Scott Hirsch of Hiss Golden
builds to include solid percussive moments The single “Rescue Me” shows how Messenger, who also plays bass on the
like the funky “Gangsters,” a track that Sons of the East tap into the anthemic album, the gathering of backing musicians
finds the team locking into an infectious folk-pop style made popular by artists like here includes Nathan Bieber (violin), Jens
groove, free from obvious pessimism. troubadour Noah Kahan, underpinned Kuross (piano), and Nicole Lawrence (pedal
Woodwinds surface throughout the by Mumford-style rhythmic builds. The steel). The clean, detailed recording accen-
album. Oboes and clarinets thread into arrangement is layered, with a strong tuates Pedigo’s gifts.
the electronic fabric and deepen the sense bluegrass presence that’s central to the Despite all the well-hyped goofs and an-
of scale. The record is less a collection group’s sound. “Pour the Wine” evokes the gularities of his personality—the album’s
of songs than a sustained audiovisual loose, communal ramble of classic tracks by title comes from what he calls a “pretty
concept. No surprise, then, that a compan- the Band. devastating” episode of TV’s Little House
ion film, directed by Jonathan Zawada, The album stumbles when songs like on the Prairie—Pedigo has a real talent for
heightens the atmosphere and sharpens the “Recognise” lean too heavily into the bringing out the beauty inherent in the
record’s thematic focus. production. What would normally feel resonances of six- and 12-string acoustic
There’s a tortured-artist appeal to Tall like a genuine anthem acquires a whiff of guitars. His melodies tend to be simple
Tales that some listeners will connect to formula. At worst, the polish nudges the yet highly emotive. “Houndstooth” and
and others will reject. Clearly, this record sound toward boy-band territory, when the “Hermes” are gorgeous examples of this:
was never meant to deliver hooks or hits. group’s real strength lies in looser, more or- Both are short, accessible, impressionistic
It’s about exploring the outer edges of song ganic arrangements. This is demonstrated pieces. Pedigo’s pacing and nimble finger-
structure and sonic texture using mood to a fault on the closing track, “Hard to Tell.” ing are impeccable throughout.
as a primary language. Like the tall tales it The song takes its time to grow from a bare The title track, featuring a ghostly pedal
references, the album trades in distortion, arrangement to a peak that has earned its steel, is another triumph. On the last track,
symbolism, and imagination stretched to heft, and it knows when it’s time to split. “End Credits,” we hear the guitarist’s voice
its limits. This is one fever dream you may More moments like that, and SONS would as he thanks everyone for listening. He’s
be happy you joined.—Ray Chelstowski be a must-spin.—Ray Chelstowski more than welcome.—Robert Baird

stereophile.com n August 2025 115

 David Lewis Audio.com
THE FINEST IN HIGH END AUDIO

ttps://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=84022ca168&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1813484433285116339&th=192a

Introducing Orpheus Lab - Exquisite Swiss Made Electronics

a7bdba8f1b3&view=fimg&disp=thd&attbid=ANGjdJ9G1mEwtJIJbzp7ZEyeeS8c2KQI2ImNeyFGbckmQ3T
lOHbPjSGHcMPu-0XI3y5xfcqEQJhE5fesXKN5aEHK0jAFjY3ElRXYSKAtZQBluKlIsmG0JbcX1v3EK4&ats=
24608000000&sz=w2736-h1569 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=84022ca168&attid=0.1&permm

Extraordinary CD, SACD and high power amplifiers. Timeless craftsmanship with modern innovation
id=msg-f:1813484433285116339&th=192aca7bdba8f1b3&view=fimg&disp=thd&attbid=ANGjdJ9G1mEwtJI
bzp7ZEyeeS8c2KQI2ImNeyFGbckmQ3TGlOHbPjSGHcMPu-0XI3y5xfcqEQJhE5fesXKN5aEHK0jAFjY3E

resulting in incredible technical performance and a soul - stirring ability to bring the music to life.
XYSKAtZQBluKlIsmG0JbcX1v3EK4&ats=2524608000000&sz=w2736-h1569 https://mai
oogle.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=84022ca168&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1813484433285116339&th=192aca7bdba8
b3&view=fimg&disp=thd&attbid=ANGjdJ9G1mEwtJIJbzp7ZEyeeS8c2KQI2ImNeyFGbckmQ3TGlOHbPjSGHcMPu-0X

Experience the finest Swiss made audio today.

y5xfcqEQJhE5fesXKN5aEHK0jAFjY3ElRXYSKAtZQBluKlIsmG0JbcX1v3EK4&ats=2524608000000&sz=w2736-h156
ttps://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=84022ca168&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1833126544285127063&th=197092e
4745197&view=fimg&disp=thd&attbid=ANGjdJ-56QduPLy2LyKs2bdD_gu8KtV5A_tpX4-hIfq2wqCOciLI75LChjEYB5GL
R2uUKrwU3jHmolRJ39EQLs4ohfbeTjK-GZs-rKryDXdD9YBjRxCxtnNHU37QoM&ats=2524608000000&sz=w1368-h158
&auditContext=forDisplay

215-725-4080 [email protected]

ACCUPHASE BACKERT LABS DCS KIMBER KABLE

AERIAL BALANCED AUDIO ESOTERIC KOETSU
AESTHETIX BENZ MICRO ESTELON NOLA
ALTA AUDIO BOULDER ETSURO URUSHI NORDOST
AMG CANTON FRANCO SERBLIN PMC
ATOLL CHARISMA GRAHAM PROAC
AUDIO PHYSIC CHARIO JADIS SME
AVM CLARUS JEFF ROWLAND SUTHERLAND
AYRE DAN D’AGOSTINO JOSEPH VIVID
 INSIDER DISPATCHES FROM HI-FI’S FRONT LINES

RE-TALES BY JULIE MULLINS

THIS ISSUE: Tariffs are
making life complicated
for hi-fi companies.

Tricky tariff times

tereophile readers are surely aware of the tariff situation under the current Trump’s tariffs and threats have weak-

S administration—a situation that has changed rapidly, often daily. The tariff pen-
alty—and arguably even more, the lack of economic stability resulting from tariff
volatility—has a major impact on buying, pricing, and corporate strategy in the
hi-fi industry. Hi-fi is just one of many industries experiencing the impacts of increased
costs and uncertainty.
ened the dollar, just as they were intended
to do. That means that products manufac-
tured overseas cost importers substantially
more even before tariffs are factored in.
Steve Huntley, VP of business devel-
Over the past several weeks, I’ve spoken with several people from our industry—repre- opment for AXISS, wrote in an emailed
sentatives of dealers, distributors, and manufacturers—about tariffs. I’ve found that the response, “While it is very difficult finan-
effects of tariffs on individual companies, and companies’ responses to tariffs, vary widely. cially on us as an importer/distributor to
Even so, there’s a lot of similarity in people’s thinking. A common theme: the importance absorb the tariffs, as well as to adjust to the
of volatility. No one knows if a new tariff is permanent or will disappear in a week. That changes in exchange rates, we remain com-
hampers companies’ abilities to make strategic decisions—even to set prices appropriately. mitted to holding steady retail prices for all
For domestic and mixed-origin manufacturers, the outlook is at best uncertain—a AXISS brands.” AXISS made this decision
powerful word in the current situation. US manufacturers are, presumably, the intended quickly to ensure that dealers would not
beneficiaries of tariffs, but they too are adversely impacted by the increased cost of parts increase their prices to consumers.
from overseas, especially China. And they are frustrated by the impact of reciprocal tariffs Other distributors are passing on tariff-
on their export business. related costs to their dealers. Rowell said
he’s seen some distributors adding a tariff
Harman Luxury Audio Group is sched- are holding their breath, waiting to see surcharge instead of increasing prices
uled to raise prices in July on its Levinson, what happens,” VPI President Mat Weisfeld outright. During the height of the COVID
Revel, and JBL brands as well as newly ac- said about dealers and distributors. “If pandemic, freight-related costs were
quired brands Marantz, B&W, and Denon. you pay the tariff today, and tomorrow it’s handled similarly. The advantage is that
Binghamton, New York–based McIntosh lifted, you’re not getting your money back.” it’s transparent, and it’s easier to alter or
announced price increases of 10%–18% just On April 7, Cliff Duffey, head of AXISS remove as market circumstances change.
a few months after the McIntosh Group was Audio, sent dealers a letter informing “That appeals to me a little bit more,
acquired by Bose; Steve Rowell, president/ them that AXISS would absorb tariff costs. because it indicates that if the tariffs fall
owner of Audio Classics, a Binghamton- “Raising prices now sends the wrong mes- back off, they could go back down in price,”
based dealership representing McIntosh sage—that a better deal might be available Rowell, of Audio Classics, told me. Price
and other brands, said a price increase was later,” the letter read. “Many companies are increases have permanent consequences
overdue. Prices could rise more, depending increasing prices to protect their margins while tariff surcharges might pass in a few
on tariffs. McIntosh home audio compo- under these tariffs, but what good are those days; indeed, it seems that every couple of
nents are manufactured in the factory in margins if customers choose to postpone days, new tariffs are announced and previ-
Binghamton, but like almost every manu- or cancel their purchases altogether?” ously announced tariffs rescinded.
facturer, Mac uses some imported parts, Jay Rein of US importer-distributor Blue- Tariff volatility can make it hard to make
plus they sell a lot of product overseas. bird Music, believes tariff volatility gives and keep contracts. Yet, prior pricing
Export sales are likely to be impacted by retail customers a new reason to postpone agreements must be honored.
reciprocal tariffs. major purchases. “I think customers are While it might seem reasonable for
Rowell told me that he was placing large holding back. They’re saying, ‘We’re going buyers to buy sooner instead of waiting for
orders that day from several brands to get to wait and see, because I don’t want to pay tariff-related price increases, the effect is
ahead of the tariffs. Many other dealer- the tariff.’ often the opposite. Distributors, dealers,
ships he knows are doing the same. The old “If you bought an expensive component and consumers crave stability.
prices will apply to products shipped up to and you paid $2000 for tariff, then you find Anecdotally, in hi-fi at least, there has
the date of the increase; after that, pric- out 60 days later that the tariffs have been been an economic slowdown, and indices of
ing becomes uncertain. These early mass dropped, I think you’d be quite unhappy.” consumer confidence have lately dropped
orders could be a boon to Mac and other Bluebird has informed its dealers that it fast and hard.
companies in the short term, but they could will not raise prices. “I’ve been doing Blue- It’s hard to know what impact tariffs
lead to inventory depletion, especially if bird for 25 years,” Rein told me. “We’re very and tariff threats will have in the coming
supply chains are interrupted by tariffs fortunate that we’re established, and we’re months. Rein, though, is hopeful that the
and tariff threats. Reduced inventories in a financial situation where we can afford situation will ease over the next 12 months
could cause prices to rise further. to do that.” It helps that Bluebird imports or so, and that should be okay. “It’s cer-
Some tariffs have already gone into only European products. “The tariff is 10% tainly not business as usual, but we’re here
effect, and some prices have already risen. of cost, not retail,” he said. “For importers, for the long term, so if we have to sacrifice
That doesn’t just create a higher price bar- it’s not that much. It’s different if you’re some profits to support our dealers and
rier; it also creates new uncertainty. “Some importing from China.” protect our brands, so be it.” n

stereophile.com n August 2025 117

 ➔
M A N U F A C T UR ER S ’ & DEA LER S ’ S H OWC A S E
ADVERTISING

Is it master tape or is it Safir 9?

40 years continuous revolution
47

AgSilver
107.868

Safir 9 + CAR 60
Exclusive USA
distributor:
Elite Audio Video Distribution, Glendale, CA / 818-245-6037
www.eliteavdist.com; [email protected]
Selected US Audio Ultra Sounds of Silence
dealers: 2200 140th Ave East, Suite 200 14 Salmon Brook Dr
Sumner WA 98390 / 253 321 3204 Nashua NH 03062 / 603 759 8323
[email protected] [email protected]

Kuzma Ltd, Slovenia www.kuzma.si [email protected]

Allentown, PA www.BEKhifi.com

Expansion - Coming Soon 610-351-0764

DeVore Fidelity • Harbeth • Magnepan • Borresen • KEF
Marten • Audiovector • Triangle • Wharfedale • Revival • Leben
Chord Electronics • Accuphase • Electrocompaniet • Luxman
Shindo • AirTight • Rogue Audio • Sugden • Innuos • Axxess
Kuzma • Hifi Rose • Rega • Brinkmann • Reed • Hana • darTZeel
Dynavector • Soundsmith • Ortofon • EMT • DS Audio • Nordost
Analysis Plus • Shunyata • Tellurium Q • IsoAcoustics • HRS
Sutherland • Lehmann • Degritter • Nihon Onkyo and more...

118 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 M A N U F A C T UR ER S ’ & DEA LER S ’ S H OWC A S E
ADVERTISING

stereophile.com n August 2025 119

 To advertise, contact Keith Pray
120 stereophile audio mart 914.469.0042 • [email protected]

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK

Arcam, Audeze, Audience, Audio Desk,
Audioquest, Audio Physic, Berkeley Audio
Design, Bryston, Cardas, Conrad-Johnson,
CS Port, Epson, Esoteric, JBL Synthesis,
Jeff Rowland, Klipsch, Hegel, Isotek, Koetsu,
Lexicon, Lyra, Mark Levinson, McIntosh,
Lumin, Luxman, Martin-Logan, Meitner,
My Sonic Lab, Oracle Audio, Ortofon, Purist
Audio Design, ProAc, Revel, SME, Sony ES/XBR,
Stax, Sutherland, Symposium Acoustics, Totem,
Triangle, Vitus, VPI, Weiss and many more.
Large selection of fine pre-owned
gear, quality trades welcome,
AUDIO ART Since 1976
analog guru on board
VIRGINIA’S LEGACY
New York Sound & Vision (631) 321-8969 HIGH END ESTABLISHMENT
or visit www.newyorksoundandvision.com
Acoustic Energy, Acoustic
Signature, AVM, Ayre, Canton,
Cardas, Clearaudio, E.A.T.,
Eversolo, Fezz Audio,
Gold Note, Grado, Hana, Hegel,
Jeff Rowland, Martin Logan,
MitMat, Music Hall, Ortofon,
Primare, Proac, ProJect, Rega,
Shunyata, Vertere, Weiss.
804.358.5300
www.audioartusa.net
[email protected]
Image courtesy Geek3

Dunlavy 29 MoFi 8, 20, 21, 32, 33, 38 Supreme Acoustic Systems 76

STEREOPHILE
ADVERTISER INDEX Dynaudio 78 MonAcoustic 59 SVS 74
Esseci Design 76 MSB 35 TEAC 18
Ø Audio 96 Estelon Audio 100 Music Direct 38, 102 Ultra Systems 119
Accuphase 44 Eversolo 106 Music Hall 20 Upscale Audio 30
Acora 119 Fidelity Imports 48, 98 Musical Artisans 73 Used Cable 119
Advance Paris 86 Focal Naim America 80 Musical Surroundings 10, 52, 60 Vitus Audio 89
Argento Audio 73 Goldmund 12 Nordost 110 Volare 21
AST Silver Conductors 118 Grimm Audio Back Cover Notable Audio 69 VooDoo 118
Audio Advice 50 Gryphon 92 Now Listen Here 109 Wattson Audio 43
Audio Skies 38 Hana 10 Ortofon 17 Wharfedale 113
AudioQuest 95 Harbeth 64 Paradigm 66 Wilson Audio 4
Aurender 82 Harmonia Distribution 64, 96 Pass Laboratories 123
Axiss Audio 6, 44 HiFi Rose 32, 33 Perlisten 48
BEK HiFi 118 J.Sikora 69 Piega 8
Bel Canto 36 Joseph Audio 111 PLAYBACK Distribution 18, 86
Burmester 9 KEF 15, 57 Rhythm Distribution
The Cable Company 26, 27 Kimber Kable 114 12, 54, 70, 108
Clearaudio 60 Kuzma 118 Rogue Audio 23 The Ad Index is provided as a
courtesy. The publisher is not
Crystal Cable 62, 63 Lumin 47 Schiit Audio 104 liable for incorrect information
Dan D’Agostino 41 Luxman 70, 108 Scott Walker Audio 112, 119 or excluded listings. Advertis-
David Lewis Audio 116 Magico 2 Sonorus 119 ers should contact their sales
representative to correct or
dCS 85 Marten 54 Soulution 6
update a listing.
DS Audio 52 Michell 98 Sphinx Audio Engineering 24

120 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 ANY CLOD CAN HAVE THE FACTS; HAVING OPINIONS IS AN ART

MANUFACTURERS’ THIS ISSUE : Representatives of Magico,

COMMENTS Kimber Kable, and Treehaus Audiolab

respond to our reviews of their products.

Magico S5 2024 cable. It’s nice to see power

We would like to extend our sincere thanks cables, often the unsung
to John Atkinson and the entire Stereophile heroes of an audiophile
team for the S5 2024 review. It’s a masterful system, receiving recogni-
blend of objective insight and subjective tion. We’re proud that our
experience, capturing the essence of the products—hand-built in
product in a clear, accessible, and thor- Ogden, Utah, since 1979—
oughly enjoyable read. continue to stand the test
of time. Special thanks to
Martin Colloms, an icon of
class and competence.
Ray Kimber
Kimber Kable

Treehaus Audiolab Preamplifier

I would like to thank Ken Micallef and John Atkinson for taking the time to listen, re-
view, and rigorously test the Treehaus Audiolab Preamplifier. Ken’s review perfectly
captured the sonic signature we strive to achieve. We are not afraid of adding a touch
of flavor, but like a good meal, the ingredients must be in balance. Our approach is
to have each product capture the essence of the recording by applying a carefully
curated recipe of design architecture, circuitry, component mix, and sonic character-
istics.
Stereophile has been formative throughout my own audio journey, and it is an
honor to have the Preamplifier featured here. Delivering the Preamplifier to Ken’s
Greenwich Village crash pad (up several flights of prewar walkup) brought back
fond memories of when I lived just a block away many years prior. A pair of Nautilus
805s and some vintage Sony ESs took pride of place over the other “necessities” in a
small studio with more stairs than square feet. Years and equipment passed until a
pair of Luxman MB-3045s and some high-sensitivity speakers awakened my ears to
what was possible. They drove exploration into vacuum-tube topologies, field-coil
speakers, and an ever-deeper dive into the more esoteric regions of music repro-
duction. Radu’s extraordinary engineering talent, with inspiration from Susumu
Sakuma, Yoshio Uesugi, and Kenji Tanaka, has yielded modern interpretations of
classic designs possessing the right balance of vintage romance and contemporary
performance.
There are many roads to audio bliss, and this review demonstrates that Stereo-
phile’s goal is to expose readers to as many as possible. No specific, universal criteria
dictate the path. What matters is that you, the listener, are moved. At Treehaus
Audiolab, our goal is to reveal one of these routes and provide an exemplary sonic
experience along the journey.
Rich Pinto
Treehaus Audiolab
Of course, I won’t pretend otherwise—
I’m extremely proud that the Magico S5 is
the subject. Magico’s commitment to the
state of the art is an ongoing journey, often
a difficult and costly one. We’re grateful
that this effort hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Alon Wolf
Magico

Kimber Kable Carbon 18XL speaker,

Carbon interconnect, and Palladian
power cable
Thank you for the review of our Carbon
cable products and the Palladian power

stereophile.com n August 2025 121

 GOOD AND BAD, I DEFINE THESE TERMS QUITE CLEAR...—BOB DYLAN

MY BACK PAGES BY ROGIER VAN BAKEL THIS ISSUE: A system

upgraded, a life cut short.

Final delivery
t’s a spring day, midweek, and I’m behind the desk of the small-town library where I be delivered in just a few days. It has to

I work part-time. A woman comes in, late 60s, maybe 70. There is a quietness about her,
as if time has asked her to shrink a little. She’s local, but we’ve never met. “Laura,” she
offers. Her handshake is firm.
Laura tells me she’s heard through a mutual friend that I have a high-end music system
and write for Stereophile. Her husband, Ted, loved the magazine.
come from England. Weeks go by. There’s a
delay, then another.
Finally, the dealer’s crew arrives with
the new Meridian gear and installs it.
Ted is in pain, confined to a wheelchair in
Ted, she says, died a decade ago, at 60. She recounts how, a few months later, she met up another part of the house. He hasn’t been
with someone to hand over many boxes of old Stereophile issues. As they carried them out in their dedicated listening room in days,
to his car, the recipient’s wife looked unhappier and madder with each box. The memory but he knows about the surprise. After the
makes Laura laugh. setup guys leave, John and Meryl—Ted and
A hush. Outside, geese squabble. She decides to tell me about Ted’s Meridian music sys- Laura’s kids—maneuver him into the room,
tem—maybe because it’s easier than talking about Ted, even though he and the stereo are his sanctuary. He’s excited to be back, to
still intertwined. To this day, she listens to it often. They bought it when Ted was around 50 hear anew what they had loved together.
and loved it fiercely. The music and the morphine each tug at
him, lure him in.
After seven years of happy listening, Ted putting prudence over desire. The purchase Time expands. What’s broken goes quiet.
learns there’s a new version of his Merid- is postponed, but the idea is not forgotten. Ted beams through the haze as he listens.
ian speakers. Laura doesn’t blink. “You In 2015, Ted gets the worst possible news: He dies in that room three days later, the
should do it,” she says. Ted demurs: They’re He has stage 4 cancer. Laura knows it’s stereo playing. Ten weeks from diagnosis
expensive. She pushes, he says nah—he’s now or never. She orders the newer, better until gone. Laura says to me: “I think he held
fine with what they have. She can tell he’s speakers. This is exclusive gear, so it can’t on until he could hear the new system.”

Time expands. What’s

broken goes quiet.
Ted beams through
the haze as he listens.
I think of marigolds and sunlight, hard,
just to keep from—well, you know.
Laura, it occurs to me, didn’t ask herself
what Ted needed to survive, but what he
needed to live. Even just a few more days.
It’s a quiet afternoon. We’re the only
people in the library. I ask Laura about the
artists she and Ted used to listen to, what
concerts they went to. The names come
quickly, fondly. Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny,
Mark Knopfler, Jan Garbarek. I watch
three, four decades fall away. She’s buoyed
and suddenly beautiful. Delight and joy are
held in these moments, these memories—
not saved but grown, like moss. Like vines.
Eventually we say our goodbyes and
see-you-soons.
Twelve hours later, at four in the morn-
ing, I sit in my darkened room, listening to
Jeff Beck’s Live at Ronnie Scott’s. His guitar
lines rise and fall—some tender, some wild,
all thrilling. I nudge the music louder,
chasing detail. And I drink a slow Kentucky
bourbon to Ted, a man I never knew but
whose mindset and passion I recognize like
my own reflection. n

122 August 2025 n stereophile.com

 introducing the new
Xs Pre 2

PASS
available in silver or black
www.passlabs.com / 13395 New Airport Rd. Ste. G, Auburn, CA 95602 / +1(530) 878-5350
 Grimm Audio MU2 streaming DAC & preamp

Roon Server and End Point • FPGA-based discrete 1.5 bit Major
DAC • ultra low clock jitter • relay based analog volume
control • low dynamic distortion analog stages • digital AES,
S/PDIF and optical inputs with FLL jitter suppression
reference quality headphone output • infrared remote control
web control via any browser • optional internal SSD for music
storage...

JUST ADD MUSIC.

“The best digital music reproduction I’ve

heard by an obvious and distinct margin.”
grimmaudio.com Michael Lavorgna, Twittering Machines