Hifi Pig’s Millennial Scribbler Harry Smith takes a look at American brand Russound’s MBX-Amp, a one-box streamer and amplifier costing £599 in the UK.

Streaming has rapidly become many people’s main source of music and has made its way into more of the world of Hifi and music-loving homes with the introduction of high-fidelity services such as Tidal, Qobuz and others.

Russound is an American brand that been going since 1967 based in New Hampshire and specialising in multiroom audio systems.

The Russound MBX-Amp is a one-box solution to all your Hifi needs and adds a lot of modern functionality to your passive speakers. Russound also makes a preamplifier with the same design that adds the streaming functionality to your already amped up system.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

The MBX-AMP is a compact bit of kit (measuring 21cm wide, 17.8cm deep and 4.5cm high) and definitely looks the part. It is made out of aluminium and a combination of matte and glossy plastic. It is only available in black.

I’m personally not a fan of glossy plastic as I feel that it is a fingerprint magnet and scratches easily, but the restrained use of it here doesn’t bother me too much.  Although I wouldn’t call it a premium build it is definitely well-built. The Buttons on the front, although I never found myself using them in day to day use, have a good “clickiness”. You could argue it looks a bit emotionless and boring but I don’t think the Russound wanted it to draw too much attention to itself. They even suggest attaching it to the back of your wall-mounted TV.

It is passively cooled and gets quite warm to the touch after using it for a few hours but it never got worryingly hot.

Russound doesn’t include a remote in the box and with any other amplifier/ streamer I would see this as a negative but the fact is, I didn’t miss it. The truth is that all the controls you need are already built into the app so why bother?

File-wise the Russound will play MP3 (CBR, VBR), WAV (8, 16-bit), OGG Vorbis, FLAC (8, 16-bit), AAC, AAC+ with support for up to up to 24-bit/192kHz. Some may miss DSD support but I don’t have any files of that kind and so didn’t.

SETUP AND FUNCTIONALITY

This MBX-Amp is hands down one of the easiest streaming devices I’ve ever set up. You have two options when it comes to this. Either download the MyRussound app to connect it to your network. Or, if you have an Android smartphone/tablet, go on the Google Home app (that should already be installed), press “add device” and it will detect the Russound amplifier and connect to your network without the need of faffing around with passwords. This is thanks to the integrated Chromecast functionality and it as seen as one by all your compatible devices.

I rarely find myself using voice control but it is important to note that it supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Now commands straight out of the box.

The app itself is functional and easy to use, although I feel the user interface is a little dated. It looks like something from an older iPhone. Also, there is a slight delay of about 3 seconds when opening the app even while playing music where the app is “searching for available devices”. These are small annoyances and could easily be fixed with a software patch. (I was using a Pixel 3 with Android 9.0). I don’t know how the experience differs for iPhone users but my guess is that it is very similar.

Although I only used the MBX-AMP in one system, you are able to install up to 16 of them (or the preamp) over the same network for a multi-room setup and control each individually with the MyRussound App. It’s very versatile with a plethora of inputs/outputs including a 3.5mm analogue input, an optical digital input, plus a USB socket for local music files. It also features a dedicated subwoofer output.

SOUND QUALITY

I tested the MBX Amplifier with a pair of Wharfedale D320s bookshelf speakers but at 50 watts per channel, this little amp has the power to drive much bigger speakers than my own.

The sound quality was impressive overall and I was a big fan of the ability to adjust the equaliser on the fly through the app.

Without messing with the bass or treble levels, the MBX is wonderfully transparent and didn’t add any unwanted colouration to the sound. At lower volumes, you can activate an “Equal-Loudness Contour” that ups the level of bass but overall provides a fuller sound without being loud. I actually found myself using this feature quite a lot being in a small room but this amplifier definitely has the oomph to fill a much larger space.

The ability to stream 24Bit/192kHz high-resolution audio is very welcome and I did the majority of my listening on Qobuz. I found myself listening to album after album. Although while switching between tracks I noticed a slight hiss when there’s no audio playing. You can’t notice it in the background when listening but it is a little off-putting between tracks or when waiting to play music. You can mute the amplifier from within the app and this gets rid of the hissing problem. Perhaps having the ability to auto-mute in between tracks in a software update of the MyRussound App would be a long-term solution to this problem.

I tried to find fault with the audio performance by playing testing tracks such as “Contact” by Daft Punk but it managed to reproduce it very well. Not overwhelmingly bassy while providing plenty of detail in the more complex parts of the track.

Acoustic guitars were probably the only thing that I found didn’t sound as natural as I’ve heard on some valve amplifiers. The live version of “Keith Don’t Go” by Nils Lofgren definitely showed this flaw. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, get the MBX-Preamp and pair it with your favourite valve amplifier.

It wasn’t overwhelmed on the bass front on my new favourite track to test bass performance “Black Skinhead” by Kanye West managing to stand up to the powerful drums and violent vocals.

The bottom line is that anyone can get a pleasurable listening experience out of the Russound MBX-Amp thanks to the personalisable levels of bass and treble. A great performer at low and high volumes. I do have to keep reminding myself that it costs under £600.

CONCLUSION

The Russound MBX-Amp is definitely a fine example of what is to come in the future of mass-market HiFi. We are slowly, in many circles, moving away from big bulky amps and searching more and more for a compact, one-box solution. Pair this with an affordable pair of speakers and you’ve got yourself a very competent streaming system for under £1000. The ability to place multiple MBX systems around the house and jump from one to the other with ease fights the case of putting one of these in every room of the house.

It lacks some of the emotion or “wow-factor” that you can get from some amplifiers that cost more but most don’t have anywhere near the same levels of functionality as the MBX-Amp. One of the areas Russound MBX scores over one box solutions that include speakers is that you can tune the system using your preferred loudspeakers.

Put simply, it does its job and does it well!

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Although it is predominantly made of plastic, it is still solid and well built.

Sound Quality: Well-balanced at both high and low volumes. At 50W per channel, it is a very powerful amplifier considering its size.

Value for Money: Quite affordable considering the sheer amount of functionality this can add to your system.

Pros: A compact, versatile solution for most people’s audio needs without skimping on sound quality.

Cons: I feel that the MyRussound App needs a little work but this shouldn’t be a dealbreaker as this can be fixed with software updates in the future.

Price: £599

Harry Smith (Millennial Scribbler)

Review System: Wharfedale D320 speakers with cables by Atlas.

Manufacturers Specifications

Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20KHz

Speaker Output 50 Watts Per Channel @ 8ohms, 70 watts @ 4 ohms

Audio Outputs Analog – Stereo Audio RCA, Digital Optical, Subwoofer Out

Line Audio Output 2V rms

Audio Inputs 3.5mm Analogue Stereo Audio, Digital Optical, USB2.0 Media Playback

Communication Ports Ethernet RJ45 10/100 BaseT

Wi-Fi 802.11ac, dual band

Bluetooth Audio Support Yes

Subwoofer Out Low Frequency Filter: 80Hz

Trigger Output 12vDC @100mA

Music File Formats MP3 (CBR, VBR), WAV (8, 16-bit), OGG Vorbis, FLAC (8, 16-bit), AAC, AAC+ (supports up to 24-bit/192kHz)

Power Requirements 12VDC, 200 watts

Product Dimensions 8.25”W x 7”D x 1.75”H (21cm W x 17.8cm D x 4.5cm H)

Product Weight: 1.5 lb (0.68 kg)

iFi’s xCan at £299 offers a portable headphone amp with Bluetooth connectivity, whereas their £399 xDSD focuses on DAC duties with a headphone amp, Bluetooth and lots of digital inputs. Janine Elliot puts them head to head for this in-depth review.

Do you remember your very first mp3 player, with just a few megabytes of storage and lousy DAC and amplifier? Luckily things have changed considerably since then, though there is still much to be improved on in a large number of today’s DAPs, whether that be the DAC or amplification, or indeed both. Whilst 2019 has seen some amazing developments including the Astel and Kern KANN Cube and the valve Cayin N8, it has taken manufacturers such as Chord, Fiio and iFi to name but an increasing few, to bring out portable DACs and headphone amplifiers to significantly improve on a DAP’s performance. They do, however, add further size being piggy-backed on the player and somewhat contradicting the idea of “portable”. I have been praising Graham Slee’s Voyager Class A headphone amplifier for a number of years, so to be sent not one but two headphone amplifiers from iFi to review was going to be a tough call. To make it even more complicated, the remit for this review was to compare both amplifiers to come up with my favourite, which is not easy as you will see they are totally different boxes.

On the test bench, then, are the xDSD and xCan.  The xDSD is basically a DAC with BT, USB and coax/optical digital inputs, whereas the xCAN is more of a headphone amplifier having an analogue input as well as BT. Both are almost identical in looks, sharing the same x-series chassis, encased in strong yet lightweight magnesium-aluminium alloy and ion-plated with a dark titanium finish. Both are exceptionally petite (even making the small Chord Mojo look tubby) and gorgeous in appearance with their rippled curvy body. The x-series sits at the smallest end of the iFi scale, with the larger pocket-sized Nano range in the middle and desktop size Micro range at the top. Being the smallest does not demean their performance; the x series is nothing less than groundbreaking in the sense of specification and facilities.

iFi Audio is not new to producing top-quality personal audio, with a large selection of portable DACs and headphone amps, purifiers and their newly released bamboo Aurora one-box wireless music system, shown for the first time at the 2019 Munich High End show. The UK-based company iFi was launched in 2012, a sister company to AMR (Abbingdon Music Research) and based in Southport, UK, both companies designing and manufacturing portable and desktop audio products and hi-end HiFi components. iFi prides itself on pouring its heart and soul into creating audio devices that make a difference to how you live your life. The x series will certainly make a difference to the listener sitting on a train or walking the streets listening to music from phone or DAP.

iFi xDSD

Despite its size, the xDSD is not small on sound with 500mW of power (16 ohm), meaning it suits almost any headphone, or it can partner with active home speakers, if you so wish. Only the micro iDSD model has more oomph (4000mW) though it is not so transportable. Despite its small size it can be set up as a standalone DAC, connected to your Hifi or powered speakers.

Charged via a micro USB connector the unit will play for 10 hours between charge. The xDSD is full of features including xBass+®, which cleans and restores the bass to give a more pronounced lower end, and 3D+® which works to create an out of the head three-dimensional performance of your music. Both these functions worked much better than I expected them to do so and they are also featured in the xCAN up for review. Indeed, whilst the angled drivers on my Audio Technica ATH-W1000 headphones can provide a more realistic 3-D performance the bass-end is somewhat shy and so the xBass+® gave a more tantalising presentation at the lower-end.

Output is via balanced 2.5mm and 3.5mm (TRRS/TRS) jacks. iFi have used their proprietary “S-Balanced” circuitry on the 3.5 mm jacks should your headphones not be balanced to elevate the sound quality. According to iFi this means lower distortion, less interference, and reduced crosstalk.  For the review I also used my balanced Flare Audio Pro IEMs with appropriate cable and Sennheiser HD650’s.

The xDSD is highly featured. It has three types of digital inputs; coax/optical input, USB and BT. It plays high-quality digital audio file formats up to DSD512 (24.6/22.6MHz), 2xDXD (705/352kHz) via USB and PCM upto 768kHz. Via coax and optical it will play 24bit/192kHz and using Bluetooth it boasts both aptX™ and AAC™. One can listen to Tidal HiFi and Spotify Premium with ease and the xDSD is also MQA ready when connected to your computer or mobile. Controls are very simple and the colours of all the LEDs intuitive. Power up on the xDSD and xCAN is via the iFi labelled and illuminated volume control. Push in to turn on and hold longer to change the input you wish to use. Green is for USB/coax/optical and blue is for Bluetooth. Once selected the volume control even changes through the colours of the rainbow to warn you if you are listening too high, with blue for low, green for mid and red for too high. The volume control is also analogue and works in 1dB increments, with the control  ‘notched’ as you move it.  To the left of the volume knob are two small multicoloured LEDs that indicate input and kHz, and to the right are the LEDs to indicate 3D+® Matrix and xBass+® circuits selected by the settings button.

The heart behind the xDSD is the Burr-Brown ‘True Native’ chipset, the DSD1793 DAC chip that iFi speak so highly of. This clever design offers two independent signal pathways for PCM and DSD. What this means is that one chip offers the ‘best of both formats’, as the file formats whether PCM or DSD remain unchanged, unlike much of the competition that converts DSD to PCM. The design includes XMOS-based USB circuitry and quad J-FET op amps and the Global Master Timing (GMT) femto-precision clock and intelligent memory buffer that eradicates jitter, provided by sister company Abbingdon Music. Two digital filters are provided; ‘Listen’ with minimal phase (optimised for musicality) and ‘Measure’ with linear phase, which is optimised for accuracy. The unit comes with a wide selection of accessories, including USB-A to USB-B adaptor and cable, a USB adaptor, 3.5mm optical adaptor, Velcro strips to attach it to your DAP, and a velvet pouch. It doesn’t, however, include a short 3.5mm-to-3.5mm lead, which would be very useful.

Setting up for listening was easy, only the BT taking a few attempts to get the machine to recognise my phone. Whenever switching on the iFi button it remembers your last setting unless you hold down the button in which case it changes colour between green and blue to allow you to decide the source you want to hear. Only on a few occasions did I find it hard to change source on the first attempt. An easier solution might perhaps have been by holding in the iFi knob and turning the knob to change the source, but I guess there is a good reason why they chose not to create this function.  It does, however, have a very useful feature of allowing the headphone output to become line-level for you to connect it to your Hifi, by simply holding in the settings button on startup. This then becomes a very powerful home DAC.

THE MUSIC

I initially tried Bluetooth, the quality being on par with what I would expect from aptX. My first listening was Genesis ‘Selling England by the Pound’. This is a brittle performance on the best HiFi, with distortion on the flute and a few bad edits, but the iFi allowed me to really get involved in the music and relive the excitement I experienced when I first played it at university all those years ago. Switching between “Measure” and “Listen” gave marginal differences, though only noticeable on the digital/synthesiser sounds.

Next, I chose to play via S/PDif connection Steve Howe and Martin Taylor ‘Masterpiece Guitars’ album. These are two of my favourite guitarists, the former from prog rock band ‘Yes’. Listening on my inefficient Sennheiser HD650’s I wanted to see how much welly and how much musicality could be mustered from the digital conversion. I wasn’t disappointed. The added bass from xBass+® gave the music more feeling and 3D+® a little more depth to the sound. Switching off the functions gave a more neutral performance, should you wish to do so, but even with the features selected the performance was still highly realistic and enjoyable, especially the tracks “Smile” and “Ginger”.

Turning to The Academy of Ancient Music and Handel’s Organ Concerto Op4 (Linn 24bit/88.2kHz) the sound lacked some heart and emotion; whilst everything was all there, with great speed and detail, this was a clinical performance from the musicians and the digits told it as it was. However, switching to the xCAN analogue input the music just sounded smoother, more natural and easier to listen to. The xCAN has a further bass switch on top of the xBass+® (see later) and I needed to turn it off as there was now just too much bass, even on the HD650’s!

Next to Hotel California (The Eagles  24/192) gave the xDSD a chance to open up with greater detail and passion in “New Kid in Town”. Vocal lines were extremely clear and inviting, along with the backing that had good timing. My W1000 headphones benefitted from the added bass from the xBass+®, though the angled drivers in the cans meant the 3D+® facility wasn’t so important, though still very effective.

Keeping to the 70’s popular theme it was time to turn to Supertramp’s collection of the best songs in the album ‘Retrospectacle’. It includes tracks from a number of their albums, including their very successful ‘Breakfast in America’. To think that Roger Hodgson wrote this when he was in his teens.  ‘Retrospectacle’ also includes some live tracks which the xDSD performed admirably, giving space to the instruments and particularly the reverb provided by the hall. Only that the sound was very slightly too bright, for example in “Another Man’s Woman”. The ‘Listen’ and ‘Measure’ button didn’t seem to offer much of a difference, the former position just being very slightly more relaxed. The piano solo was slightly less bright, though the performance was still not as natural as I would like, largely due to it being an electronic piano. The bass end was tight and very accurate, particularly from the drums.  Switching over to the xCAN (analogue input) and it really did open up the performance in a more natural and musical way; and with the 3D+® and xBass+® settings it just extended the detail and make clearer the position of the instruments. Playing “Bloody Well Right” the xCAN certainly was.  The xCAN also has the addition of a bass/presence 3-way switch to produce even more depth and detail to the sound, though as a perfectionist I did wonder just how much of what I was listening to was actually the original. Some will remember we did away with tone and loudness controls in the 80’s. Having said that, listening to Saint-Saëns Organ Concerto (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) I needed all the help I possibly could in order to make the ‘exciting’ music exciting. Otherwise the performance was a little stale. I guess having these facilities available should you need them is a very good idea.

xCAN

The xCAN is the smallest iFi Bluetooth DAC/amp and comes with provision for balanced headphones, plus instead of a Burr Brown DAC this one is provided by ESS Sabre and with a gigantic 1000mW output (32Ω/Balanced cans) provided by a high-spec, low-noise, dual-mono headphone amplifier. The xCAN similarly comes with a collection of accessories including the all-important balanced 2.5mm and single-ended 3.5mm jack-to-jack leads. Whilst it looks and operates similarly to the xDSD (with its distinctive iFi central knob) it has some additional features. As well as the 3D+® and xBass+® settings there is also the three-position xBass II ‘bass’/‘presence’ switch allowing you to select either or both. For the review I chose only the presence option as otherwise there was too much lower bass in my opinion, with the ‘presence’ option focussing on the lower midrange. Where the xDSD is charged by a micro-USB connector and lasts around 10 hours, the xCAN is charged via a USB-C connector and will last an excellent 18 hours in analogue mode.

THE MUSIC

In BT mode the unit played from my Sony XA1Ultra phone. The sound was precise, detailed, and as good as I would expect for aptX, whether I was playing wav, FLAC or mp3’s. In the latter, my mp3 version of Pat Metheny Group album ‘The Way Up’ the sound was way higher than I expected from compressed music. But it was really from the analogue input that the iFi shone. Strapped to my Fiio DAP, I didn’t mind the added weight and dimensions as it meant I could really now start to enjoy the music. The result was an uncoloured sound that was fast and tidy, with more detail and no distortion present at all. The xCAN was clean and accurate in all that I played, including detailing all the faults in music I played (such as the distorted flute in Genesis’s  “After the Ordeal”). The process of switching from xDSD to xCAN was like the trick of recoding a CD onto a good reel to reel recorder and playing it back off tape; the sound is improved!

Not being my usual choice of music, I then played Squarepusher “Ufabulum”, an electronic music album. I wanted to see if any of the detail I heard on the xDSD was removed in the analogue domain. No need to worry. Everything was still there intact, though I began to get a headache due to the choice of music! The amplifier did not remove any of the excitement, though it does rely on a good line-output on your DAP. Finally turning to Stravinsky ‘Symphony of Psalms’, a work I studied at university many years ago, there was no degree of sacrifice of oomph, weight and detail in this excellent performance (LSO, Bernstein). That analogue stage was so good.

CONCLUSIONS

I had a great time getting to know these two iFi products; the xDSD a DAC first and amplifier second and the xCAN an amplifier first and BT DAC second. The xDSD has deservedly won numerous awards for its sound quality as well as proving that you can fit a quart into a pint pot; it has such an amazing specification for such a small size! However, I feel sorry for the xCAN, its twin brother that seems to not get so rewarded yet has an even greater personality; where everything matters – the audio quality. For that reason, my choice would be…

xCAN.

There were several reasons for my choice, not even considering its £100 net saving. Firstly, it had a damn good amplifier stage. Whilst many DAPs have terrible headphone stages, their line output (if there is one) is usually satisfactory, making the xCAN an ideal choice if you have this facility. This amplifier is also powerful and can drive inefficient headphones and IEMs, and without the inconvenience of hiss at high levels.  Whilst both the xDSD and xCAN both offer balanced and SE analogue outputs and deploying the clever S-Balanced circuitry, the xCAN offers fully balanced input as well. The machine’s 18 hour battery life (using analogue input) is also very good, with the xDSD at 10 hours. If you wish to keep your DAP in your bag the BT option is very good and able to memorise 8 sources. Finally, the extra function of xBass II (the first iFi product to use it) offers the user further editing of the sounds. The ESS Sabre DAC was also a wise choice. Both units are very, very good products and I can see why the xDSD has won so many awards over the year, but the lesser-known xCAN is no less a product.  If you want the USB and S/PDif/Toslink facilities then the xDSD would be the obvious choice for you. However, if you just need BT and want noise-free and superlative analogue heaven then your choice should be the xCAN.

AT A GLANCE xDSD

Build Quality: Superb build quality. Looks expensive.

Sound Quality:  Excellent detail at all frequencies with a very fast presentation.  3D+® and xBass+® facilities. Analogue volume control in 1dB stages.

Value for Money £399 is very good value for a DAC and headphone amplifier in one tiny box. Lots of accessories. 

Pros: Very musical performance. Plays native DSDs. Excellent specification. Can be used as a DAC for your HiFi system.

Cons: The amplifier might not quite be powerful enough for some very thirsty Planars. That lovely titanium finish can show up your fingerprints.

Price: £399

AT A GLANCE xCAN

Build Quality: Superb build quality.

Sound Quality:  Excellent detail and speed. Excellent amplifier will plenty of welly and very quiet in operation. Analogue volume control in 1dB stages.

Value for Money £299 is exceptionally good value such a good analogue headphone amplifier with BT input. Excellent detail to supplying of accessories. 

Pros: Very musical performance. Powerful 1W amplifier. Excellent xBass II added to the 3D+® and xBass+® facilities. Balanced input.

Cons: That lovely titanium finish can show up your fingerprints.

Price: £299

Janine Elliot

Review Equipment: Sources; Fiio X5 and X1ii, ATC HDA DP20, Sony X1Ultra, Asus computer USB o/p Headphones AT ATH-W1000, Sennheiser HD650, Meze 99, Flare Audio Flares Pro IEMs

xDSD Specification

xCAN Specification

Auralic’s Aries G1 Wireless Streaming Transport costs £1899 in the UK and is, surprisingly enough, a wireless (and wired) streamer, Stuart Smith puts it into the Hifi Pig mid-priced reference system and gives it a listen.

I’ve had my eye on the Auralic G1 for some time now and even more so since Hifi Pig reviewer Alan McIntosh got one and has been raving about his love for it ever since. So, finally, I bit the bullet and got one ordered from the ever-helpful Steve at Ultimate Stream. Of course, I’ve been to the presentations at Munich where new Auralic products have been launched and I’ve heard this unit in lots of systems at shows as it’s a pretty popular choice with a good number of brands who exhibit regularly at shows – I’ve even interviewed the designer of the unit, Xuanqian Wang. In essence, the Aries G1 does what it says on the tin, but basically it allows users to stream their music from wherever it is stored either wirelessly or by ethernet wired connection via n iOS app or web browser.

FEATURES

The Auralic G1 features include allowing pretty much all file formats you can think of to be played and that includes AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, OGG, WAV, WV, AAC, MQA (which Auralic interestingly label as “lossy”) and MWA. Sampling rates are PCM 44.1KHz to 384KHz in 32 Bit and DSD up to DSD 512 (22.57892MHz)…so the G1 pretty comprehensively covers most bases on that front. It will allow integration of Tidal, Qobuz, VTuner, Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer so those who like to stream from an external service are also pretty much comprehensively covered too. It will serve Tidal and Qobuz natively, offers access to internet radio stations, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Songcast and it is Roon ready, though you will, of course, need a machine running Roon core.

Onboard you have Dual Femto clocks with one taking care of digital outputs and the other regulating the USB output to allow for extremely low-jitter playback. It has a “Smart-IR Control which allows you to map it to any remote you fancy, though I didn’t need or use this functionality. The power supply is taken care of by two “Purer-Power” units with the first feeding the processing circuit, the LCD display and storage (whether internal or connected via USB) and the second unit feeding components that Auralic deem to be “sensitive audio components” such as the USB audio output and the Femto clocks. These power supplies are both galvanically isolated from one another which Auralic says ensures zero EMI interference between the two. Auralic has also included something they call “Active USB” (now second generation) which bypasses the USB’s power to use the G1’s Purer-Power linear PSU instead, with the aim again to be to reduce EMI and “dirty” USB power are not affecting playback.

As I said you can choose to wire the Aries G1 via a Gigabit Ethernet connection but two antennas on the back of the unit allow for 802.22b/g/n/ac Tri-Band Wi-Fi and in honesty, this latter wireless solution is all I have used on the G1.

To help playback fidelity and stop any dropouts there is an onboard 1 GB buffer into which tunes preload and playback.

CONSTRUCTION AND SET UP

The unit arrives very well packed and with everything ready to go. The Aries G1 is a compact unit measuring 34cm x 32cm x 8cm (WDH) and it weighs a surprisingly hefty 7.2k. It feels solid and well put together and looks great on the rack.

On the front left of the G1 you have an on/off button and then on the right of the unit four buttons for playing tunes and navigating the menus. The main feature and I love it as its plainly visible from my seating position, is the 4inch true colour in-plane switching display that has a resolution of over 300ppi and allows you to see playback status, settings and configuration, and a library view so you can scroll through and choose your tunes, though I used Lightening DS throughout. Obviously, the display shows the artwork of the record playing at any one time.

Round the back of the unit you get a couple of antenna plugs in which to plug the two included antennas for WiFi, the power input and switch and then inputs for LAN and external USB storage. Outputs include USB, Toslink, coaxial and AES/EBU so whatever your DAC’s inputs the G1 will surely accommodate.

Taking the G1 out the box and getting it on the rack is simple and so is set up…but set up brings up my only real gripe I have with the Aries G1 – to use the Lightening DS server app you have to have iOS and so off I trotted to buy a refurbished iPad Mini. This may seem a bit of a moan, but not all of us are Apple fanboys and having to go out and buy what is essentially an expensive remote control seems a bit excessive to me. I would MUCH prefer to have been able to use my current Android devices to control the G1. Anyway, I bought the iPad Mini and was ready to get going. Now, this is the bit in reviews of this kind of thing that I absolutely dread because myself and streaming, or anything that involves messing with apps/networks and HiFi, do not get along and the whole thing mostly ends in shouting, shortly followed by tears. Really, is it that difficult in this day and age to create a setup process that is both intuitive and gets things done properly? Well, it appears Auralic think it is well doable and in practice, I can honestly say I have never had a setup process of this kind of product take so little time. Technophobes, you will embrace the simplicity of this product!

One thing that did ring bells in the set-up guide was the fact that it states “The attached DAC needs to be compatible with Linux without installing additional drivers” and I had no idea if my DAC ticked this particular box or not, but I cracked on with installation anyway.

Turning on the G1 gives you the welcome screen on the device itself and from there you can navigate using the aforementioned buttons which are perfectly intuitive. Press any of the buttons on the front right and you then get taken to the Home Menu where you have: Playing (tells you what is playing, its playback mode and volume), Queue (Shows you what tracks are in the queue to play), Library (lets you browse and play from your library, System (for hardware setup, network info, output channel and display language etc), Streamer (holds the settings for the G1’s streaming software, and finally Processor (where you can access the processor’s settings). Again, all pretty obvious.

In fact, following the very simple setup instructions I was able to connect to the home network and have Lightening Server on the iPad Mini search and populate all the libraries ready for playback in a matter of a few minutes, though the population of the library obviously took a little longer. Lightning DS is like the rest of this product, well thought out and easy to navigate so now all I have to do is open the iPad Mini, open the Lightning DS App, choose my tunes and I’m ready to go. Picking the output device DAC is quick and simple and thankfully my old valve DAC was seen immediately by the G1.

The G1 will play Qobuz natively (my preferred online streaming platform) and set up takes seconds – input your Qobuz username and password and away you go.

I have struggled in the past with the setting up of kit like this but I can honestly say this was the most pain-free set up of a streaming device as I’ve ever experienced.

SOUND

So, set up was a doddle but that’s all well and good but what does the Aries G1 actually sound like in use? I slotted the G1 into our mid-priced reference kit and fed straight into our now getting on a bit VAD DAC via USB. Connection was immediate and there was no messing about with drivers or anything else. I didn’t bother with the other digital outputs as my thoughts are that you will find the one that works for you and stick with it, though to me USB is the obvious choice as this is where you can access the higher resolution files.

First off what I liked about the G1 experience was the Lightning App; it’s simple to set up, intuitive and well laid out, making it instinctive to find what you wanted. One issue I did encounter was when adding the Melco library (it’s wired to the network in the downstairs system) was that the meta-data doesn’t really correspond to the meta-data you would expect. I have pretty much everything we own ripped both to the Melco and to a NAS drive so I just streamed from the NAS and ignored the Melco library in this case. If you don’t want to use the Lightning server app (if you don’t have an iOS device for example) you can use BubblupUnp or other DLNA apps but I wanted the full-on Auralic/Lightning Server experience and hence the going over to the Darkside and buying an iOS device specifically for use with the G1 and which is actually a joy to use.

It took me a while to get the whole idea of why it is useful to use a dedicated streamer over and above a computer, but now I have experienced quite a few servers I can’t see me going back to a computer-based system. Speaking specifically here about the G1, I have found that the sound that actually comes out of the speakers seems to be cleaner in some kind of way. Like many things in audio and HiFi, this cleaner sound is difficult to actually nail down with just one word, but hear it and you will know what I mean; quieter background, a little more detail (particularly on hi-res files) and an overall feeling that the G1 is actually doing very little other than acting as a conduit through with the files on the NAS get served to the DAC. I guess this cleanliness is in large part down to the buffer and the isolated power supplies that lurk inside the box. And I suppose that is what you want from a bit of kit whose job it is just to give the DAC as clean a stream with which to work with as possible. Now, I know for a fact there are going to be folk out there reading this and saying “It’s a standard is USB and so whether the zeros and ones come from a computer or a server makes no difference”, but that’s not my experience and so I’m not going to toe the party line in that respect. I suppose one way of looking at this is to say that the computer (and it only does music) adds more nasties to the mix than the G1, though I realise that’s a very simplistic way of looking at it.

Music does just seem to flow with the Aries G1 in place and I have spent many an hour, and a lot late at night, just sat in the second listening room and listening to tunes, exploring new music on Qobuz and really enjoying the experience, whereas before I found it a bit of a chore to drag myself away from the main system and listen to this system. That’s not to say it’s not a great system; it’s been put together meticulously to be a tool for reviewing new kit as well as getting immense pleasure from our tunes, but it is upstairs and well…stairs. I remember David Solomon of Qobuz saying the following at a talk we did with him at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest “If you are not sat in the early hours and losing yourself down the rabbit hole of new music then there is something wrong with you”. I like that saying and since the G1 has been plumbed in that is just what I have been doing. Music has become an absolute joy on this system and in no small part I put this down to the inclusion of that innocuous-looking black box with the big screen on the front. On the screen front, it is easy to read from my listening seat and I really like that touch, but in fairness really only took much notice of the Lightning Server App I was using.

Look, this is a really tough review to write, what do you actually say about a product that to these ears at least has no real sonic signature in itself? I could ramble on about having listened to this tune and that tune and describe what I was hearing, and I think this approach is very useful when reviewing most kit, but in reality, I’m finding it difficult to hear what the G1 is adding to proceedings in and of itself. Yes, I can hear the character of the DAC and the CD transport we use, the amps have a bit of their own flavour and speakers have probably the most effect on the overall sound, but the G1 just doesn’t seem to have a sonic signature at all as far as I can hear and is as clean as the Melco library going straight to the DAC, only a little more flexible in use, though it doesn’t have the storage the Melco has, though other products in the Auralic range will cater to this need.

I played every kind of music we own through the G1 and not once did I feel that I was getting anything other than a pure feed to the DAC. I did experience a couple of drop-outs in the first couple of days of set up, but, and I have not changed anything else in the system makeup at all, these seemed to disappear after a couple of days and I have not had one drop-out since. I can’t explain this at all and assume it was one of two things; either it was the Auralic and the network getting to grips with each other (doubtful) or our network was playing up in some way (much more likely).

The lack of an Android app for Lightning Server is a bit of a pain and something I really do think that Auralic should address.

I mentioned earlier that I felt the music “just flowed” and that is how I experienced it; files into G1, zeros and ones into the DAC and lovely, clean music coming out the speakers. I can’t talk to you about bass response, I can’t talk to you about sparkling tops or indeed mellifluous mids because I genuinely don’t believe that the G1 has any effect on these parameters other than what was on the original file and the rest of the kit make music from. I know that probably makes for a boring and lack-lustre review, but it’s easier to write about something you hear over and above something you didn’t hear if you catch my drift.

So, to recap: The G1 doesn’t do much at all whilst doing loads. That’s your lot.

CONCLUSION

The Auralic Aries G1 is a difficult beast to come to terms with and describe effectively because it does very little in sonic terms, despite being packed with this and that tech’ wizardry. To me it is streaming a file from one place in the house to the DAC without adding anything of its own make-up to the final sound. Now, that to me is a very good thing in the pursuit of a high-fidelity sound and one that is the curate’s egg for many.

In use the G1 is a bit of a fit and forget item in that your main interaction isn’t going to be with it, it’s going to be with the iPad or whatever you use to control it with, though you can control it independently, of course. I found the Lightning App a real joy to use and intuitive to get my head around. My one criticism of the G1 is the lack of an Android app which would have made it absolutely perfect.

Like I said at the start of this review, I bought the Auralic G1 on the recommendation of a fellow reviewer and I’m so glad I did. I heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a stylish, easy to use and neutral sounding server. I can’t see mine going anywhere soon, though I would have liked for it to play better with the metadata generated by the Melco unit…though I’m sure those cleverer than myself will know of a workaround to this issue.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Reassuringly solid bodywork and a good standard of finish throughout. The Lightning Server app is well laid out and simple to use. In and outs are plentiful.

Sound Quality: I don’t really see this unit as having a sound quality as such. The G1 serves up files cleanly and efficiently to the DAC which then does its own thing.

Value For Money: I can’t fault this unit at the price. It looks good, sounds neutral and does the job it is supposed to do without any fannying about.

Pros: Easy to set up and use. Neutral sounding.

Cons: Need an iOS device to use Lightning Server – no native Android app. The issue with Melco library metadata.

Price: £1899, €2276, $2699

Kit List: VAD DAC, Lab 12 Preamplifier, Merrill Thor Amps, Jern loudspeakers and REL Subs. Atlas Cables throughout other than USB by Computer Audio Design.

You can read an interview with the designer of the Aries G1, Xuanqian Wang here.

Fresh out of Florence, Gold Note’s new Streamer/DAC aims to bring versatility and sophistication to your digital setup.  John Scott sets out to see if it succeeds in this, the first English language review of this product.

Italian high-end audio manufacturer Gold Note has already made a name for itself with its stylish range of turntables and loudspeakers.  Gold Note has also developed a range of digital products including the flagship DS1000 DAC/streamer and the IS1000 integrated amplifier/DAC/streamer. Their latest product the DS10 takes the expertise used in designing these units and aims to provide a smaller high-quality single-box streaming solution for those of us who like to use digital files and streaming services as the heart of our music library.

UNBOXING, BUILD AND SET UP

The DS10 arrived in a standard brown shipping box secured by Gold Note-branded tape.  On opening the box, the D10 was wrapped in a black fabric branded pouch which was a nice touch and is useful if you find yourself needing to put the unit into storage for any time.  Polyurethane end cheeks provided protection for any slight bumps that might be encountered during shipping and the DS10 was accompanied in the box by a remote control, a wifi antenna, a Bluetooth antenna, an ethernet cable, a power chord and an instruction manual.

Comprehensive connectivity is at the heart of the DS10.  The real panel is well laid out; space is at a premium but the panel doesn’t look or feel cluttered at all.  Both RCA and balanced XLR outputs are provided and there is a full range of inputs including Ethernet, USB A, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, USB B and 2 optical Toslink connectors.  Additionally, there is a standard IEC power connector, connections for the wifi and Bluetooth antennae and a connector for an optional external power supply.

In contrast to the rear panel, the front of the DS10 is pleasingly minimalistic.  At the right-hand side of the unit is what Gold Note describe as an SKC – Single Knob Control. Off-centre to the left of the panel is a 2.8” TFT display and to the left of this is a small power/stand by LED, an IR receiver for the remote control and a 6.3mm headphone jack.

Build quality of the DS10 is pleasingly solid. The unit’s chassis is machined from solid aluminium which Gold Note claims guarantees low-frequency resonance and magnetic shielding.  The design of the casing incorporates a stylish air vent design which takes its inspiration from the company’s PH10 phono stage.  The DS10 is available in black, silver or champagne gold.  I was supplied with the black version which would probably be my favoured option.  It a simple yet stylishly attractive box that will sit happily beside your other components, looking good while not attracting too much attention to itself.

Given the range of connections available, the initial setup was fairly straightforward.  I opted to start with an ethernet connection from my Synology DS216+ NAS drive and the RCA outputs to my Etalon SuprA amplifier.  The DS10 is turned on by a single press of the SCK knob which then activates the display.  Joggling the SCK to the left or the right then circles the display through the various input options.  Once ”Network” appears, a press of the SCK confirms that as your chosen input and you are good to go.  This setup functionality can also be carried out by pressing buttons on the remote control if desired.  It’s a fairly intuitive system and doesn’t take long to get used to.

During the course of the review, I also used the DS10 wirelessly and via Bluetooth – see below for further details.

Currently, the DS10 uses an off the shelf control app from Mconnect. It’s an app I have used before and enjoyed using.  Like all streamer apps, it takes a bit of getting used to but before long I had mastered navigating my digital library and was happily queueing up playlists.  It is also possible to access online streaming services from Qobuz, Tidal and Deezer via the app; logging into my Qobuz account took a matter of seconds.  By the way, if you are a Tidal subscriber, you’ll be pleased to hear that the DS10 is MQA compatible.  Gold Note has announced that it plans to release their own proprietary control app in the near future but this was not available at the time of review.

As a Roon user, I was quite excited to see that the DS10 was described on both the Roon and Gold Note websites as being Roon Ready.  This would mean that the DS10 would be fully functional via my Roon Nucleus+ and the Roon Control app on my iPad.  I fired up the Roon app and was slightly surprised to see that the DS 10 was identified by Roon as the Gold Note IS1000 integrated amplifier/streamer. Fortunately, this did not prevent me from being able to control the DS10 via Roon.  The only apparent lack of functionality was that DSD files were downsampled to PCM rather than being played natively.  This was slightly annoying but not really a huge issue.  When I contacted Roon and Gold Note about this, they both confirmed that the Roon Ready certification process was not yet complete for the DS10.  Neither company were able to give me a date for completion.

SOUND QUALITY 

As the DS10 was new out of the box, I gave it a couple of days to run in before attempting any critical listening; first impressions were, however, very encouraging.  When I eventually sat down to spend some serious time with the DS10 I was almost immediately struck by how engaging it sounded.  Pulling out an old favourite, and one that often starts off my review listening sessions, John Martyn’s  Solid Air, was like meeting up with an old friend.  Danny Thompson’s bass was woody and resonant, Tristan Fry’s vibraphone shimmered just like it should and Tony Coe’s saxophone was breathy and smooth.  Martyn’s vocal was revealed to be in its own reverberate space but was seamlessly integrated into the other musicians’ performances.

To something completely different: Lang Lang’s recording of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue from his New York Rhapsody album streamed from Qobuz.  This is a duet performance with Herbie Hancock accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra recorded at Abbey Road and it’s a big, big performance.  The DS10 spread the orchestra across the front of my listening room and did a great job at separating out Lang Lang’s and Herbie’s individual pianos, allowing the interplay between them to really shine.

Changing the mood again, Amy Rigby’s 18 Again veers from power pop to cod-country ballad and the DS10 had my foot tapping along from the get-go.  Before I knew it, an hour had simply flown by.

So far, so (very) good; the DS10 left me happy with anything I threw at it.  Then about two weeks into my time with the unit, Gold Note announced a firmware update.  This provides three elements of DAC filtering – Equalisation Curve (a low-pass filter), De-emphasis Curve (a high-pass filter) and DAC Power.  Each of these is individually adjustable which provides a total of an eye-watering 192 possible combinations.  Dear Reader, I didn’t try them all.  My experimentation did show, however, that it is possible to tweak the sound of the DS10 to suit your individual preferences.  Three presets can be customised and stored.  Fortunately, I found that I was more than happy with the DS10 in its default, non-customised setting.  

Moving away from the ethernet connection to wifi, I found the connection to be stable – no dropouts at all during the time I used it – and no discernible change in sound quality.  Similarly, using Bluetooth connection to my phone I was able to stream tracks downloaded from Qobuz and was very impressed with how they sounded.  It’s not a function I could see myself using very often but useful when friends drop round and want to play you their new discoveries.  

CONCLUSION

The DS10 is an attractive, solidly-built, flexible and capable streaming solution.  Once installed in your hifi system I can’t imagine that you would be in any hurry at all to move it on and it, therefore, represents a solid investment.  Its default sound is excellent and there is the ability to tailor this should you desire.  Gold Note claims that performance can be further enhanced by the addition of an external power supply.  This was not available at the time of my review but it is certainly something that I would be keen to try.  As it stands though, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with the Gold Note DS10 and it is highly recommended.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Minimalist design and pleasing build quality.

Sound Quality: Engaging, and tweakable sound.

Value For Money: Solid investment.

Pros: A stylish and solid DAC/Streamer solution. Multi-functioning; can perform as a steamer, a stand-alone DAC and a preamplifier. Excellent sound quality.

Cons: Not (yet) entirely Roon ready. The degree of DAC customisation is possibly a little over the top.

Price: €2490

John Scott 

Specifications 

MAIN FEATURES: D/A Converter AKM AK4493 PCM up to 32bit/768kHz & DSD512 native and DoP, Streamer Network Player PCM and DSD

DIMENSIONS: 200mm W, 80mm H, 260mm D

WEIGHT: 4kg

FINISHES: Case: Brushed Aluminium, Black or Silver or Gold

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz-20kHz +/-0.1dB

THD – TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: 0.001% max

SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO: -125dB

DYNAMIC RANGE: 120dB

OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 50ohm

PREAMP STAGE VOLUME CONTROL: Enabled/disabled by remote

POWER: Mains supply: 100V to 240V, 50/60Hz. Multiple Transformer proprietary power supply

Power consumption: 30W

DIGITAL INPUTS:

1 Ethernet LAN & Wi-Fi DSD64 (DoP)

Resolution: PCM up to 24bit/192kHz

1x RCA S/PDIF coaxial PCM asynchronous up to 24bit/192kHz

2x TOS-optical PCM asynchronous up to 24bit/192kHz

1x COAX asynchronous up to 24bit/192kHz

1x AES/EBU balanced PCM asynchronous up to 24bit/192kHz

1 x USB-B asynchronous native and up to DSD512 and PCM up to 32bit/384kHz

1x USB-A port to feed USB flash memories, FAT32/NTFS formatted playing DSD64 and PCM up to 24bit/192kHz

1x USB-B asynchronous native up to DSD512 and PCM up to 32bit/384kHz

AUDIO OUTPUTS: Line output level (fixed): stereo RCA @ 1Volt and balanced XLR @ 4Volt

CONNECTIVITY: LAN/WLAN (WiFi): 802.11b/g via RJ45 10/100Mbps socket. Bluetooth 5.0

SUPPORTED AUDIO FORMATS (NETWORK): AIFF (.aif, .aiff, .aifc). ALAC, WAV (.wav) packed/unpacked, FLAC, MP3, DSF, DFF, Apple Lossless, OGG, Monkey Media.

SUPPORTED MEDIA SERVERS: All UPnP / DLNA / Roon

REMOTE CONTROL: Included

CONTROL APP: Available for iOS and Android

Leema Acoustics’ Elements High-Resolution Streamer is the Welsh brand’s mid-level streamer. Here Alan Mcintosh puts it through its paces.

With many streamer manufacturers in a market offering all sort of bells and whistles it’s always nice to be sent a somewhat understated product who’s designers seem to be “all about the music”,  and less about the bling. I’m a big fan of good quality Hi-res offerings and streamers, and being well aware of their pedigree I was very excited to hear what the Leema Elements Streamer could do.  Although I really do wish they had called it the Leema Streema.

CONSTRUCTION

The smashing together of the first names of its proprietors Lee (Taylor) and Mallory (Nichols), 2 ex BBC engineers gives us the name Leema Acoustics, who since 1998 have been producing very highly regarded HiFi components from speakers to amplifiers and all in between.  Manufactured here in the UK (Wales to be precise) their Elements Range is mid-range, nestled between their Reference and Essential lines but as a mid-range offering its no “also ran” – quite the opposite! I first saw and heard Leema at the North West Audio show a couple of years back and was always very impressed, as were many visitors in their rooms, so it was great to get my hands on one of their boxes.

The Elements form factor is a half-width, full depth design meaning you could fit 2 such boxes on one traditional HiFi shelf should you wish. Options are Black or Silver (I have black for review) and apart from the striking Leema icon and a blue led to signal power, the front face is devoid of anything else, no knobs, buttons, LED/ HD screens – just simple, solid built and, well,  quite classy looking.

With the well know ESS Sabre 9018 technology at its heart and leveraging ESS’s 32-bit Hyperstream and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator technology, the focus is on delivering great clarity of reproduction. It supports resolutions to 24 bit/192kHz and up to DSD64, but not MQA (not an issue for me as I don’t stream MQA anyway).

The Elements Streamer usess the same streaming module as Leema’s Quasar streaming amp and supports Qobuz ,Tidal, Deezer, Spotify and vTuner Internet radio ( a great addition!) –plenty on offer here for all listeners. For those who seek even more you can also stream from Dropbox, Onedrive (albeit at risk of delays due to their servers) and from a connected USB drive – Leema even provide that cable – and of course can pull streams from Leema’s own Sirius server or your own NAS drive.

As combined DAC and Streamer module allowing it to operate as a standalone solution plugged straight into your amplifier via both balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA, or it can be used as a Streaming transport and connected to your DAC of choice via Optical or Coax/SPDIF – no USB DAC connection option is available.  This offers some real flexibility in a world of many boxes and components swapping that a lot of us inhabit. Both wired and wireless connectivity are offered, however, Leema recommends wired and very kindly supply a decent Cat 5e cable saving me scuttling around my house for a spare one. The only connection missing for some is a digital in which I know a number of buyers would perhaps find useful for a CD Transport.

Two Wi-Fi antennae are also provided to support a strong signal and to make connecting simple a WPS button eases the whole router pairing malarkey that can flummox some. Wired set up as well is super easy via the app.

Power is handled by an internal toroid to avoid associated issues with inferior switching type / wall wart PSU’s.

Setup and control is handled via the MConnect Control app, a universal UPnP/DLNA streamer controller available from app stores (both iOS and Android) allowing for connection to multiple compatible devices and online services as well as functions like zoning to group devices.

Overall it’s a decent controller, but for users of say Lightening DS, Kazoo or Roon you will find it a teeny bit lacking and not always the most intuitive – queuing of tracks can be a little painful but connection to services, search and other main functions are smooth and I’ve not had any instability or crashing which can ruin the streaming experience and is still not uncommon in some apps.

SOUND QUALITY

For comparison I’ll be reviewing the Elements Streamer vs my Auralic Aries G1 Streaming Transport + Hegel’s integrated (and excellent) DAC in the H190 amplifier and I’ll be testing it both as an integrated Streamer/DAC and also as a standalone streamer feeding the Hegel DAC. The Leema comes in around £500 lower than the Aries G1 and that is taken into consideration.

After letting the Leema settle in for a week or so I got down to the job of critical listening, running at high enough volumes that I could still enjoy it but enough that allows me to hear the acoustic and dynamic changes if any. Running the Streamer via analogue outputs to take advantage of its internal DAC and playing well-known to me Qobuz playlists for testing it was obvious from the outset that the Leema presentation is very good. Overall dynamics are great, clarity is obvious and moreover music is presented with a strong bottom end bass and weight that it carries that often sought after organic sound and feel. Via the Van Den Hul XLR the impact is slightly improved, but the RCA offering is still very good. When compared to the Aries G1+Hegel’s integrated DAC it’s in that lower end weight that the differences are most apparent.

The G1 presenting an ever so slightly more resolved sound but in a possibly more clinical wrapper, the Leema that bit slightly “warmer” and denser in presentation, but also clear and detailed and so really it’s about personal taste and about paired components such as amp and speakers. At times the Leema really put a smile on my face with its “oomph” factor, particularly when trying bass heavy pieces such as the Bladerunner 2049 OST (a serious system tester).  In this setup I was able to switch back and forth between the Aries and the Leema while streaming the same track, from the same service at the same time so comparison was very easy. Simple Minds’ Someone Somewhere (In summertime) vs its vinyl Mofi Analogue twin was scarily good! Deep dynamics, rich warm bassline but no laziness in the mids and in faster paced sections it performed with ease.

When I moved to running the Leema via the Hagel H190 integrated DAC the differences were less obvious but still evident, the implementation in the Leema of the now slightly older ESS 9018 chipset I feel is the origin of this, as well I am sure their great engineering throughout the unit. Personally, I feel that the newer chipsets chase uber transparency and ultra-low noise, millions of “taps” etc they may have lost some of their organic signature – of course, this is subjective and will vary by vendor. I love a super clear, clean sound so this is no negative for me but many seek their digital to sound “analogue” and so make their choices based on that.

Streaming the 24bit/44.1kHz Qobuz stream of Sonny Rollins’ mighty work Saxophone Colossus (which I also run on a Tape Project Master copy on ¼”, 15ips reel to reel Tape for comparison) it’s big and powerful and refined – Max Roach’s opening drums resonating beautifully but with that tight drum skin thwack. Doug Watkin’s bass is tight but deeply presented so much you can almost see his fingers playing over it and Sonny’s pieces delivered beautifully again with that bold, organic signature that the Leema seems to have in spades. Staging and imaging is presented very well throughout playback, especially evident in Van Gelders productions, where you can place every player in a 3D space so well. For some digital lovers, used to clinical delivery, the Leema may come across as a little on the warm/full side but certainly it’s not muddy or lacking, for those seeking a more analogue sound from digital, but not wanting to lose the resolution and detail Hi-res can bring this is a no-brainer! This is digital done right! 

CONCLUSION

I really like this streamer! Really, really like it!  It’s understated, the price point for me is spot on and I think its sound will appeal to many who don’t traditionally enjoy the “digital” signature sound of many DAC’s – this is among the most organic sounding systems I’ve enjoyed and I am really torn between it and my beloved Auralic. If your budget is anywhere up to £1500 you must audition the Leema Streamer – your ears will thank you! OK, it doesn’t offer album art which is one reason I still prefer my Aries but it works VERY well, has great connection options and simply sounds superb.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Solid, sleek, great number of outputs and control app dies the job well. Class-leading implementation of ESS 9018 chipset but some may seek the 9038 or a more modern FPGA implementation.

Sound Quality: Superb. Plain and simple. Powerful, bold, organic but not lacking in detail – foot-tapping goodness in spades particularly using the internal DAC, but also excels with XLR analogue.

Value For Money: Very good at the price point given the range of quality outputs and sound quality which really is superb and offers a warmth some others don’t.

Pros : Stonkingly beautiful sounding streamer, easy to use, works “out the box” with minimal faff, great selection of outputs and available streaming services. All necessary Cat5e/USB cables provided

Cons: Some may find the 3^rd party app packs a certain elegance but that’s me being super-critical. No album art or MQA support which divide some new buyers. Some may miss a digital input for tying a CD transport.

*Please note that the streamer is now Roon-enabled so it can be used as a Roon endpoint or you can use Bubble uPnP as a control point, to get full album artwork. You would only have to use the supplied mControl app to access the set-up pages/firmware update, otherwise, any UPNP/DNLA control point (CP) app should work OK.

Price: Around £1295 rrp but deals are around online.

Alan McIntosh

Review Equipment: Hegel H190 Integrated Amplifier, Amphion Argon 3s Loudspeakers, WyWires Blue speaker cables and Analogue RCA. Van Den Hull 3T – The Mountain balanced XLR, Chord Shawline Coax/SPDIF. Titan Audio power distribution.  Auralic Aries G1 streaming transport for comparison.

Specifications :

WxHxD :200 x 88 x 340mm

Weight 2.5kg

24-bit/192kHz and DSD64- capable DAC

Digital outputs: 1x optical; 1x coaxial

Analogue Outputs : 1x balanced XLR, 1 unbalanced RCA

Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, Spotify Connect and vTuner support

Wired and Wireless operation

USB A for Hard Drive connection

Remote : No – App driven

Janine Elliot takes a listen to the iFi Zen DAC that boasts a whole load of features in a diminutive package and is priced at just £129.

iFi is good at dishing out surprises, a company that love to create tiny little boxes offering hi-tech specifications at such low prices. The Zen DAC is no exception, a gorgeous curvy number with balanced headphone and line output. Plugged into your USB output this should provide the best sound from your laptop or tablet. iFi’s audio products are aimed particularly at those with digital leanings; whether DACs, Bluetooth, wifi or headphone amps. Analogue output from computers is just bearable at the very best, so this product is ideal for those with a large collection of FLAC, WAV, DSD and DXD music on laptops/tablets wanting to output to headphones or even their HiFi. iFi have a good number of small digital players in their arsenal meeting everybody’s needs, and this curved trapezoid-shaped beauty sits somewhere in the middle price band at £129 and will look very pleasant on your desk.

iFi is a British company I have watched with great interest since it began in 2012. They manufacture all their products in China at their wholly-owned factory and have a head office in Southport (where the company was founded) with a team of designers, marketers, sales, training and customer services from all around the world. This includes head of the in-house technical design team,  Thorsten Loesch, and American input from the legendary amp designer John Curl, working as technical consultant. iFi is an offshoot from the high-end manufacturer AMR (Abbingdon Music Research) with both companies designing and manufacturing portable, desktop and hi-end HiFi components. Despite the diminutive size of the products they claim Class A analogue circuitry throughout and being “Bit Perfect”, rather than DoP, which means that DSD and DXD files aren’t resampled to PCMs before being converted to analogue, thanks to the BurrBrown DAC.

CONSTRUCTION

The Zen DAC combines a lot of technology packed into its diminutive 11.7x10x3cm size. The front has a central volume control, with a variable coloured backlight indicating the sampling rate (for example; green for PCM44/48/88/96kHz; Cyan for DSD64/DSD128). To the very left is a high/low-level button labelled “Power Match” for more inefficient headphones and there’s a “TrueBass” button next to this. This button is designed specifically for IEMs that lack extreme bass, though it worked well on my Sennheiser HD650’s too, giving more detail and pizazz. Both buttons sizes are carefully chosen to match that of the sockets on the right of the volume control; Firstly, there is a 6.3mm single-ended headphone socket and with a 4.4mm balanced headphone socket to the right of this. At the rear is where all the work takes place; to the very left is a 4.4mm balanced output, ideally to be used with a 4.4mm-to-XLR cable connected to your balanced line-level amplifier input. To the right is a Variable/Fixed switch to allow you to choose between a variable output plugged directly into your power-amp using the DACs volume control, or fixed if you want to connect to a preamp or integrated. Next to this is the all-important USB3.0 B socket to connect to your valuable music library. Finally, there is a 5v DC power connection. The instruction manual, the size of a bookmarker, suggests this is to connect to the enclosed 5V power supply, but actually one isn’t supplied, nor is it needed as the unit runs from the USB connection, on this occasion my Asus gaming laptop. However, to improve the sound quality a bespoke power supply could be a good investment. The most important part of the interior PCB is the bit-perfect Burr Brown DAC, giving support for PCM 32bit/384kHz, DSD256, DXD384 and MQA. To get it all working you download the iFi driver and control panel if you are using Windows, though this isn’t necessary with Mac. To unlock DoP256 for Mac/Linux you can download ‘Limoncello’ 5.2A on their website. The Zen DAC also uses TDK class 1 ceramic capacitors, offering high stability and low losses for resonant circuit applications. Build quality is exemplary but the miniscule LED “holes” next to the PowerMatch and TrueBass might not be visible in strong sunlight. My only criticism of the unit is the low output power might mean very inefficient planar headphones will not work so well. My HD650 is an inefficient headphone and so I needed to press the PowerMatch switch, but the excellent Audio Technica ATH-W1000Z cans worked well at the low setting. The Zen DAC is quoted to work with conventional headphones up to 300 ohms, and with balanced cans up to 600Ω, with 330mW output @32Ω (balanced) and 230mW @ 32Ω (unbalanced).

SOUND QUALITY

Cue the music. To start the concert I wired up Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ (DSD128). A great album from my childhood past, that I would have played with the lights set low in my bedroom in the evenings after doing my homework. The result through headphones and balanced line-out into my Krell was clear and pronounced at the low end and with a fast and detailed top end. The Zen basically acting as a DAC/preamplifier meant I didn’t need to use my Music First Audio preamp at all when playing through the loudspeakers. The bass guitar was particularly well pronounced but nothing stood out as being over the top or taking over from the very balanced performance.

Turning to Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto (binaural Baroque, Chasing the Dragon) the amount of detail was particularly good though it did feel it sounded a tad clinical with a slight lack of depth to the music. Miles Davis Quintet ‘Freedom Jazz Dance; the Bootleg Series vol 5’ was next on the list. This is basically an experimental album; Miles and his musicians rehearsing the numbers and experimenting with different timbres and textures before arriving at their definitive end-result or just binning them. The Zen DAC was very detailed and excellent at the top registers, particularly the ride cymbal, and with lengthy decays on notes and reverb. The bass was not as extended as I would like, though adding TrueBass to the HD650’s expanded this. Mid band was detailed and clear making for a very enjoyable listening experience. Oscar Peterson’s ‘Night Train’ (24/96) was the next jazz recording to be played, the Zen showing off the clear piano line and well-defined double bass and drums. Whilst the top frequencies were extended it just needed slightly more clarity in the mid-frequency range, but let’s not forget the price point of this unit. “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be” is a track made famous by the Dave Brubeck Trio, but played a lot slower on this album, and in so doing Miles allowed the piano riffs to spread their wings and hover over the bass/drum lines in a tantalising manner, made even grander by the Zen. This DAC, come headphone amp, come pre-amplifier was pretty good and all for just £129, only lacking some of the dynamism that I know this album has.

Turning to classics and Haydn’s Symphony No.44 (24/192, Linn), there was a lot of decay or reverb and by pressing TrueBass ‘opened up’ the sound further, giving a more enjoyable account of this highly undervalued symphony. There was a clear presentation making for a very enjoyable listening and precise performance, though I would have liked a larger soundstage – again, let’s not forget this is a sub £130 unit. Indeed, all classics that I previewed on the DAC during weeks of the Coronavirus pandemic were crystal clear and detailed, giving me a chance to while away the endless hours through my laptop collection to reduce the boredom of lockdown. Next on the playlist was an old favourite of mine, Eagles ‘Hotel California’ (24/192) and the title track. I did feel the clarity of the Zen emphasised some of the grittiness of the original recording that on vinyl would be much more forgiving. There is nothing wrong with this, just the DAC doing its job, though I really wished there was a tiny valve sitting inside to tame the sound a bit, just as iFi have a 6N3P in the preamp stage of their iconic bamboo clad Aurora music system. Adding TrueBass, if anything, didn’t help. This is not the best recorded track despite its notoriety. Listening to a live version of “Hotel California” was however much more engrossing with solid bass tom-toms keeping the track flowing with the array of acoustic guitars showing just how talented the musicians were, particularly live. Finally, it was time to take things into overdrive with Nirvana ‘Nevermind’. The Zen coped with the loudest blasts from guitars as well as the quietest inflections. “Come as You Are” has a clear ride cymbal and effortless repeated bass line. Everything was precise and controlled with nothing sticking out unnecessarily. If anything, the bass was a little too restrained, but as a purist, I didn’t want to rely on pressing the bass boost button to get things better. iFi are very good at adding gizmos like “bass boost” and “3D matrix” boosts on their machines such as in the xDSD recently reviewed. But, however you decide to play it, you are guaranteed impeccable quality of sound and build, at a minimalist price.

CONCLUSION

I really enjoyed reviewing this cute little box just as I did the Zen Blue a while ago. For the price this is the perfect accompaniment to your laptop or tablet, and even working particularly well as a pre-amp for your HiFi if your sources are via USB. To come completely balanced inside and bit perfect, meaning you can enjoy your DSDs in full, just adds to all the ticks I have already given this box. Only that the sound can at times sound a little too clinical and lacking depth keeps me slightly wanting, but with the right headphones or amplifier this box is pure genius.

At £129 this is a multitalented performer that I can happily highly recommend.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: A very well-made construction in one-piece aluminium. Excellent design.

Sound Quality: fast and extended bass, clean mid and secure top end. A very quiet amp, though its use with very inefficient planar designs at high levels might not be so great.

Value for Money: £129 is exceptionally good value for such as well spec’d and cute little box.

Pros:

Excellent mid and tight and secure top end

Plays native DSD audio

Balanced output

MQA friendly

Cons: 

Power output less than I would have liked (330mW@32 Ohm balanced output) but worked well with inefficient headphones using high gain “Power Match” button.

Price: £129

Janine Elliot

Review Equipment: Asus laptop, Music First Audio Baby Reference/Krell KPS20i (amplification); Graham Audio LS5/9 plus Townshend Super Tweeter (speakers); Townshend, Tellurium Q, Ecosse (cables), Townshend Seismic stand.

Specification

The iFi ZEN Blue is a wireless Bluetooth DAC costing just £129. Janine Elliot gives it a whirl.

I love iFi. You just know you can get totally up-to-date technology, excellent audio quality, diminutive size boxes and at an equally diminutive price. That should mean that this review is done and dusted before it has begun, but you should know that I like to take great time and care listening before putting fingers on my keyboard. This is very important because many audiophiles are still not yet converts to Bluetooth as a purveyor of hi-end music. iFi are aware of that and so the Zen Blue is the most advanced allowing all types of Bluetooth including aptX HD. At £129 I wanted to see if this is the very best value streamer out there.  iFi is a “British” company I have watched with great interest since their beginnings in 2012. I say British somewhat loosely;  iFi manufacture all their products in China at their wholly-owned factory, hence keeping prices very competitive, and have a head office in Southport (where the company was founded) with a team of designers, marketers, sales, training and customer services from around the world. This includes the head of the in-house technical design team, German Thorsten Loesch, plus French and American input (the legendary amp designer John Curl working as a technical consultant). iFi is an offshoot from the high-end manufacturer AMR (Abbingdon Music Research) with both companies designing and manufacturing portable, desktop and hi-end HiFi components. iFi’s audio products are aimed particularly at those with digital leanings; whether DACs, Bluetooth, wifi or headphone amps. Despite the size of the products they claim Class A analogue circuitry and being all “Bit Perfect”. iFi is also conscious of the environment using recyclable materials in construction and packaging. This is a lot of product for very little money.

CONSTRUCTION

Weighing in at £129, the Zen Blue is one of a pair of products, the other being the Zen DAC, a USB 3.0 input DAC, both being art-deco in looks but with a gorgeous curvy matt grey finish top and bottom and brushed aluminium front and rear. The Blue is diminutive in size at 158mm width, so easily placed just about anywhere you wish. The front is spartan, with a pairing button and two large LEDs evenly spaced. The first button should be pressed when seeking a new device and when searching the right-hand large LED will go from a flashing blue light (as it searches for previously installed devices) to a blue/red flashing indicator (as it hunts out for new devices). Interestingly the instruction manual, a book-marker-sized card, suggests the middle “iFi” labelled LED indicates the searching and pairing. Generally, though, the instruction card is very detailed and easy to follow. Once connected, the middle LED indicated the format, whether that be AAC or aptX, for example, and the LED on the right indicates the kHz (44/48 Blue; 88/96 White). The rear is where all the work can begin; Balanced 4.4mm TRRS and single-ended RCA analogue outputs, plus coax and optical digital outputs should you need them. A digital/analogue switch in between them selects either the analogue or digital output, so only one is active at a time, and completing the back is the socket for the supplied screw-in antenna in order to pick up signals from my DAP and Phone. All current and future Bluetooth® audio formats are supported. This includes Qualcomm’s aptX and aptX HD, LDAC (from Sony) and HWA (Huawei) hi-res Bluetooth® codecs, AAC (Apple’s favoured format) and SBC (the standard Bluetooth® codec), the unit receiving up to 24bit/96kHz. The unit can store up to 7 Bluetooth devices, so more than enough for me then. A Qualcomm 5110 chip processes all the Bluetooth side and the DAC is handled by an ESS Sabre chip.  Analogue outputs are 2V and 4V for RCA and Balanced, respectively, more than enough for today’s hi-fi or studio applications. Supplied in the box is the mains adaptor, the aerial, and even a basic RCA lead just in case your expensive interconnect isn’t available. The mains unit can be updated with improved low-noise adaptors such as the iPower or iPower2 if you so wish.

THE MUSIC

Connecting up and pairing the unit with my DAP and Sony phone was not an issue. The middle “iFi” labelled indicator shows the file format is being received, for example aptX (Blue) or SBC (green).  My Sony phone lit up LDAC (Cyan). The right indicator shone blue to show that I am playing 44.1kHz audio.

My first listening was to break me in gently; Vaughan Williams ‘Fantasy on a Theme by Thomas Tallis’ (Adrian Boult – London Philharmonic orchestra). This album has some superb playing and recording, considering its age. The Zen was exceptionally quiet and with a superb soundstage capturing this dreamy and beautiful work with passion and detail. Up next was Vivaldi’s ‘Guitar Concerto’ second movement (Binaural Baroque, Chasing the Dragon), which is an equally beautiful piece of music and written almost 200 years earlier.  The binaural recording particularly worked well on my speakers on this movement, though of course is best served on headphones. Output from the 4.4mm balanced jack could then be fed into the balanced inputs of my Music First Audio preamp, just to take the quality and level even higher than from the RCA outputs. Taking things musically up a level or three I turned to Curved Air and the album ‘Air Cut’. This is a 1970’s progressive rock band but with a twist. A loud rock first track is replaced by a Joan Baez style voice in the second track with acoustic guitar and a quiet monophonic synthesiser, then to be followed in track three with a classical piano introduction. Quite an unorthodox mix of ideas all on one album. No wonder, the band members history included classical training and experiments in folk music and electronic music. I hadn’t played this album for a while and chose it now due to the clarity and openness of the music, plus being such a wide source of ideas all on one album.  The Zen carried it off brilliantly, bringing out each instrument clearly and better than I had obtained from any “portable” Bluetooth receiver in the past.  Turning to Johnny Cash ‘American IV – the man comes Around’, whilst I think his voice is overrated he has a masterful way of mating the words with the music. I guess selling over 90 million records he must be pretty good.  American IV was the last album he put together, released in 2002, a year before he died. In the performance of “Hurt” the Zen not only displayed an amazing amount of detail from lowest bass to the tops of cymbals and the detailed strumming of the strings on the acoustic guitar, but its timing was equally honest, giving an openness to the music that simply pulled the listener into the music. This is a highly depressing album though; track three “Give My Love to Rose” is all about someone dying and track 5 “I Hung my Head” is about shooting someone. So depressing, thank goodness I didn’t have a tape editing razor blade nearby. Time, perhaps, to move on to something a little happier.

Time then for a novel solo violin performance of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue BWV 545, played by Paxlo Beznosiuk. A brilliant performance and a chance for those mid and upper frequencies to shine in this ambient 24/96 recording. This is a brilliant performance from the Ukrainian/Irish violinist. His performance was full of warmth that the Zen gave the top frequencies a musical sheen that was contagious. I wanted to listen to more. To check out even more of that excellent midrange I turned to the voice of Diana Krall in “All or Nothing at All”. This song begins with excellent double bass. Bass frequencies from this little box were excellently clear and accurate, as was her voice; Precise and musical. Ricky Lee Jones “Spring can Really Hang you up the Most” is another favourite for me and my next choice. Her voice is very distinctive, often sounding like she is yawning; she often doesn’t quite finish the ends of words or she suddenly gets more animated with her top notes. The performance was highly spectacular; a silky-smooth rendering that still had all the detail from the very low to higher frequencies. The amplifier had an excellent mid-range frequency, creating excellent vocals, as well as the strings in the classical music I played. Hard to believe this all came from such a cost-efficient product, especially the balanced-out option. Finally, I turned to Brunette Models “Autarky” an experimental electronic music group from Poland combining different effects and bells and tonal musique concrete with lots of “3rds”. All delivered with a massive dynamic range and covering the very lowest to highest frequencies. The Blue handled it all significantly well with a solid and fluid silky performance that often made you forget you were listening to digits.

CONCLUSION

Those who think there is no future in Bluetooth audio need to take this little beauty out for a ride.  Not only is it so simple to use (you don’t actually need an instruction manual) but the audio quality – whether you choose basic aptX or HD – is equally capable, with detail at all frequencies and an excellent noise floor. The bass end is particularly clear and extended and that mid-band was very musical. The Balanced output is great if you can get a 4.4mm to XLR cable. Where other more expensive streamers have no HD streaming or balanced output facility somehow iFi can do it all for £129. Others please take note.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Very professional finish and placement of plugs

Sound Quality:  Very good amplification built-in including excellent signal to noise and wide frequency response.

Value for Money: £129 is not much money for heaps of features.

Pros:

Gets the very best out of your Bluetooth

Excellent bass end and mid-band

Detailed and exciting presentation

Balanced output facility

Cons:

Not at £129

Price: £129

Janine Elliot

Review Equipment:

Fiio DAP and Sony XA2 Ultra phone; Krell KAV250a, Music First Audio Baby Reference (amplifier, pre-amplifier); Graham Audio LS5/9 plus Townshend Supertweeter (speakers);  Townshend, Tellurium Q, Ecosse (cables)

Specifications:

• Power Source: DC 5V
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC 5100 Series
• Input: Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC*, HWA* Codec (* available via future update)
• Output: Optical/Coaxial, Audio RCA L/R, 4.4 Balanced Lineout
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz <+0/-0.5dB (44.1kHz) // 1Hz – 44khz <+0/-3.0dB (>= 88.2kHz)
• Output Voltage @ 0dBFS: 2.05V (+/-0.05V)
• Dynamic Range: 109dB (A)
• Signal/Noise ratio: 109dB (A) @ 0dBFS
• THD & N @ 0dBFS: < 0.0015% 10k Load
• Output Impedance: < 50Ω
• Power Consumption: < 2.5W
• Dimensions: 158 (l) x 100 (w) x 35 (h) mm
• Weight: 476g (1.05 lbs)
• Warranty period: 12 months

Hailing from Norway the Electrocompaniet ECI 6 DX MKII is an integrated amplifier and streaming solution costing £5999 (a version without streaming capabilities is available at £4999), Alan McIntosh plugs it into his system for Hifi Pig

Any winter mountaineer will tell you one thing Norway does well (apart from training the hardiest of winter soldiers) is ice. Ice for climbing that is – Rjukan in Norway is a mecca for ice climbers. Turns out the Norwegians also do something else well – HiFi. Electrocompaniet is continuing on their 40 odd year journey of audio excellence with the launch of their new ECI 6 MKII amplifier and also the ECI 6 DX MKII which integrates streaming into one solution. I love my digital as much as my other sources so was very keen to hear what the latter could do.

CONSTRUCTION

Electrocompaniet has a history of nearly 50 years in the HiFi business (47, to be precise) and is renowned for class-leading products from Amplifiers to CD players to speakers. Exported worldwide but designed and manufactured in Norway the company proclaims “Our products have been designed to bring you the most rewarding musical experience possible in your own home” – not a bad ethos at all.

The ECI 6DX MK1 is the ECI 6 MKii Amplifier (also new to market) with the streamer and DAC added (also available as an add on after purchase) and sits alongside it and the ECI 80D in their Classic line of their product suite which also includes Pre and Power offerings, Phono Stage, standalone streamer and CD player.

Unboxing the ECI 6DX MKII is no mean feat. Weighing in a hefty 20.5kg’s and being as deep and wide as any amp I’ve tested  – I made sure to warm up first (also make sure your shelves can accommodate it). The solidly built black slab of the outer casing is flanked by heat grilles and fronted by a clear, polished plexiglass type fascia covering, with a simple screen, power, volume, and input sections buttons (all resplendent in gold) with a rather sexy Electrocompaniet “e” logo which when powered up is “orbited” by a blue light denoting volume position. Hidden unless active to provide user set up information are 3 very small LED’s, the Electrocompaniet name completing the classic, unfussy but paradoxically slightly ostentatious aesthetic. It’s certainly no shrinking violet in the rack. An Electrompaniet “multi-device” remote is also provided which for me is overly busy – but I am picky about remotes.

When comparing the physical features of the ECI DX6 MKII versus the now replaced ECI 5 MKII we can see it has had a fascia update to streamline it, the input/output layout has been reconsidered well (to accommodate the Digital components) and there is an upgrade to the binding posts, as well as rigidity added to the main chassis. The rear layout and internal architecture redesign mean if you want, you can buy the ECI 6MKII and add the digital/streaming components later as a modular upgrade. Power is delivered from one large 650VA shielded toroidal transformer with 7 secondary coils, 880000uF capacitors and 16 different voltage regulated circuits for the amplifier, and a further 10 regulators for other circuits such as digital, streaming, etc.

While we are round the back we also see we have a plethora of inputs to choose from with both a balanced and 2 unbalanced analogue options, 2 digital Coaxial, 2 Toslink and 1 USB digital, and an RJ45 for setting up network and streaming inputs. This latter can then be disconnected as the 6DX can run wirelessly which is how I predominantly ran it. Even someone like me with multiple analogue as well as digital sources would be hard pushed to run out of inputs – the XLR being particularly useful for running SACD as I do. In addition, there is a Home Theatre input for those that need it, and for anyone wanting to use the 6DX as a pre we even get balanced and unbalanced Pre-outs. To top it off there is a USB for attaching a hard drive or other external storage.

From a digital/streaming perspective, the onboard DAC (a Cirrus Logic design with Texas instruments sample rate convertors) operates to 24 bit/192khz on all inputs and can handle files up to DSD128. Wi-Fi is a nice robust 802.11ac protocol which, as well as its RJ45 connection handles the very generous 1Gbit/s meaning you won’t be struggling with streaming issues associated with bandwidth – I never once had a dropout or stutter even at 24/192. In terms of streaming services and options, again it’s a laundry list that covers all the bases like Spotify Connect as well as Qobuz (my primary service for every day and for testing), Tidal, Airplay, and Bluetooth, as well as Internet radio. Rendering is by DNLA allowing for easy connection of services and meaning you don’t need a separate streamer. Uncommonly, and a bonus, is that the Electrompaniet proprietary control/streaming app (EC Play) is available across both iOS and Android – saving all the usual arguments! You can of course connect a pre-existing streamer via one of the digital inputs.

Running in Class A the input stage has zero feedback while the output stage runs with moderate feedback, that Electrocompaniet advises, is there to deliver a good balance of sound from bass to top The 6DX and its Amplifier sibling delivers a respectable if not earth-shattering 125W into 8ohms, 200W into 4 and a listed 370W into 2ohms with a very good -135db noise floor preamp wise. As with all Class A it gets warm so you need to give it air to breathe so don’t be cramming it into a tight unit, there are adequate vents and heat sinks but give it room.

SOUND QUALITY

After having the 6DX in the rack for a couple of weeks, listening every day either as background while working or with more focus when time allowed, and moving between it and another review amp I have as well as my own reference amp (the Hegel H190) it was time to get down to proper critical listening. As usual, I have some go-to pieces that know really well and some others that just are so well recorded that they really help the listener hear what’s going on under the hood and how it may compare to other offerings.

First up is a collection of master quality recordings by the Dutch reel-to-reel music company STS played back on my recently refurbed Tascam 32. A broad collection of ballads, jazz, and classical, recorded at such high quality that nothing is left behind. When coming to classical pieces such as Gabi Rynvelds wonderful take on Ravel, Debussy, and Handel I was actually so distracted by how wonderful the music was and how “there” everything was that I forgot to really assess what was going on but of course – that was the assessment. Large and rich, well-timed with a smooth but not too glassy, natural reproduction and great imaging, the merest hint of warmth and veneer from bottom to mid, but wonderfully engaging to listen to.

Moving to I, Robot from Alan Parsons (MoFi) on vinyl that same vibrancy and weight of sound paired with a light touch and nimble treble had me tapping fingers and feet and reveling in the music, that super funk bassline and handclap of The Voice almost had me on my feet (almost!). The imaging and full bass really shine through and with the right room you feel very involved in the sound.

Switching gears to stream Trentmøller’s Obverse album (Qobuz 24/44.1) via the EC play app, and we get that pace, rhythm, and solid bass again. No slouch but definably weighty in its playback you’re getting a thumping, powerful drive that Trentmøller deserves, his dark, edgy atmospheric soundscapes catching you off guard as well as making your heart beat a bit faster – all conducted with aplomb by the 6DX. Streaming Bladerunner 2049 OST (16/44.1) from Qobuz via my Aries G1 via coax demonstrates again that the DAC implementation here has been handled very well – that bass is gut hitting and visceral, while the synth stabs, sweeps and piano hits are clear and gripping, although to my ears streaming directly from the Aries G1 does perform a little better than streaming via the 6DX’s DNLA render from the EC Play app – if only marginally so – the G1 streamer is more than double the £1000 price upgrade for the streaming module of the Electrocompaniet.

As I close the session with John Coltrane’s Love Supreme on SACD and its aching, ethereal celebration of his faith that is both challenging at times, but beautiful to listen to – nothing is taken away here. That strong “fullness” that Electrompaniet achieve with that minimal by design feedback on Class A design only serves to provide the very deserving bed on which to serve up this Jazz masterpiece. Overall I am left with a very contended and wry grin, a great satisfaction at a day’s musical enjoyment and am forced to give a nod of “well played” to the Norwegians. Moreover, it feels like more time with this amp would only offer up more and more enjoyment of it.

CONCLUSION

Across a broad spectrum of genres and formats the ECI 6DX MKII really serves up a very enjoyable listen. It drives hard and low when you need it too, with a strong warm and rich bass response but doesn’t sacrifice much at all further up the scale, with smooth, separated and open mid’s as well as good detail in the top sections, without being at all overly bright or jarring. Imaging is superb overall especially with recordings that offer it up well. At times the overall impression can be more fluid than clinical, a sheen more than a microscope on sound but that is no detractor as it’s very hard not to just sit back and get lost in music listening to the 6DX MKII. Speaker matching may well be warranted to ensure you really hit the mark for personal tastes, but that fullness in the bass, natural timbre and natural liveliness just pulls you in.  Combining the construction, aesthetics, functionality and sheer sonic competency, Electrocompaniet have produced for me a very powerful package and a well-functioning amplifier/streamer that simply deserves to be listened to at a very reasonable price point. Their aim for a rewarding listening experience has been achieved, and then some.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Solid, well thought, super range of inputs and pre-out including balanced, with stand-out aesthetics, a 22KG box of refined capability.

Sound Quality: Wonderful, rich and warm where you need it, strong across the board, detailed yet silky, seekers of clinical reproduction may want to consider careful speaker matching to cool the sound and open the mid’s and highs further but superbly enjoyable for hours on end.

Value For Money: Certainly this isn’t a budget offering for many, but Electrocompaniet have the pedigree to justify this price point and the wealth of inputs, high quality DAC/ streaming integration, build quality, power and of course sound quality for me do justify the investment. This is not a “buy now, upgrade later” solution, this is a long term keeper for me and many I would bet.

Pros: 

Integration of DAC/Digital streaming and amplifier, plethora of inputs (inc Pre and HT), build quality, rich enjoyable sound, the application offered for both iOS and Android.

Cons:

Overly busy remote.

Blue LED readout possibly not for everyone.

Price:  €5999 RRP, €4999 without the Streaming capabilities

Alan McIntosh

Review Equipment: Aries G1 Streaming Transporter, Modified SL1210Mk3D (Origin Live Zephyr arm, Timestep HeV PSU, Hana ML ) , Tascam 32 Reel-to-Reel, Arcam CDS27 CD/SACD, Amphion Argon 3s Loudspeakers, WyWires Blue speaker cables and Analogue RCA. Van Den Hull 3T – The Mountain balanced XLR, Chord Shawline Coax/SPDIF. Titan Audio power distribution. Music service used was Qobuz Studio on iPhone11.

Specifications:

• WxHxD : 470mm/19” x 128mm/5.3” x 430mm/16.5”
• Weight 20.5KG
• Input impedance: (Balanced input) 47Kohm
• Noise floor – ( 1Vrms, 20 – 20 kHz, balanced) -135 dB
• THD + N: (1Vrms, 20 – 20 kHz, balanced) <0.003%
• Gain: (Balanced) 0 dB
• Output power:
• into 8 Ohm: 2x125W
• into 4 Ohm: 2x200W
• into 2 Ohm: 2x370W
• Frequency response: 1 – 150 kHz
• Channel separation: > 120 dB
• THD (20 – 20 kHz): < 0.004%
• Damping factor: 8 ohm load >350

The Novafidelity X45 boasts a host of features and costs £2099 and is distributed in the UK by SCV. In this review, Stuart Smith takes a look at this massively specified unit.

I’ve been a long-term user of one of the older Novafidelity units having only very recently parted with it. The truth of the matter with regards the user interface was that I found it a little clunky, though it worked fine – so when Matt at SCV (the UK distributor) asked if I’d like to try one of the latest models I naturally jumped at the opportunity, particularly as the newer models are Roon ready – the only reason I parted with my old unit.

CONSTRUCTION AND FEATURES

The X45 is available in silver and black (the review sample was silver) and came in a well designed and sturdy box with the unit itself, a large remote control from which you can control all the functions and setup gubbins from, though I actually found set up easier using the knobs and buttons on the front panel of the unit.

The front panel is well layout out with a large screen that I could just about read from about 4 metres away.

To the left, you have the volume/mute knob and underneath this, you have a power/standby button, a quarter-inch headphone socket, a USB “host” input for adding an external hard drive (there are two more round the back too), a mini-jack input and the remote control receiver window.

There’s a slot-loading CD drive above this which worked very well.

To the right of the screen is another knob and set of buttons that allow you to scroll through the setup and functions of the X45.

Round the back is where things get really interesting and it could never be said that Novafidelity has skimped on functionality. You have three digital outs (Aes, Toslink and Coaxial) so, should you feel the need you can connect to an external DAC. There is also a HDMI output and a USB Audio out.

There’s an analogue out section to connect to a preamplifier or power amplifier, for the latter you would use the onboard volume control, and you get both XLR and RCA outputs.

You get an input for USB, coaxial, and XLR so that you can use the X45’s onboard DAC and attach a computer or streamer, though given the simple functionality of the unit’s streamer I don’t know why you would want to do this, but it’s there for those that want it.

You get an antenna included (the copper wire type) for DAB and FM radio and then you have an analogue input should you want to add an external source such as a reel to reel or extra CD player.

For vynilistas there’s an onboard phonostage that is moving magnet only.

Finally around the back is the bay for the hard drive itself with the options of 2.5” SATA up to 2TB, 3.5” SATA up to 8TB, and 2.5” SSD up to 2TB with the promise that bigger capacity hard drives will be supported in the future with relevant firmware updates. On the firmware front you can set the unit to update to the latest version automatically or do it yourself.

Supported file types are extensive and include: MQA, PCM 384KHz/32 Bit, DSD up to 256, DXD 24Bit/352.8KHz, HD WAV (24Bit/192KHz), HD FLAC (24Bit/192KHz), APE/CUE, WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, AIF, AAC, MP4, WMA, CAF, Ogg, Vorbis, PCM, M3U, PLS…etc and so you can throw pretty much any file format you want at this and it will play nicely.

UPnP (DNLA) is supported so you can control the X45 from your smartphone and the X45 also supports the online music services Tidal, Tidal MQA, Deezer, Qobuz, Napster and Spotify Connect.

If all that wasn’t enough you have a clock, alarm, a function to display lyrics, autoplay, photo slideshow and a CD burning function. You can also obviously play internet radio and record from that should you wish.

I genuinely cannot think of anything that Novafidelity have missed out here and with the perfectly serviceable phonostage, analogue and digital inputs I can well see a lot of people using the X45 as the main hub of their system. Really, I don’t think they have missed anything out.

Oh, the user manual is pretty exhaustive, well written and easy to follow.

RIPPING CDS

One of the key features of the X45 and other Novafidelity units is obviously the ability to rip your CDs to the hard drive on the unit. All is pretty simple and explained comprehensively in the user manual. Insert CD, click menu, click “ripping all” from the menu, select what format you’d like to rip to (I chose FLAC) and click OK. The X45 does the rest and rips at about 6 times meaning that Jorma Kaukonen’s Quah took five or six minutes to rip. Easy, logical and straightforward. Album art all sorted along with metadata too thanks to the inclusion of FreeDB – actually it was preloaded on this device.

STREAMING SERVICES AND ROON

Again a simple case of setting stuff up on the X45 which took a couple of minutes. For Qobuz I enabled it in the menu, popped in my username and password and it was all there. With Roon I made the stupid mistake of not setting the X45 as an audio device and so was frustrated that the Roon app wasn’t seeing the X45. Simply adding it in the app and selecting it as the player was again a minutes job and now having Roon/Qobuz I was a very happy bunny as this is my preferred way of accessing new music now.

PLAYING

So playing tracks ripped to the X45 is as simple as can be. Go to the Browse function in the menu, select the album you want and Robert is your Mother’s Brother. Likewise playing tunes on the NAS, and although I expected having to input the name and password of our network, the X45 recognised it immediately and I was off.

Of course, most people will want to control the files being played from their NAS via a suitable player and I found that the JUP&P player worked fine. Add the network on the X45, open the player on your smartphone, set the X45 as your player and set your NAS as the media library. Again a doddle, even for this tech-phobic dullard. However, Novafidelity has introduced the NOVATRON controller for IOS and Android which is the option most will use. It’s good looking and intuitive.

SOUND QUALITY

For the purposes of this review, I wanted to use the onboard DAC as I think that is what most people will be happy to do and adding an external DAC really only gives you a flavour of that DAC’s sonic signature. It seems pointless to me for someone to buy a product with so much functionality as the X45 and then whack it through an extra DAC with all the expense that that incurs. Considering the price of the X45 and the amazing array of functionality the onboard DAC is perfectly usable and gives a very good rendition of whatever you throw at it. I’ve just popped over to the SCV site to check the price on this and it’s £2099 – I had expected it to me much more. Comparing it to our Leema Libra DAC at around £6500 I’d say the Leema has the edge in digging the most out of recordings, particularly in the higher frequencies, but to moan about the X45’s onboard DAC would be churlish, I feel. Tunes bounce along very nicely and there is good involvement in the music itself. The DAC used is the Dual ESS ES9018K2M Sabre³² Reference DAC chips allied to a Dual Core ARM Cortex A9 processor running at 1.0Ghz and 16 Core microcontroller with Advanced RISC Architecture. So now you know!

It is audio reviewer law that I now have to give you a list of some of the tunes I listened to and try to describe what I heard. Throughout I was using the analogue input to the Leema DAC feeding a Jean Higara Le Monstre Class A amplifier into Avantgarde Duo XD and AudioVector R3 Arete loudspeakers. Cables by Chord, Way, Tellurium Q and Atlas. Throughout the review period, I used the X45 wired physically to the network but a USB 801.1b/g/n WIFI dongle is available to allow wireless functionality – I’d have like to have seen this included in the package, but sadly it is an optional extra and Nova Fidelity do stress you must use a dongle that is approved by them.

Playing Little Wing by Neil Young off the recently released Homegrown album and streamed from Qobuz on FLAC 96kHz 24 Bit was a really beautiful experience with the presentation through the X45 losing none of the fragility of Young’s. Little details like Young fading away at the end of some lines wasn’t lost and harmonica retained its rasp and bite. Playing the same track through the Auralic G1 and Leema DAC had the latter having the edge – no surprise there now I know the price of the X45 – but in the final analysis there is not a lot in it and the vast majority of people who want to enjoy their music without over-analysing every last detail and nuance will be very well provided for by the former.

Switching to a more electronic feel and the recently released Plastic Mermaids’ “Suddenly Everyone Explodes – The Remixes” draws me into the music and I’m particularly impressed with the way the soundstage feels. It’s expansive, and reach out and touch, with instruments in the mix being placed properly and staying placed – in small part down to the speakers, of course. Again, switching to the Auralic G1/Leema combo via USB (remember the X45 is going through the analogue input of the Leema and so a perfect way to A/B test) and the latter has the edge by a small margin but I don’t really think I’m missing very much at all with the X45.

I did of course play a whole lot more music and did the A/B thing every time and got the same result time and time again. The X45 is a solid performer, of that I have absolutely no doubt, with the Auralic/Leema combo having an edge in absolute terms of resolution and ability to present micro-detail (I hate that word) more realistically, but it’s closer than you might think!

Playback off CDs was, as far as I could tell, identical to similar streamed files, but higher resolution files did have the edge, and again I think it’s down to an improvement in the upper frequencies.

CONCLUSION

Before I went on the SCV site and saw the price I had assumed the price of the X45 would be in the region of £3500-£4000 and was very pleasantly surprised at it’s £2099 price tag given the masses of connectivity, functionality and sound quality. If you are looking at absolute fidelity then you may want to look elsewhere, but I’d suggest most will not care about this level of scrutiny and be very happy with the X45. I said earlier it would be daft to plug this into a much more expensive DAC but given its price, it does leave a good deal for experimentation with DACs if that is your bag. Personally, I’d be over the moon if the X45 landed on my doorstep – add a decent power amp, a turntable if you must and speakers and you’ll be well catered for with only a very reasonable outlay.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Well put together but isn’t going to win any prizes in the looks department.

Sound Quality: The onboard DAC is more than acceptable and should be all most people need. The phonostage (mm) again should satisfy most people.

Value For Money: Given the feature set of the X45 it’s difficult to criticise the offering at this price. I would have liked to have had a USB wireless dongle included n the package rather than being an optional extra.

Pros:

Incredibly versatile and with a massive feature set.

Easy setup and intuitive in use.

Onboard phonostage.

Roon Ready.

Great sounding unit in its own right but with the option to output to a higher specced DAC.

App for iOs and Android.

Cons:

Wireless dongle not included.

Some will want to use an external and better phonostage.

Price: £2099

Stuart Smith

Review Equipment: TEchnics 1210G, AudioVector R3 Arete and Avantgarde DUO XD speakers, Jean Hiraga Le Monstre power amp. Cables by Tellurium Q, Chord and Atlas.

Main Features

The post Novafidelity X45 Ripper and Streamer first appeared on Hifi Pig.

Briscati Design is a brand more associated with the pro-audio market, but that could all set to change given Dan Worths enthusiastic review of their £5399 M3 DAC, with options to add a network player and headphone amp.

As with the rest of Bricasti’s M Series of electronics, the M3 is fully differential and derives its technology from the flagship M21 D/A Converter. The M3 is available in a few different forms. As a standalone DAC format with the option of some additional extras – an on-board network player/renderer, a fully balanced headphone amplifier and an optional remote control. I’d strongly suggest envisaging what you may want from the M3 in the long term, as retrofitting any further options would incur additional charges and shipping fees, a new front or rear panel would need installing also as the M3 in its standard form doesn’t have blanked cutouts to its casework, which I like as it keeps the unit’s fascia looking clean and smart. The version of the M3 I have for review here is the “full fat” version including all of the above options.

The M3 boasts an analogue volume control too, excellent for headphone attenuation or an active speaker setup, and of course for those who wish to drive power amps directly through either its fully balanced XLR or single-ended RCA outputs.

The M3 has the same conversion as the long-standing yet updated M1, as well as native DSD conversion technology which can be found in the M21. The M3’s input selection comprises of USB, AES/EBU (XLR), and Coaxial RCA along with Optical SPDIF. The Network Player version will have an additional Ethernet socket on the rear.

The overall unit itself is really quite heavy for the size, being around 3/4 the width of a full-size unit. Its weight comes from two chunky power supplies used to run digital and analogue circuits independently, along with the substantially constructed chassis of the M3, which is beautifully machined, with custom made feet – the M1 and above do have an option for integrated custom made Stillpoint feet, which I would have liked to have as an option on the M3 but nevertheless, the enclosure is very well made with great lines. The front screen has the ability to cycle through all it’s menu options using the designated buttons and volume knob as a scroll wheel, all selections can also be made via the optional remote control. The screen can be dimmed or turned off completely, which for many is a must due to placement and is often overlooked by many manufacturers surprisingly. A simple touch of a button will illuminate it again while selections are being made.

Connecting The M3

The SPDIF connections on the M3, when used directly, have some differences, this, however, is mainly when using optical as the source. Like every other DAC I have used, optical just isn’t as accomplished a connection sonically when other options are available to the user for a main source component and things are no different with the M3, even with a good quality glass fibre cable.

I have been using for some time now with all my DAC and streamer combinations the Audiobyte Hydra SPDIF converter. It has always been a step up in performance when using the USB output of any streamer, offering re-clocking and separation of the USB +5v power line in favour of a strong linear power supply.

Hooking up each of the SPDIF options, which I can do consecutively from the clock/converter to compare, optical does sound flatter, less spacious and doesn’t have as vivid a tonal palette. However hooking up either my OLED TV or NVidia Shield offers great sound quality and in comparison to my other range of DACs, such as the Benchmark DAC3, B.M.C. UltraDac or Mytek Brooklyn for instance gives an undeniable step forward in sound quality with notably more substance, control, clarity and detail.

Each of the RCA and XLR digital inputs, however, sound fantastic and incredibly similar to each other, to the point that unless listening so critically, for so long and late in the evening when there’s silence all around, you aren’t going to notice the fractional difference in background silence between the two connections, especially with anything less than a highly transparent system.

Using USB direct from the streamer is also not as good as using the external clock/converter, which when in the chain and using either AES or RCA coax, gives a far more spacious, vibrant and tonally rich sound that has a greater 3D image and more abundance of micro details and micro dynamics. I have a good range of high-end USB cables, with the absolute best being the Gobel Lacorde Statement but the pitfalls of USB still remain and once the noisier power from the source is removed via the Hydra, things rapidly clean up and become more natural.

As the M3 offers a better sound when being fed this way it safe to say that its own abilities aren’t questionable and the correlation between the comparisons made between connection types reflect my historical findings with any other D/A Converter. The USB direct option comparative to the USB to Hydra and SPDIF out preferred method would hint at two scenarios. One that the USB chipset of the Hydra is better than the one within the M3, or two and most sensibly that the replacement of the streamers clock with the introduction of the Hydra in the signal path is giving a superior clocked signal to the M3, along with the use of a Paul Hynes top of the range SR7 Linear Power Supply replacing the +5v feed from the streamer is indeed removing a lot more streamer expelled noise into the circuit. Although only being able to use a SPDIF connection in this instance limited to 192khz isn’t ideal (I2s over HDMI on the M3 would have been much preferable and a connection type I also could accommodate to use higher bit rates and DSD). Consequently, I find the sound far more tactile, detail rich and engaging using this combination of connections and will be my choice to proceed with this review.

The Sound

After a couple weeks of constant run in time with a huge playlist on repeat, with just the DAC and streamer running with some intermittent listening, I felt that 350 hours or thereabouts was offering a consistent sound. I will add, however, that out of the box the M3 sounded pretty incredible pulling me away from the B.M.C. UltraDAC which was in situ as the main DAC since the review I conducted of it a few months ago.

The biggest difference initially heard whilst critically listening to these two DACs side by side was a more heavily fleshed out and richer top end, more three-dimensionality within the image set and an overall more mature tonal palette. The M3 has a purity of tone that is really quite remarkable, closer to that of a good valve based piece of equipment, but clearly still solid state. It doesn’t have the warmer character of a valve unit but it gives that conciseness of a note, with liquidity and naturalness.

For instance, listening to an acoustic guitar solo will give a concise leading-edge immediacy that fleshes out with exemplary timbre as the note reverberates and hangs and then naturally and most of all convincingly decays. Spatial awareness also plays a big part in enjoying an acoustic guitar and the Bricasti sound allows for each of these decays to remain audible as the next note overlays the previous, giving far better realism.

Although I fear as we go along my opinions on the DAC may become a little repetitive, I will state quite categorically now that each genre and even each piece of music I have been listening to has its own characteristics and sounds utterly different – the M3 has the ability to allow each piece of material to sound truer to its recording than any of the previous DACs I have owned or had in my system and to characterise its sonic signature as imposing a similarity over each piece of music would just be erroneous. Although the M3 will lend its sonic attributes to each type of music it will never enforce an agenda on proceedings.

As I type “ We Built This City” by Starship has started playing – I was drawn to the bass line presented by the M3, that gives a very resolute and controlled rhythm, which underpins this DAC’s incredibly transparent midrange, and through the all-ceramic drivers of my Ayons is just so full of clarity, bags of informative detail and is very engaging. The top-end is just so polished and analogue-like which offers tremendous balance, is airy and wonderfully spacious, giving a  perceivably larger and arguably taller soundstage than the B.M.C. I have been using, the Lindemann, or any of the studio-based DACs I have. The most noticeable attribute within the top-end sounding so solid and articulate is the richness of its captivating tonal balance. This accomplishment isn’t one-sided by any means, micro-details are clearer to hear and the micro-dynamics of these smaller details each have their own fullness of tone rather than simply being grouped and packaged with a linear signature designated by a preconfigured voicing strategy, rather than when you listen to a romantic and rounded vintage valve amplifier sound, where everything sounds warm and rosy.

Midrange is better explored and explained for me with the M3 too. Emily Sandé’s live and acoustic version of “Suitcase” shows off her beautiful vocal very well. The guitarist which accompanies her can be heard and realistically imagined to be sitting a couple feet to the left of her and fractionally behind her on the stage, whereas the tambourine can be clearly designated as a little further out to the right and a few feet further back than the guitarist. More than often when listening to this track everything sounds flatter and more as a grouped event within the midrange, whereas now the greater individuality of the instruments and singer are more clearly defined and the additional space plays its roll in adding to the realism and beauty of the track as it contains far more believable instrument decays and has the acoustic interactions and reference points giving more sense of the venues setting.

Newton Faulkner’s cover of Maroon 5’s “Payphone” from the Live in London album has Newton’s vocal nice and tall at the forefront and the guitar is clearly heard to be played by himself and realistically positioned on his body, there’s a wonderful feel to the acoustics of the venue again here and crowd applause comes from a lower point in the soundstage and closer to me – almost like I’m sat listening to the performance just a handful of rows back from the stage. The sensation I get is almost like I’m floating above their heads with the applause and interactions seemingly rising out of my floor space in-between myself and the speakers, with me being more level with the artist on a raised stage. Whether this is correct in resembling the reality of the live performance I’m not sure as I’ve never booked a floating seat previously! It does, however, feel true to the recording at least. Newton’s vocal is once again strong, natural and expressive with notes and acoustic space being completely convincing.

I also like to have a listen to a bit of Boris Blank and Yello from time to time, especially when demoing equipment. The attributes the music presents for me are mainly to ascertain resolution, leading-edge control, overall dynamic presence and tonal balance across multiple layers. The M3 is a very dynamic and very resolute part of the overall source compliment with my streamer, the xo|one which I love for being the first streamer I ever heard which sounds truly analogue.

As mentioned previously, the M3 does a sterling job in giving each note its own transient response rather than being grouped into a bracket of dynamic boundaries, creating bottlenecks in expressiveness. Leading edges are tight and crisp and notes can stop on a dime, but don’t let that comment give you a false sense of belief that everything sounds overly fast and accurate because it simply doesn’t – ynthesised top-end notes will if that’s the way they were intended. Other notes which have more longevity to them have their own playful area in the soundstage to explore and behave as necessary. The M3 does this trick so tactfully that unless I knew better I’d swear the system was dual mono with multiple independent power supplies, rather than separate supplies only for digital and analogue – I’m starting to fantasise about the M3’s older siblings now and, although I haven’t had a chance to hear each of them, the mind does speculate about what they must offer.

After a couple albums by Boris Blank and feeling as though I was inside an almost surround sound like environment whilst listening I played a number of tracks from Bliss. These guys do the feeling of being encapsulated with sound very well and with my listening position being more near-field, it’s something I love and always try my best to obtain when setting up any system. I love the scale a large speaker system can give being situated at the end of a room, especially when recreating live performances, but my personal leaning is being more inside the “musical bubble” for want of a better phrase, which is why I like good depth to my music to balance this out.

Bliss offered exactly what I was learning to expect from the M3 – imagine being seated with your eyes closed in an unfamiliar room, not knowing its dimensions or how close you have been seated to the speakers. The sound you hear sounds close as a track begins, it’s wide and full of out of phase notes that sweep around the peripherals of your hearing. A drumbeat begins centre stage and notes begin to wash from left to right behind this while curving toward the peripherals, which are dancing with different transients at varying heights, and then the main focus is cast to the filling of varying instrument notes within the now developing centre stage in multiple layers. A bass drum starts rolling outwards on a wide-angle low down from the centre and tiny pings and sounds like swarms of fireflies start dancing all around the front of the soundstage.

What the M3 offers is a fatigue-free sensory overload…almost; with this type of music the brain fires on all cylinders, like eating cuisine full of many complex, delicate and perfectly balanced flavours. Exploring all of the small nuances and finely finessed details it takes a bit of time to adjust and begin directing everything, but once acquainted with the new information provided the experience is just so much more satisfying. You could also compare it to a more complexly flavoured wine, if that’s what you enjoy.

If you were required to draw what you heard it would have to be within a 3D CAD program on a computer as no piece of paper would suffice, it’s an exciting thing to witness that can only be compared to a virtual reality type experience, with the ability to walk through the sound as you would the virtual world.

What I also find very endearing about the M3 is its capability to remain controlled when playing the likes of Def Leopard’s “Hysteria”. Being able to pull apart the busyness of some passages, allow for the break-up of electric guitar to not sound too harsh or overbearing, and still have the ability to represent a vocal with such tonal accuracy is a testament to the Bricasti design team.

Much the same goes for classical music. During large crescendos, whereas some equipment will make the excuse that too many cooks spoil the broth, the Bricasti has an audible time and space for each instrument and offers fantastic timing which in turn shows up excellent transient individuality of each instrument. The beauty of classical music can be overwhelming and fatiguing at times when a system can’t pull it all apart and allow each musician and instrument the ability to be focused on whilst still remaining part of the overall performance. The M3 makes great efforts to achieve this and does a wonderful job. Another point of mention related to this genre is how the M3 deals with piano, the absolute accuracy of recreating a piano is something that is almost unobtainable from any Hifi system – very expensive and well put together systems can get close, but it’s one of the most difficult instruments to recreate faithfully in my opinion. Now, of course, I’m not saying the modest M3 does, but it does a better job of recreating the tonality and decay of a piano in my system than any other DAC or source I have heard and for that I applaud it.

One Box Solution?

As a stand-alone unit, the M3 is a masterclass all of its own. A single unit on a desk with a set of active speakers and a pair of headphones, with a NAS located somewhere in the home or office is actually all that one would need to enjoy the beauty of the Bricasti sound – so I did, I set it up just like that!

I have a pair of Focal CMS50 actives which I hooked up to the M3 with a pair of XLR cables and unlike the B.M.C which gave me the same option previously, I was able to stream music directly from my QNAP NAS across the network. Using the Astell and Kern App.

Note: in my tests I found music streamed from either a Mac or PC to sound quite a bit better than a direct USB connection.

I have heard these Focals with a huge range of DACs and have had many smaller setups with the Focals, and although those setups have changed dramatically over time the Focals have always remained. Although the Bricasti would undoubtedly deserve a higher-priced performer, I love them for their accuracy and honesty, allowing attached electronics to show their true character.

The M3 made the Focals sound at their best to date and by quite a margin. The M3’s purity of tone simply has to be heard to be appreciated and the experience right here right now has surpassed what I believed the capabilities of the CMS50s to be. I championed them hugely in the B.M.C review (and rightly so) but this is on another level. Treble is fleshed out more analogue-like and is more lucid, midrange expression and tone is more realistic and palpable, and basslines are as dynamic as in the main system showing consistency in the M3 – proving to my mind that the M3 is the mastermind behind the new performance in each of these systems.

Listening to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls explored the further weight I had in this setup now, – it usually takes a fairly well put together system to express the detail in the bass within this track, along with the control over the chorus, where things can get a bit splashy at higher volumes. Whereas Bliss’ “Wish You Were Here” album sounded as detailed as it should, conveying a remarkably large soundstage, fine delicacies and fantastic spatial awareness.

The other option available for anybody wanting to purchase an M3 is a fully balanced headphone amplifier and, as part of a standalone one-box solution, a very viable option that will give an additional layer of flexibility. Remember to factor in the price of the remote too as it’s really quite expensive and would be a very useful option for headphone listening.

I have a pair of Meze Empyrean headphones and have the 4 pin balanced XLR cable option, so naturally, I wanted to pair the two together. The Empyreans are an incredibly special set of headphones and although I find them to be one of, if not the best headphones I’ve heard, preferring them over many of the other high-end offerings. The M3’s headphone amplifier is not just an afterthought and it is actually very capable and drives the Empyreans incredibly well. The sound I received has the full heart of the M3’s DAC. As with all previous testing done M3, tonality and timbre are firstly and foremost the special ingredients with realistic tempo, timing and background silence come a very close second. The amp is quiet but I have heard more eerie silences and more lucid tones from some very high-end headphone amplifiers, but I have to take my hat off to Bricasti when I say that the addition of a headphone amplifier is great and for that headphone amplifier to be as good as it is, well, I’d feel like I was getting good value, and with a reasonably priced set of headphones I believe I would be 100% satisfied with the performance.

So, to level the playing field a little more and as I was able to add a reasonable amount of reality to the comments made above I did. I introduced my long-standing and much loved Audio Technica 2000X’s to the M3. These headphones were around £2000 less in price than the Empyreans at £750 and have been the longest-lasting pair of cans I have ever owned. The Audio Technicas sit on the edge of being too much and a bad recording can really be highlighted with them, but when fed good recordings and on the end of something well-voiced I just love what they do. The M3’s DAC/Amp combination must have given them a good talking to, put them firmly in their place, explained the boundaries, and warned them should they overstepped the mark because what I gained from their top-end especially was the most analogue-like, controlled, and expressive performance I have had from these headphones. I gained additional bandwidth but with less hardness/harshness There was more space and air in the upper and middle frequencies and the signature Bricasti clarity that polished the midrange. Being able to do all of this while stacking the layers in the way it did was marvellous! Yes, the Meze Empyreans are superior headphones, and yes they do things that the Audio Technicas can’t, but for a reasonably priced pair of headphones with a reasonably priced headphone amp which lives inside the DAC ( without the need for a separate box and cabling), I was very impressed with the level of performance. 

Conclusion

Being a pro-audio company, Bricasti has stepped firmly into the home audio sector, and although I own, have owned/heard a lot of DACs from most of the big names in this category I find the Bricasti sound to be the superior option – at least for me.

Attempting to convey my experience with the M3 when I have so clearly championed and given great reports to many other DACs can at times be awkward? At the time of writing each review I will if warranted state that a particular DAC is my new favourite, or express that one offers a range of characteristics which are better than the previous champion. There are also considerations such as price against performance, features and pure enjoyment to factor in.

It’s all very subjective and similar in scenario to the average enthusiast – do you often have a scenario where a friend or family member mocks you by saying “You said the last one was the best one!” and laugh a little? This also happens to me – your not alone! The reply to this is always the same for us all “Yes, it was at the time”  and it’s very much the same scenario with reviewing, although sometimes the goalposts can shift far quicker – needless to say, the M3 at this present point in time is my personal favourite DAC to date and by a good margin. I’ve personally heard maybe two DACs that would compete sound-wise with the M3  (though I obviously haven’t heard them all) but for me, for sound quality, build quality, options, features and usability, the Bricasti M3 ticks all the boxes.

To sum up the sonic signature of the Bricasti M3, I’d say it has an extremely wide bandwidth and high resolution. It has an analogue quality and a purity of tone which I have not previously heard in a transistor-based DAC – the other competitors I mentioned that would rival its sound are all valve and far more expensive and within its price range I’d struggle to find anything to better the M3. The Briscati is incredibly expressive dynamically, has detail in spades and is so spatial that the realism of performances keeps surprising me still now. The M3 doesn’t just create great music, it creates experiences and has shown me, that even now, after all this time, there’s more to be had from my system.

If you don’t require the network player, headphone or remote options the M3 is a ridiculous performer for its price and I look forward to hearing what in the future can compete with it – it’s going to be an interesting time for the M3 going forward as it will not be being returned!

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Beautifully finished in a substantial chassis with anti-vibrational qualities and looks good to boot.

Sound Quality: stunning, analogue, just so natural and tonally accurate. Incredible resolution and dynamics. Mixes finesse with robust details and times superbly.

Value For Money: The standalone DAC is fantastic value for money and the options represent great value. The remote is far too expensive, however.

Pros:

Great range of options

Huge system flexibility

Signature pure tonality

Wide resolution bandwidth and transient response

Cons:

Remote control is very expensive

Pricing:

DAC: £5,399

Network Player: £1119

Headphone option: £529

Remote Control: £529

Dan Worth

Technical Specifications
Digital Inputs
Connectors: XLR: AES/EBU 24 bit Single Wire
RCA & BNC: SPDIF
Optical: Toslink 44.1- 96k
USB: USB 2
RJ45: Ethernet
Sample Rates AES, SPDIF: 44.1 kHz, to, 192khz , DSD 64fs as DoP
Sample Rates USB: 44.1 kHz, to, 384kHz, DSD 64fs, 128Fs, 256fs Native
Sample Rates Ethernet: 44.1 kHz, to, 384kHz, DSD 64fs,128Fs
Jitter: 8 psec @ 48k / 6psec @ 96k
Balanced Analog Outputs
Connectors: XLR balanced (pin 2 hot)
Impedance: 40 ohm
Output: @ 0 db front panel +14.3 dbm 4V RMS ( bypass mode)
D/A Conversion:

PCM 24 bit delta sigma 8x oversampling
NDSD pure 1 bit conversion for DSD
Frequency Response @44.1k: 10 hz- 20 kHz +0dB, -.2 dB
Dynamic Range: >120dB A-Weighted
THD+N @ 1k: .0008% @ 0dBfs / .0004% @-30dbfs
Unbalanced Analogue Outputs
Connectors: RCA
Impedance: 40 ohm
Output level: @ 0 db front panel = +4db 2V rms
Frequency Response @ 44.1k: 10 hz- 20 kHz -.2 dB
Dynamic Range: >120dB A-Weighted
THD+N @ 1k: .0008% @ 0dbfs / .0004% @-30dbfs

The post Bricasti Design M3 DAC  first appeared on Hifi Pig.

John Scott wonders if the new version of Stack Audio’s £725 network streamer with optional £400 power supply is the missing link he has been searching for.

Okay, I’m going to come clean here:  I have a bit of a problem with audio streamers. Not with using them, I’ve used my fair share and I actively enjoy doing so; my problem is more of a philosophical one.

People who read HiFi reviews expect HiFi reviewers to tell them how the piece of equipment being reviewed sounds. That’s fine; that’s our job.  The problem is that my brain tells me that a streamer shouldn’t really have a sound.  A streamer has two jobs to do: it has to interface with whatever control device is being used to choose the music and then it has to move the signal containing the digital representation of that music from wherever it is being stored to a connected digital to analogue converter (DAC).  On the face of it, my brain says, neither of these jobs should be particularly difficult and neither should affect the “sound” of the digital signal.  During the time I spent with the Stack Audio Link II, I began to suspect that my brain didn’t know what it was talking about.

Theo Stack of Stack Audio would certainly disagree with the notion that a streamer has an easy job to do. Working with respected audio engineer John Westlake who has designed products for Pink Triangle, Cambridge Audio, Quad, and Peachtree amongst others, Theo had a very clear aim for the Link II to achieve: the removal of noise from the digital signal. I asked Theo what changes he had made to the original version of his Link streamer. Theo told me that the Link II has an improved clock circuit with 50% lower noise than the previous version.  Additionally, Theo said that feedback from users has indicated that many people were using the Link as an endpoint rather than a server. The new operating system optimises the Link II as an endpoint for those who wish to use it this way, minimising the workload on the processor and improving performance.

Computer audio is still an evolving technology; some people store audio files on a PC or laptop, others on a NAS (Network-Attached Storage) drive, or external hard drive. However you store your files, they are going to pass through circuitry that will inject an element of digital disruption or “noise” into the signal. It is well accepted that this noise adversely affects the signal, creating difficulties when it is processed by a DAC. With this in mind, the Link incorporates a “signal detox” system, along with other refinements, to actively reduce noise from the signal when it is passed on to the DAC. 

Build Quality and Set-Up 

The Link is machined from solid aluminium which gives it a reassuring solidity that belies its size. It is available in either a black anodised or silver finish. The unit supplied to me was silver and my preference is usually for black but I have to say that I found the silver finish very attractive. The quality of the machining is exceptional, the buttons on the front panel feel substantial but operate smoothly. A front-facing USB port is covered by a solid piece of aluminium which is easily removable when access to the port is required but which otherwise stays solidly in place. The Link is pleasing to look at and tactile to hold and this really helps to convey a sense of quality that you would expect at this price point.

Most streamers boast a host of outputs on their back panel, providing a choice of whether to connect your DAC via AES/EBU, S/PDIF, USB, or Toslink. The Link provides USB output only. While this might seem unusual, the thinking here is to keep things simple when it comes to the signal path.

The Link was supplied with an 18v DC wall-wart power supply.  A linear power supply is also available at additional cost. Partway through the review period, Theo sent me an early version of one of these to try, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Keeping outputs to the minimum means that the rear panel is uncluttered and well laid out. The D.C. input sits beside a USB power switch, which is not something I had seen on a streamer before. What it means though is that if your DAC is self-powered and therefore does not rely on power from the streamer then only the digital audio signal will pass through the USB cable so another potential source of interference is removed. Next up on the rear panel are a USB out port for connection to your DAC and a USB in port for connection to USB storage such as a hard drive or memory stick, an Ethernet port for wired network connection, an HDMI port for connection to a monitor, a USB type B “detox” port and a Wi-fi antenna.

Set up of the Link was fairly straightforward. I connected to my network via a wired Ethernet connection connected my DAC via the USB output then powered up the unit using the standby button on the front. The streamer uses either a bespoke version of the Volumio operating system, enabling it to be used as a server, or Stack Audio’s own proprietary OS which will allow it to be used as an endpoint in conjunction with other server software such as Roon, Audirvana or Squeezelite.

Having used Volumio before, and as the Link II had been supplied with Volumio installed I opted to start with that. I already had the Volumio app on my iPad so I fired that up then used a network discovery app, Fing, to find the Link’s IP address. Once I had entered this into Volumio it only remained for me to input the file path of my NAS and I was good to go. If you don’t use a NAS, Volumio will also recognise a USB storage device, library file path on a PC, or online streaming from Tidal or Qobuz.

While Volumio offers a perfectly adequate and enjoyable streaming experience, as a Roon user I knew that it wouldn’t be any more than a couple of days before I’d be back to Roon as my default interface. This presented me with two options: I could click the Roon “enable” switch in Volumio which then enables the Link II as an (almost) fully-fledged Roon endpoint. I say almost as I found that in this configuration the Link II did not support native replay of DSD files, instead, Roon converted them to PCM before sending them on to the Link II. I guess if you have a large number of DSD files and really want to stream them natively, this might be an issue but in reality, I didn’t feel that sound quality was compromised at all.

As I’ve already mentioned, Stack Audio supply an alternative operating system that supports a range of streaming protocols including Roon, Audirvana and Squeezelite. The OS can be downloaded from the Stack Audio and quite easily installed on the Link II’S internal memory. Once installed it is a simple matter to configure the OS for your choice of streaming protocol. Obviously, I chose Roon and was pleased to see that native DSD streaming was now possible.

If the last couple of paragraphs have sounded a bit complicated, that’s only because Link II offers a degree of flexibility and customisation that I haven’t encountered in other streamers. It really just boils down to this: If you want a simple plug and play experience, stick with Volumio as your streaming interface but if you want to maximise Link II’s performance with another streaming protocol, use the Stack Audio OS.

Sound Quality

Time to get down to some music listening. The first DAC I paired to the Link was my NextDrive Spectra DAC. The Spectra is a small device, primarily designed for portable use with headphones. Over the last few years, however, it has crept its way into my main HiFi set up with some regularity as I just love the way it sounds. With the Spectra coupled up to the Link I popped on a power-pop playlist I’d recently put together.  As I’ll Do It Anyway by The Lemonheads galloped into the room, It didn’t take too long at all before my ears pricked up. I wasn’t hearing what you’d call a transformative change to the Spectra’s sound; I wasn’t quite stopped dead in my tracks, but I was definitely drawn further into the music.  Next up, Sparky’s Dream by Teenage Fanclub then Red Dragon Tattoo by Fountains Of Wayne. Toes tapping and smiling, bouncing in my seat like a long-life battery-operated bunny, I decided it was time to pull out a few old favourites and do some serious listening.

As it turned out, I plumped for a new favourite rather than an old one: Nils Petter Molvær’s Khmer album streamed from Qobuz. This is a fascinating mix of acoustic jazz and electronics. Molvær’s trumpet switches from a whisper to a stream in a heartbeat. With the Link II in the system, it was easy to hear the trumpet as an extension of his body as his breath powers the instrument and gives it life.

A few weeks into the review period, Theo Stack contacted me to let me know that he had been working on a new upgraded power supply for the Link II.  He also told me that he had been having some success in combining the Link II with Audioquest’s Dragonfly Cobalt DAC. Would I be interested in trying them both out?  Well, of course, I would.

It’s well accepted that a high-quality power supply helps to deliver performance benefits and given Stack Audio’s commitment to removing noise, it is no surprise that they have developed an upgraded PSU. The company state that features includes a UK-made precision wound toroidal transformer, audio-grade capacitors, noise suppression filters on both the output and input signal, a precision machined, aluminium enclosure, and an elevated “advanced vibration dissipation” platform to eliminate vibration. At an additional £400 ( or £350 if bought at the same time as a Link II) it seems fairly priced for a power supply upgrade and I found that it definitely delivered performance benefits, most noticeably at lower volume levels where dynamics, sound staging, and musicality were retained despite the reduced “welly”. Don’t worry though if that additional chunk of change for the PSU is a step too far at the moment; it’s something to be aspired to in the future rather than a must-have – the standard power supply is perfectly capable and you can enjoy many happy hours with the Link II while you save up.

Having had good results in pairing the Link II with the Spectra DAC, I was really keen to try it out with the Dragonfly Cobalt as both DACs are designed with the same primary purpose – to be used as a portable device with headphones. I already knew that the Spectra was capable of tremendous performance when asked to step up and deliver in a “proper” HiFi set up but would the same be true of the Cobalt? This was also a chance to try what was, for me, a different kind of computer audio. I have always stored my audio files on a NAS drive then streaming via Ethernet or Wi-fi, and this was how I had used the Link II until now. The Link II has, however, been designed to maximise the performance of any digital source and so I borrowed a friend’s MacBook (thanks Michael) to see how that would work out. Firstly, I connected the MacBook’s headphone output directly to my Etalon SuprA amplifier and played Radiohead’s Paranoid Android. It sounded terrible; the music was completely flat and almost totally locked into my AudioGE Sincerus 80 floor standers. Next, I connected the Dragonfly Cobalt to the MacBook‘S USB port and then to my amp. This was a great improvement; the music came to life, delivering the emotion and staging that had been missing. It was still a step down though from what the combination of the Supra and the Link II had been delivering. So, would there be a difference with the Link II plugged into the MacBook and the Cobalt connected to the streamer’s USB output?

There was indeed a difference, and stunningly so. Clearly, the Link II’s “detox” circuitry was working its magic. What was it I’d said about a streamer not really having a sound? Think again, John. Now, the Dragonfly Cobalt is not an expensive DAC at around £260 but paired with the Link II, it was a combination that I could live with and I don’t mean in an “I guess that might do” sense; this was seriously good stuff. While I wouldn’t want to change my NAS drive for a MacBook, it was a real eye-opener to hear how much the Link II was improved with the laptop as a source.

Having satisfied myself that the Link II had allowed the Spectra and Cobalt DACs to reveal the full extent of their best qualities, it wasn’t very long at all before I began to wonder whether it would do the same with my reference VAD 10D DAC. Weighing in at around 13 kg, this is the opposite of a portable DAC and its price and performance similarly outweighs that of the Spectra and the Cobalt; I thought I had already experienced it at its best but might it too reveal hidden delights?

The short answer is: yes. In the same way that I’d found the Spectra DAC fundamentally more engaging rather than earth-shatteringly different, the VAD 10 was giving more of itself; its sound signature unchanged but its sense of musicality definitely enhanced.

Conclusion

Every now and again a product comes along that forces you to reassess the way that you think. The Stack Audio Link II is one of those. Despite having had a few different streamers in my system over the years, I’d dismissed the idea that they could have a significant effect on the sound of my system. The Link II and its “detox” design philosophy has forced me to think again. With its combination of solid build quality, good looks, and impressive performance, the Link II is not just highly recommended but is very highly recommended indeed.

At A Glance

Build Quality: The casing is machined from a solid aluminium billet and seamlessly put together, some heft and sense of purpose.

Sound Quality: The Link II revealed new aspects to every DAC I partnered it with, bringing new levels of musical enjoyment to each.

Value for Money: You can pay a lot more money for streamers that deliver a lot less.  The Link II is not the cheapest streamer you can buy but it’s an investment worth making.

Pros:

Supports a wide range of computer audio applications.

Fully Roon ready.

Elegant form factor combined with high-quality machining.

Choice of operating system to suit individual requirements.

Cons

USB only output might not suit everyone.

John Scott

Review Equipment

Etalon SuprA amplifier; Roon Nucleus+ server; Raspberry Pi and Logitech Squeezetouch endpoints; NextDrive Spectra, Audioquest Cobalt and VAD 10 DACs; Audio GE Sincerus 80 and Linn Keilidh loudspeakers, AFAudio and Audioquest interconnects; Black Rhodium speaker cable. 

Specification

Audio feature summary

• Power circuitry is synchronized to the USB audio clock
• Ethernet input is synchronized to the USB audio clock
• Multi-stage ultra-low noise linear regulated power circuit
• USB audio optimized output provides jitter free audio layback
• The advanced clock circuitry re-clocks any USB input

Mechanical feature summary

• Machined from a solid billet of aluminum
• Incorporates EMI absorbing material to remove internal EMI
• The mass of the case dissipates air-borne vibration
• Incorporates AVDC vibration trap

Communication protocols

• Ethernet
• USB
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth

Inputs

• 2 x USB inputs (Future use)
• 1 x USB B detox input
• Ethernet input
• 18v 1amp- 1.5amp DC input

Outputs

• 1 x dedicated USB audio output
• HDMI out

Streaming protocols

• Roon
• Audirvana
• Squeezelite
• UPnP/DLNA
• Airplay® (Shairport-Sync)
• Spotify® (Librespot)
• HQPlayer (coming soon)

Supported audio formats

• Lossless: DSF (DSD), DIFF (DSD), DoP (DSD) DoP and Native DSD up to DSD 256
• PCM Lossless: FLAC, Apple Lossless (ALAC), WAV, AIFF Compressed (lossy) Audio: MP3, AAC (in M4A container) MQA (only if DAC supports hardware unfolding) PCM up to 384 kHz /32 bits 

• Lossless: DSF (DSD), DIFF (DSD), DoP (DSD) DoP and Native DSD up to DSD 256
• PCM Lossless: FLAC, Apple Lossless (ALAC), WAV, AIFF Compressed (lossy) Audio: MP3, AAC (in M4A container) MQA (only if DAC supports hardware unfolding) PCM up to 384 kHz /32 bits

Finish : Available in anodised silver or black

Dimensions: 174mm(W), 140mm (D), 25mm (H), 1kg (without external power supply)

The post Stack Audio Link II Streamer first appeared on Hifi Pig.

Cabasse Pearl Akoya is a powered speaker with onboard streaming capability and costs £1499. Janine Elliot takes a listen for Hifi Pig.

I have always been amazed at the Cabasse La Sphère, not just its substantial size and price (£197,000) but also its exceptional sound, so I was quite excited to be sent a wifi/Bluetooth active speaker using trickle-down technology from that enormous “Sphere”. This tiny sphere, the Pearl Akoya, is the little sister to the Cabasse Pearl, and retails for £1499, whereas the larger Pearl at £2599. It is a streaming loudspeaker using Cabasse’s own StreamCONTROL app designed to be used on its own – as in this review – or as a stereo or multi-room setup.  Despite being infinitely smaller than the Sphère it should nevertheless be taken equally seriously, even to me, a rather sceptical follower of streaming speakers, admitting to only owning a once’ world’s smallest 4.1cm Bluetooth speaker. To compare the two would be wholly unfair, I know. Created and developed in Brittany, France, the Akoya is a 220mm diameter, 8kg sphere that is beautifully constructed and available in shiny black or white.

The musical history of Cabasse actually goes back considerably earlier than when its founder Georges Cabasse began the company in 1950. In 1740 in the Vosges Mountains of France was the creation of the very first Cabasse violin. Another 5 generations of luthiers continued this tradition building violins, violas and cellos, but in 1950 Georges decided to continue this pattern of music-making in a new form, that of loudspeakers for the HiFi market. Inspired to create perfection in sound reproduction Cabasse has developed coaxial driver technology, whereby several drivers can be placed in front of each other creating great savings in space. In October 2014 Cabasse was acquired by AwoX, a company specialising in streaming technologies, as are utilised in the Pearl and Pearl Akoya. The word Akoya is not only a type of pearl from Japan or China, but it also means ”powerful and complete”. Very appropriate.

Construction

From the very start I could see this was a well-constructed device, and almost as good as the mighty Sphère, with its polished casing in injected resin and fibre. Six layers of lacquer are applied to obtain the depth of finish, and the Akoya is available in metallic black with pure chromium rings, or pearl white with silver rings. All controls and sockets are to be found at the base of the rear. From left to right is the source status LED and reset button. For example, cyan is wifi, ethernet and streaming, green is Spotify Connect, yellow is optical, and Blue (unsurprisingly) is Bluetooth. Next are the SPDif optical and LAN sockets. After the central IEC mains socket is the on-off button followed by a microUSB socket to be used with an external source such as a DAP, and 3.5mm analogue input. In the larger Pearl these last two are USB and RCA pair respectively. Finally, there is the network pairing indicator and pairing button. Utilising the Cabasse StreamCONTROL app on your phone or tablet the Akoya can be controlled from your device. It not only controls sources, what speaker you want to hear in a multiple set up, but also allows you to EQ the speaker if you so desire. As well as you being able to select bright, HiFi, low, very low, or extremely low tone, it can also set the speaker to best match the acoustics of your room; the app automatically calibrates the Akoya using its own built-in mic and by using sliding frequencies.  It also allows you to play internet radio or online streaming services such as Qobuz, Deezer, Spotify, Napster, and Tidal. The Akoya plays MP3, AAC, WMA, plus higher definition files such as AIFF, FLAC and ALAC, (192khz/24bit) and it processes digital signals with up to 32 bits and 768khz.

The unit is surprisingly stable sat on a levelled surface despite the almost spherical shape, and uses Cabasse’s tri-coaxial design of 13cm coaxial BCI midrange and neodymium tweeter at the front and a 17cm carbon HELD (High Excursion, Low Distortion) subwoofer at the rear. With a total amplification of 1050W (300W for mid, 300W high, 450W bass), Cabasse claims that it can actually sound as loud as a concert orchestra in your living room. Quite some claim and something I will talk about during listening.  At 22cm diameter, it surely is one loud performer, possibly the very loudest, though playing it loud can have its own problems in terms of control and quality of the audio.  For the review I was sent a single loudspeaker, and whilst reviewing it as a single unit I was still conscious of how a pair of units would sound and hence my readings are a fair account. Connecting two is a simple Wi-Fi connection and provides full stereo playback, though you would only need to set up one of the supplied remote controls. Complimenting the Akoya’s good looks is a beautiful circular remote with the top half revolving to turn up or down the volume. On the top are controls for Preset 1 access, play/pause, previous/next, and the all-important source selection. Finally, the Akoya comes complete with a beautiful custom carrier case, power cable, plus 3.5mm/RCA and micro/USB adapters. The enclosed instruction booklet is very simple, only there to get you connected up to wifi and Bluetooth, as it doesn’t give instructions on using the remote, particularly the all-important volume adjustment, which took me a little while to work out. However, going on to their website I was able to find the all-important operational manual.

The Music

The Cabasse La Sphère has an enviable reputation so I really wanted to find out whether this diminutive globe-shaped wonder also had an equally rounded performance. Listening was done mostly via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus the analogue input from my DAP’s line out. Cabasse compares the acoustics of the Pearl Akoya to that of a concert orchestra, so much of my reviewing was with orchestral and live music, wishing to turn my house into a concert hall. They also suggest it can have vinyl input; well yes, as long as you add a phono-stage or turntable with digital output. It also works well connected to a television, working particularly good in films with explosions and anything low frequency.

First of the music to be played was David Bowie’s final album ‘Blackstar’. This is a highly compressed album and the Akoya had to cope with two channels of compression mixed down to one, which didn’t sound as good as I had hoped. However, turning swiftly to the Kinks ‘Misfits’ the sound was very open and with a good clean top end. The bass is particularly strong and given any chance to exude it really came into its own. For example, Saint Saens Symphony Number 2 (Barenboim, Chicago Symphony Orchestra) the Organ entry at the start of the third movement was profound, though the quiet piano arpeggios in the background were still given their space in this mono player. The generous bass was also something to enjoy in “Something in the Air” (Thunderclap Newman). Whilst bass sang, the cymbals could also be clearly heard, showing this player excels at all frequencies.

Continuing the theme of old rock-hits I played “I hear you Knockin’” from Dave Edmunds. This has highly EQ’d vocals for effect, and the Akoya gave a very capable reproduction; the sphere not sounding ‘boxy’ as some major loudspeakers can do when only one of the speakers is playing. This made me start to think the Akoya would sound extremely good as a pair. Turning to David Gilmour’s ‘Rattle that Lock’ and the very atmospheric and quiet opening track “5am”, this was a very impressive performer. Despite being mono, it gave lots of depth of ambience with a very clear bass end plus detail from the acoustic guitar. Cabasse talks about the speaker offering a 360-degree homogeneous directivity soundstage. Whilst, yes, there is a sub at the back, and bass is multi-directional, the detail from the acoustic guitar is only clear from the front, it being a front-fired driver and top frequencies being directional. However, I did find it covered an extremely wide area due to a spherical baffle, with it extending much further than a square box, meaning my positioning in the room wasn’t critical, although that might affect soundstage in a stereo set up (as a sound engineer I’m not generally in favour of 360 degree speakers!) Listening to the album ‘Basie Meets the Duke’ and the track “Battle Royal”, whilst the soundstage was particularly wide for a single speaker especially the cymbals and brass section, the piano was rather set back. Only the really deep bass and kick drum surrounded the room with sound. Turning up the wick enabled me to fill my room louder than I really should! Yes, it can go as loud as you can bear, so listen to the Pearl at your peril.

To classics and Ravel’s Piano concerto in G (third movement, Julius Katchen, London Symphony Orchestra, 24/192), it has a poignant bass drum “bang” in bar two announcing the arrival of the piano, loud enough to wake up my cat asleep beside me. All was clear and extended with good speed and made for very enjoyable listening. That bass could be reduced a little via the app, and for me was preferable. I am not in favour of unrealistic bass end, and sometimes that came across with the Akoya. I did find the piano was at times less clear due to the level of the lower bass. Playing the same music via line-out into the 3.5mm analogue input actually gave a more musical and realistic performance, and which similarly was the case in Supertramp’s “Ain’t Nobody But Me”. The digital input was fine with the most exciting and forceful performance, but the analogue input just topped it further with a more musical and realistic performance. Being able to change the source from the remote or via the Android/Apple app was great but I wish the source selector and indicator were at the front base rather than hidden round the back. Luckily the speaker does verbally inform you of what input you have chosen. Turning to Binaural Baroque (Chasing the Dragon) it was actually very clear at all frequencies, particularly the extremes. That bass was particularly exciting with Pachelbel’s Canon having a great sense of space even from one speaker. Being a binaural album played on a single loudspeaker was funnily enough quite successful! Finally, Mozart’s Symphony number 1 is my very favourite from this composer, reminding me of days learning the piano before my teens. This is such a youthful and innocent work, and a chance for the Akoya to play like a full symphony orchestra (in this case actually a small orchestra). Yes, the Akoya can definitely go loud, but its forte is in its mezzo pianos; it has much more control in quieter volumes or sections of music. Played excessively loud is none the less very good, but you are still aware of a small speaker trying to be a big one. Simple melodic lines, including an ostinato harpsichord, are clear and enthralling but best at lower levels. Working as a pair of speakers takes the Akoya up several levels, and I can see it being a relatively cheap main system in anyone’s home, even with the additional cost of the matching stands (at £299 each). I personally would love a pair of Akoya’s if I had the space to add yet another system! Of course, as a multiroom system, it becomes even more powerful. Oh, and as to my own 4.1cm Mighty Music Engine Bluetooth speaker, well obviously there was no comparison.

Conclusion

This was always going to be an interesting review for me, but I can report that I am actually very pleasantly enamoured with the Akoya. Not only would it look gorgeous in my bedroom, or anywhere, but the sound quality was very surprising for such a small size, especially the bass. Music from a single speaker sounded a lot better here than it did when we had to listen in mono back in the days when I was very young! Only that the bass needed a little taming down at times. Adding a second Akoya will give you a complete digital stereo system at a very good price, and as part of a multi-room system I would heartily recommend the Akoya.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Cabasse really know how to build the very best quality

Sound Quality:  Excellent all-round quality, only the bass can be a little too generous

Value for Money: £1499 for a beautiful powered speaker like this is excellent value.

Pros:

A very lively performer with exciting sound.

A very clean and undistorted performer.

Beautiful looks.

Can go very loud.

Excellent Cabasse StreamCONTROL app.

Cons:

Some may find the bass too forward.

Poor instruction booklet.

Price: £1499 plus £299 for stand

Janine Elliot

Review Equipment:

Laptop, Sony phone and Fiio X1ii (Wifi and Bluetooth) and Fiio X5 DAP (Line in) Sony XXXXXXX CD for Toslink.

Specification

115dB mono peak/ 121dB stereo peak

Frequency response 30-27,000Hz

Midrange Tweeter 13cm coaxial BCI

Woofer 17cm carbon HELD (High Excursion, Low Distortion) with 20mm long throw symmetrical drive.

High; 300W RMS/600W peak

Medium; 300W RMS/600W Peak

Bass 450W RMS/900W Peak

Ethernet, Wifi, Bluetooth, Toslink, 3.5mm analogue jack

Streaming services Qobuz, Deezer, Spotify, Napster, Tidal

Micro USB for networking music on external device

Audio formats; MP3, AAC,  WMA, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC

DAC 768/32bit, 192khz/24bit streaming

Programmable Bluetooth remote control

220x220x220mm 8kg

The post Cabasse Pearl Akoya first appeared on Hifi Pig.

Costing £1399 the iFi Aurora Music System is an all-in-one streaming music system that boasts a plethora of features and innovative touches. It’s also striking in its aesthetics and design. Stuart Smith takes a listen.

Let me say from the off that from the first time I clapped eyes on the iFi Aurora at a glitzy launch party back in May 2019 during the High-End Show in Munich (see image below), I thought it to be, perhaps, THE most striking bit of audio kit I had ever encountered. Let’s be honest, Hifi isn’t exactly known for the aesthetic beauty of its design, though personally, I do like a lot the more “form follows function” designs,  but it is wonderfully refreshing to see a company taking the bull by the horns and going all out to create something very different, but also beautiful. Of course, there have been beautiful audio components before; Dieter Rams for Braun, the Lescon AC1/AP1/3 pre/power amps by Allen Boothroyd, and the original Transcriptor turntables – among others, but in the main, we are given non-descript boxes.

DESIGN AND FEATURES

The design of the Aurora is architectural, striking, and thoroughly modern, but then with a nod to earlier design movements. Its designer, Julien Haziza, drew inspiration for the Aurora from Japanese industrial design, and Japanese architecture and architects. The Aurora is clad in bamboo with an aluminium frame. The whole thing, despite all of this, feels relatively understated and classy looking and it should fit into any modern home perfectly, and, indeed, the juxtaposition of the Aurora in a more traditionally furnished home would be a real talking point. My only concern about the design is the pretty sharp point on the top of the aluminium frame, but that’s mainly because we have idiot cats – I left the protective silicone protector on.

The Aurora comes well packed and includes a remote and a power lead. The unit weighs in a 15Kg (33lb) and measures 59 x 27 x 28cm (WHD) (24 x 11 x 11 inches) and can be carried about by the aforementioned aluminium frame – or that’s how I carried it about, anyway. So, basically, what we have with the Aurora is a wireless music system that aims to offer a “sonic experience like no other table-top, all-in-one system”. It has no less than six drive units that are just about visible through the bamboo slats, plus another two bass radiators that are found underneath the box. The drive units are made up of four 4.5” (120mm) coated paper cones of the wideband variety and a pair of 1.1” (28mm) silk dome tweeters. The two 8” (120mm x 200mm) passive radiators are made from steel. iFi claims a response from these drive units of 27Hz to 40KHz. The active drivers are powered by a hybrid amp that sports a Russian 6N3P tube which is used in the preamplifier stage of the amp.

iFi calls this driver array “Soundspace by iFi” and it adjusts the level of output from specific drivers at specific frequencies to give “a room-filling performance”. Not to be outdone, the bass radiators get a name too – True Bass.

Along the front of the Aurora is an OLED display, a window to see the tube/valve and a series of touch-sensitive buttons that are hardly visible until they light up when the Aurora is switched on. The buttons perform the usual suspects of functions, plus ones to aid you in setting the unit up. One such button is named ART (Automatic Room Tailoring) – press this button and six sensors (see image below) measure the distance to surrounding walls using ultrasound and then a 32-bit ARM Cortex processor adjusts the output from the speakers to match the unit to the room and the music to the room. Importantly, depending on how you view the importance of such things, all this wizardry happens in the analogue domain and there is no DSP or feedback used, which is the case with most other correction systems.

The DAC used in the Aurora is the ESS Sabre Hyperstream chipset whilst Bluetooth is dealt with by a  Qualcomm chip which “routes the raw digital Bluetooth signal to a specialised Sabre DAC chip to convert the signal from digital to analogue, with a filter controlled by a Femto precision clock system”.

As well as all this it supports Spotify and Qobus, but no Roon readiness as yet. It will support files up to 32Bit/192KHz via WiFi. You can also get your music into the unit by USB storage or an SD card, and there are inputs for Coaxial and S/PDIF so you can plug in your BluRay, games console, or tellybox. For those of such a bent, you can even plug your Alexia into the Aurora via an RCA/3.5mm inputs – though you can, of course, use these to add more traditional items like a CD player or any other line-level device – add a turntable with a built-in phonostage (or an external one for that matter) and you have a full system. Oh, and it fits perfectly on top of the IKEA Kallax units that it seems just about every audiophile I know has for record storage!

PHEW!

SET UP

The set up was a relatively painless process and I chose to go wireless from the off as I reckon this is how most folk will use the Aurora – though wired connection is of course possible. I downloaded the free MUZO app, pressed the WPS set up button on the Aurora, followed the instructions on the app and hey-presto I had access to all the music on my NAS drive, and all within ten minutes of unpacking the Aurora. Of course, as mentioned, I also had access to my Qobuz account – plus a whole host of online streaming services –  though I really do wish it had Roon capability. The MUZO app itself is a doddle to use, though you can also use your preferred UP and P app – find the Aurora, set it up as a player, find your NAS, set that as your library and away you go. Bluetooth is likewise simple to set up – pair your smartphone with the Aurora and Robert’s your Mother’s Brother.

SOUND QUALITY

I’ve heard a good few all in one units in my time, but the Aurora is, in my humble opinion, the best sounding one I’ve yet to hear.

The Aurora was put on top of one of the ubiquitous Kallax units down the left-hand side of our large listening space and about six inches away from another upright Kallax to its left. I deliberately didn’t want to think about positioning too much and simply put it where I thought it looked best and was most convenient – it is, after all, a lifestyle product rather than a die-hard audiophile product.

First of all, let me say that the user experience is fab, something that can’t be said for all units like this. MUZO is a pretty cool interface, though the spinning disc on the screen when an album is playing can get a bit tedious, and everything works without any hassles or headaches, despite our abysmally poor internet connection. I didn’t experience ANY dropouts at all.

Bass response is impressive for such a compact box of tricks, very impressive as it happens, and I had no complaints at all, even when playing more challenging tracks – and I have a good few of those. Playing Going All the Way by Spiral Tribe I found the bass to be guttural and fast, though not as trouser-flapping as with our main speakers  – not surprising given they have 2 x12” drivers and a 1000 Watts of power per speaker. Certainly, the bass was more visceral than I’ve yet to hear from this kind of product. If you are reading this and thinking “this sounds like a glorified ghetto blaster” then think again! Even at loud volumes the Aurora never got flustered, even on hectic techno material or dub reggae. Certainly, those passive radiators on the bottom of the Aurora are adding a good bit of weight to proceedings at the very bottom end. One thing that did cross my mind was that if our Kallax units weren’t weighed down with hundreds of records there may have been resonance/rattling issues. Whatever, this wasn’t an issue for me, but worth bearing in mind when positioning an Aurora, though playing 808 States’ Tokyo Tokyo (a very bass-heavy tune) there was some feeling that a more solid surface would have been more suitable, or perhaps a dedicated stand for the Aurora with isolation – bamboo chopping blocks and Sorbothane, anyone? Of course, you can mess with the bass (three different choices – I found “Bass 3” was best for most music) and I found that pretty effective.

At this point, I have to be honest and say that I could certainly get on very well with the Aurora as our only source had it not been for the fact that we have been spoiled for choice on the kit front and live in a house big enough to house it. In the kitchen, bedroom, dining room, or if you live in a smaller apartment, I don’t see the Aurora being anything but excellent, or indeed having much competition – though you should certainly check out the competition to make your own mind up on that given the aesthetics – though the Aurora suited me absolutely perfectly.

Now, where I plonked the Aurora was, as I’ve stated previously, not really ideal and not really thought our a further than “it’ll look pretty cool there” and so I really wasn’t expecting much by way of soundstaging and being down the side wall certainly didn’t help in this respect. However, shifting myself to the corner off the sofa and facing the Auora directly improved this pretty drastically. OK, you aren’t getting the same width and dimensionality you get from a properly set up pair of loudspeakers, but it ain’t half bad with the room being filled, as per the marketing spiel, “with music”.

Back to the tunes and old favourite in the form of the fantastically wonderful Roy Harper and his sublime Bullinamingvase (see it’s not always a Teknival chez Pig Towers!) and what a treat it is on the Aurora and I almost forgot I was not listening to a “proper” HiFi with proper big speakers. The room really is filled with glorious music and it’s all there, though obviously on a smaller scale than I’m used to. With that said, you do get used to the presentation very quickly and you really do forget how diminutive this package is when compared to our other systems. Where the Aurora really scores is in the upper and mid-bass frequencies and then through to the tops. This kind of music really plays to the strengths of the Aurora. Clarity and coherence are words I would use, with everything being very enjoyable and foot-tappingly splendid.

Bluetooth is simple to set up – pair it with your phone and then a presumably tiny woman hiding inside the Aurora tells you that pairing is achieved and off you go. Sound quality is pretty damned good too ( I was expecting it not to be, as I’m just not a fan of streaming via Bluetooth), though from a sound quality perspective streaming certainly has the edge. I used the Bluetooth function to stream via YouTube and the like without issue, accepting the fact that music via YouTube is obviously going to be compromised.

For the couch spuds out there (and here) you can scroll through which input is active via the remote. I think that what buyers of the Aurora will use it for is for to become the hub of their aural entertainment. It doesn’t take up much real estate which is a good thing for modern living environments and you can attach, as mentioned, pretty much all your entertainment devices. Really, you don’t have to be an obsessive collector of boxes of electronics to be able to enjoy your music to a very high standard. And that’s the thing, most people that buy this don’t want the hassles of lots of kit and would really relish a one-box solution like this.

CONCLUSION

Let me say from the get-go, this is a very good sounding bit of kit in its own right, with the caveat that if you push it too far in the bass department it can resonate your furniture (if it’s a bit flimsy, or has ornaments on it), and I applaud iFi for having the guts to take what could have been another nondescript box and instead creating an interesting and great sounding box of kit. Really it’s like a piece of sculpture in itself, with the added bonus of playing your tunes.

The acid test, as I bang on about a lot in my reviews, is could I live with this unit long-term? Yep, I could, though it’s not going to change my warped audiophile with many boxes sensibilities and I’ll not be getting rid of those in exchange for the Aurora, but then we are talking systems that have taken years, if not decades, to build and with with the expense that is inevitable. Actually, I really loved the Aurora – it looks stunningly fabulous, sounds great (and not just for a small all-in-one), has great connectivity, is simple to set up even for Luddites like myself and will really press all the buttons for a music lover looking for a one-box solution that could potentially grow (adding a turntable etc.).

Well done iFi, this is an excellent product – one of my favourites this year! It’s certainly the best of the all-in-one units I’ve yet to hear and comes in at an attractive price and the award reflects this.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Excellent is the only word that I could use here. Add to that the interesting design and it all adds up to a great package. The sharp bit on the top of the frame does need a cover I feel, but they are provided!

Sound Quality: Actually, and surprisingly, very good sounding and not just for what it is. With sensible positioning on a solid surface, it can sound VERY good. On flimsy surfaces and if pushed it can resonate furniture, though, if sensible, that bass can be brilliant.

Value For Money: It’s not cheap but I think it is a solid purchase for its intended market. Obviously functionality and styling have added to the cost.

Pros: Eye-catching design. Lots of connectivity. Easy to set up. Good app. Can grow with the user. Great sound.

Cons: Some will consider it pricey. The spikey top of the frame could be an issue for some.

Price: £1399 €1599

Stuart Smith

SPECIFICATIONS

The post iFi Aurora Music System first appeared on Hifi Pig.

The Auralic Altair G1 Streamer/DAC is a well-featured box of tricks to which you need only add an amp and loudspeakers. Stuart Smith checks out this €2399/£1999 unit.

I’ve been using the Auralic Aries G1 standalone streamer for a good while now and wouldn’t be without it, to say it has transformed how I listen to music, when partnered with Roon and Qobuz, would be somewhat of an understatement. The Altair G1 looks for the main part identical to the G2, save for a silver knob on the right-hand side but it’s a different beast in its function as it combines a DAC and streamer in one unit – you also get an onboard headphone amp. So, on paper, the Altair G1 looks like a pretty cool box of tricks – add a power amp (the G1 can also work as a preamplifier) and speakers, and Bob’s your uncle. It will play your music from files on your network, Airplay, Internet radio, Bluetooth, USB drive, or online streaming services – I use Qobuz but the G1 can play other services such as Tidal. It offers wireless connectivity to your network as well as wired connection and you can control it from Auralic’s Lightning DS app, though I used Roon as the controller as this is what I am most used to.

You can get the G1 in two flavours – no onboard storage or a 2TB SSD, the latter being only available in the US, though dealers elsewhere can fit the drive of a customer’s choosing.  With the storage you can add virtually any CD drive, attach it to the G1 via a powered USB hub and rip your CDs directly to the unit (internal drive), or even to an attached external hard drive.

BUILD AND SETUP

As mentioned the G1 shares the same heavyweight aluminium casing as its stablemates (though AURALIC’S  latest G2.1 has an additional internal copper sub enclosure and substantial base plate with sprung feet) – it feels solid and purposeful. It also shares the same 4” colour display. Where it differs, as mentioned, is the inclusion of a silver knob on the right-hand side that allows you to scroll through the functions displayed on the very easy-to-read screen to enable setup of the various parameters. Headphone users are catered for by a quarter-inch jack which is a useful feature and makes the G1 a very flexible product.

Wired connection is my preferred method of streaming and this setup is as quick and easy as you could hope for. Plug in your RGB ethernet cable connected to your router, set the G1 to wired connection,  using the rotary knob, let it do its stuff and you’re off. Set the G1 up on Roon and it appears immediately as zone and you have music.

Round the back of the G1 we have a pair of Tri-band Wifi antennas and the main AC input and then things get interesting:

• The streaming input is obvious and where you connect the device to your home network’s router as outlined previously with an RGB ethernet cable.
• There are inputs for AES, COX and TOS allowing for sample rates of up to 24Bit/192KHz. Each of these inputs’ signals are buffered to the G1s Lightning Tesla platform which aims to remove jitter before going to the DAC itself, which has its own Femto clock.
• Then we have the HDD input where you can add an external hard drive. This is a little more sophisticated than a straightforward USB input. With a Hard Drive Kit from Auralic costing around £100 and an upgrade to the V.7 firmware, you can add a generic CD drive and rip your CDs – even when you are listening to them. You can choose to rip to either the onboard SSD drive (if you have opted for that version of G1), or you can plug in an external hard drive via a powered USB hub and rip bit-perfect files to that. I think this is a very cool feature and one that many potential (and existing owners for that matter) will find very useful.
• Next up is the USB HS socket where you can connect a computer with a USB out.
• Altair G1 will support files up to 32Bit/384KHz and DSD 512 so pretty much everyone is catered for. PCM data is dealt with and buffered by the Lightning Tesla platform as above. DSD is buffered by a separate circuit. Supported sample rates are up to 32Bit/384KHz and DSD 512, so pretty much everyone is invited to the G1 party.
• Outputs are via either balanced XLR or RCA sockets allowing you to connect to your power amplifiers directly without the need to use a preamp, though for the sake of consistency in the review process I chose to output through the preamplifier circuit of our Leema unit, before sending the signal to our Merrill Thor Class D power amps.

I’ll not go into all the functions or set up information as it is beyond the scope of this review, suffice to say the manual explains everything in good detail and easy to follow instructions.

One feature that I think some will find useful is the Smart-IR remote control function that allows you to map the G1 to any remote you like to control play/pause, volume, track select and all the other usual suspects – many may find this useful. I didn’t use this facility as I outputted to the Leema unit that has its own control and I used Roon for controlling track selection etc. but the manual again talks you through every step of the process very clearly.

You can use the G1 as a USB DAC with Mac OS and Linux systems needing no drivers but, as usual, for Windows, you will need to download and install a USB Audio Driver. However, for the purposes of this review, and how I believe most people will use the G1, I’ll be using it as a combined streamer/DAC.

SOUND QUALITY

So, after the brief setup process, it was time to get down to some serious listening on the G1. Regular readers will know I listen to a wide range of music, but I don’t really do classical, and I certainly put a hell of a lot of tunes through the G1 and one thing I found was I was listening to whole albums and getting lost in the musical performance whilst really connecting with it. In fact, as I’m writing up my critical listening notes I had Roon playing Neil Young’s After The Gold Rush – and then it threw up Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, an album I’ve never really gelled with and have perhaps played a handful of times in my life. I think I may well be a convert! Perhaps I’m just mellowing in my old age or perhaps the G1 presented the record in such an organic and natural way that I heard it in a different way to ever before. I dunno, and perhaps it’s not relevant, but I thought it was an interesting aside, dear reader.

Gabber (hard and fast techno synonymous with Rotterdam in the Netherlands) may not be everyone’s idea of something to evaluate a piece of kit with – it’s fast, sample-based, distortion loaded, and many would say unlistenable. However, what characterises this genre in the main, and why I’m using it here, is the kick drum sounds used. Whilst the kick sounds may appear to be pretty simple they can often be made up of complex layers of sounds and effects to give the overall gabber punch. Gmoork’s Vliegender Kunstgebit has a kick sound at the start that to me has always sounded like a detuned voice and the G1 gives me the same insight. Our Aries G1/Leema reference brings more detail out in the kick, if we are being analytic, but the G1 does a very good job and allows the track to bounce along very nicely indeed. The kick here, there are several different sounds used throughout the track, underpins this style of music and, whilst a little warmer overall than our reference, I really can’t complain. Switching to Reyes’ Rock With Me, the kick is presented with gusto and again pretty well detailed too.

Keeping on the techno theme I pop on Hardfloor’s classic Acperience 1. The reason for this is I use the same distortion unit used by Hardfloor (Rat) when making music and I am very familiar with the sound of the Roland 303 that characterises this German pair’s output. The 303 has a rasp to it that is unmistakable and the G1 allows this to come through in the recording, though again a little warmer overall than our reference. This tune is characterised by a breakdown that builds and builds (I used hammer this when I was DJing in the 90s) and has a lot of delay effects which the G1 presents nicely whilst maintaining the atmosphere I remember of dirty and dark clubs – it evokes memories of a misspent youth. Of course, there are several 303s being used here and the G1 allows them to be clearly heard and separated in the mix. This is a good thing.

The role of a Streamer/DAC is, I suppose, to get as much information to the amp without adding a flavour of its own, and whilst this unit is certainly not absolutely without flavour, it does a very commendable job. I’d say it is on the slightly less analytical side of the fence and ‘sacrifices’ this for a lovely, easy to get on with sound that you can just listen to for ages, and with that in mind, and seeing as today is the 14^th November, the day in 1979 when Neil Young’s Live Rust was released, I thought I ought to give this much-loved album a virtual spin – it’s an album we play a good deal here and I’ve loved it for many a year. Powderfinger and Cortez The Killer are the go-to tracks for me and I’m certainly not disappointed with what I’m hearing. There’s a real feel for the live aspect of this recording presented and Youngs ‘almost broken’ guitar style comes across wonderfully. The G1 doesn’t bring the level of the edge of your seat excitement that I’m used to with our reference system, but it ain’t far off given its asking price, and I could certainly see myself rocking out to these tracks on the G1 on a Saturday night. The opening bars of Cortez The Killer bring a shiver – I must have heard the record a thousand times or more and I never tire of it. With the G1 the stage feels a little constrained in comparison to the much more expensive reference but I’m not complaining. One thing I will say is the G1 has a lovely and seductive ‘tone’ to it – it is neither harsh nor over the top – no histrionics here, just a straight forward and enjoyable reproduction of the music. The harmonies of Young and Crazy Horse are presented wonderfully, the dynamic impact of the drums is fab, and again that guitar! Is it like being there, I don’t know the answer to the question, I wasn’t there, but it’s impressive stuff in this system.

I pop the G1 into wireless mode – simple as – and pop on Gil Scott-Heron’s Pieces of a man. I’d say this unit really suits this kind of music – there is a slight bloom to the bass and a syrupy feeling to Scott-Heron’s voice presented here. It’s really beautifully done – in fact, I’d say that some may prefer this kind of presentation over more critical presentations,  but then horses for courses. There are no dropouts in wireless mode streaming from Qobuz and once again I find myself really drawn into the music.

I don’t often listen to headphones but it’s lovely to see a headphone output, particularly a quarter-inch socket, and so I pop on Bob Vylan’s We Live Here (If you don’t know it, find it and buy it!!!). This is a hard-hitting, grimy, urban track that reeks of London street culture and I lose none of this on headphones. Yeh, the output isn’t going to compete with a mid-market standalone unit but again I find myself tapping my feet and singing out loud, in fact, I switch back to using the speakers and crank up the volume – absolutely fantastic! The grittiness of this track shines through and whilst I’ve referred to the G1 as being a bit “warm” this is fantastic stuff.

CONCLUSION

Overall the G1 has a detailed, enjoyable, and satisfying quality to it that really draws you into and connects you with your music. It is not as analytical as our Leema DAC/Auralic G1 combination and overall has a warmer/softer presentation. That’s not to say that it is woolly or lacking in any way, it’s just not as revealing a product, but then the Leema/G1 combination is about four times the asking price.  I found myself able to sit for very long periods and just get into the music without feeling the want to over analyse the sound quality – I think this is a good sign for any product.

So who will buy the G1? My thoughts are it is aimed at a market that wants a fuss-free, high-quality musical experience without the need to start investing in separate boxes or an over-complicated setup process (it’s pretty much a plug and play unit with you needing only to add amp and speakers) and the addition of the headphone socket is a real bonus. With that said, the feature set of the G1 allows those that do want to add external drives, use it as a USB DAC, etc. are very well catered for. The ability to rip from your CDs, particularly whilst playing them ‘live’ is an excellent update! Roon readiness is another major plus point for me as this is fast becoming my preferred way to listen my music collection. I spoke to Auralic after the review was written and discussed my use of Roon as a preferred source and they suggested that they believe the sound quality to be slightly better than Roon when using Lightning DS (Auralic’s dedicated app).  One point, and not really connected to this review, but I will say it anyway, is I’d love for Auralic to produce a power amplifier that matches the casework of the G1 and that would make for a very compact and handsome system.

The G1 doesn’t give a monkey’s about what music you throw it! Whatever the genre, it performs flawlessly for its asking price, and, in that respect, it offers the music lover a really excellent package. If I was to compare it to another product I’d say I’d compare it to the Technics 1210 MK5. Is it the last word in resolution – nope (but it is very good.) Is it a whole load of fun and a workhorse that just delivers – yep, you bet!

As always, I think the question anyone reviewing a product should ask themselves is “Could I live with this?” and in the case of the G1 the answer is and emphatic “HELL YEAH!”. So, having made that statement, I feel I have no other option than to award the Auralic Altair G1 our highest accolade. At this price-point, it’s a must audition bit of kit!

ATA GLANCE

Build Quality: Very well built with a bomb-proof feel. Well specced.

Sound Quality: A lovely effortless sound quality that is very easy to get lost in for hours on end.

Value For Money: A great streamer and DAC in one package and with this level of build and sound quality for less than £2000 is a good deal.

Pros: Ability to add online SSD storage of any size. Live ripping of CDs. Roon Ready. Good app and Lightning Server. Smart IR learning. Good headphone output. Clear and easy to read screen. Ease of setup. USB, Coax and TosLink inputs.

Cons: Some may prefer a more analytic presentation, but that will be down to personal taste. 

Price: €2399 £1999

Stuart Smith

Promotional Video

Specifications

Benchmark

Frequency Response: 20 – 20KHz, +/- 0.1dB*
THD+N: < 0.0002% (XLR); < 0.0003% (RCA), 20Hz-20KHz at 0dBFS
Dynamic Range: 124dB, 20Hz-20KHz, A-weighted

Streaming File Format

Lossless: AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, OGG, WAV and WV
Lossy: AAC, MP3, MQA** and WMA

Sampling Rate

PCM: 44.1KHz to 384KHz in 32Bit***
DSD: DSD64(2.8224MHz), DSD128(5.6448MHz), DSD256(11.2896MHz), DSD512(22.57892MHz)****

Control Software

AURALiC Lightning DS for iOS
AURALiC Lightning DS for web browser (device setting only)
OpenHome compatible control software (BubbleUPnP, Kazoo)
Roon (Roon Core required separately)

Audio Inputs

Digital Inputs: AES/EBU, Coaxial, Toslink, USB Audio
Streaming Inputs: Network shared folder, USB Storage, USB CD Drive, Optional Internal Storage, UPnP/DLNA Media Server, native TIDAL, HighResAudio and Qobuz Sublime+, Internet Radio, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Songcast, RoonReady

Audio Outputs

Balanced: XLR (4.5Vrms at 0dBFS, output impedance 10ohm)
Unbalanced: RCA (4.5Vrms at 0dBFS, output impedance 50ohm)
Headphone: 6.35mm Headphone Jack (output impedance 5ohm)

Network

Wired: Gigabit Ethernet
Wireless: 802.11b/g/n/ac Tri-Band WiFi

Power Consumption

Playback: 50W at max

Dimensions – W x D x H

13.4 x 12.6 x 3.2 in. (34cm x 32cm x 8cm)

Weight

15 lbs (6.8kg)

Product Finishing

Anodized aluminum case in matte black

Contents

AURALiC ALTAIR G1
2*External WiFi antenna (2pcs)
Power cord
USB Cable
User’s guide

The post Auralic Altair G1 Streamer and DAC first appeared on Hifi Pig.

LAB12 are an Athens, Greece based manufacturer that feature valves in all their designs other than mains conditioners. In this review Stuart Smith takes a listen to their dac 1 REFERENCE Non-Oversampling DAC costing €2900.

A Simple and Well Laid Out Front Panel With Retro VU Meters

Regular readers of Hifi Pig, and particularly my reviews over the years, will be aware that I’m quite the fan of Greek manufacturer LAB12 – indeed, I’d go as far to say that LAB12 is one of Hifi’s best-kept secrets and Linette and I have already had the discussion that when we eventually retire and downsize it will likely be a full LAB12 system that we go for – apart from speakers as we’ll keep our Avantgarde Duo XDs (which incidentally LAB12 use too). We already use their melto phono-stage in our main system, despite it costing a lot less than the SUT/phono-stage it replaced, and despite it having loads of features I’m never likely to use – it just sounds so sweet! In our mid-priced system we use their gordian power conditioner and the pre1 preamplifier and have done for some time now. From a price to performance aspect they represent excellent value for money, look great in a retro kind of way and are just a joy to listen to  – I see an amp of some kind from LAB12 going in our second system at some point not too far down the line. There is a lot of love for LAB12 in at Hifi Pig Towers and believe me, it is well deserved!

So, the dac1 Reference arrived a good while ago and replaced a VAD DAC which was no slouch itself (there’s a clue as to what this review will conclude right there) – both the dac1 and VAD DAC are tube-based DACs.

The dac1 is interesting in that is doesn’t use the latest all singing all dancing popular DAC chips that are de-rigueur pretty much across the board, instead, the LAB12 DAC uses eight Phillips TDA 1543 converters to decode the digital signal into a stereo analogue output. The output stage of the dac1 is tube/valve based and uses a pair of 6922 Electro Harmonix valves. Inside the box are no less than six individual power supplies.

I thought it would be interesting for readers for me to catch up with Stratos Vichos, the man behind the LAB12 brand, to ask him a little about his thought process behind what, it has to be said, is an unusual approach to designing a modern-day DAC.

What is the philosophy behind this Dac?

The Dac1 REFERENCE is the continuation and obvious next step up from the well-known Dac1 Special Edition we produced.

In this new DAC, which is based on the same core and philosophy as the Dac1 Special Edition, we pushed the limits even more in all stages, such as power supply stages, digital inputs, crucial paths and receivers, jitter reduction etc, in order to reach the closest approach to the original analogue sound.

We are using a completely new digital input stage. Completely new layout and topology of DAC ICs, and again a total new analogue stage. The dac1 has a totally symmetrical design, perfectly matched parts and, of course, hours and hours of listening and tuning/voicing.

In short, the philosophy behind the dac1 is simple paths, as few parts as possible in the signal path, symmetrical design, carefully matched parts, and excessive care in grounding design to achieve as low a noise floor as is feasibly possible.

What is your reason for using tubes/valves?

Tubes are my love and tubes are in all of our devices. Tubes offer a rich, realistic and natural sound and if you know-how, they also offer a great dynamic range and silent background. In combination with the non-oversampling resistors ladder, we manage to reach the most analogue sound you can get from a DAC.

What do you think the DAC brings to the party sonically?

As close as possible to a turntable. As I said in my first answer – it’s a device that you can connect and just enjoy your music, which is my dream for all of my devices.

It’s NOS (None Over Sampling) why did you go that route?

We are using 8 x Philips TDA1543 DACs in a special parallel resistors ladder configuration with no oversampling and a passive I/V stage and a dual triode tube stage in each channel. We stay in this philosophy, even if its much harder and expensive to develop than a most modern Delta/Sigma or other designs because after all the years of evaluation it is this approach that I believe gives the most analogue sound via a digital device. This kind of decoding from digital to analogue sound is, in my opinion, the only one that keeps the emotions and life of sound.

You know we are always measuring our systems, however, since we are building these devices for people and not oscilloscopes or analysers, we mostly care how they sound. Realistic, relaxing sound that never leads you to fatigue.

LAB12’s Philosophy On The Board

So there you have it, straight from the horse’s mouth as it were.

BUILD AND CONSTRUCTION

The dac1 is a good looking box with that LAB12 retro feel, which the dual VU meters on the front really accentuate. As well as the VU meters on the front you get a series of four red LEDs to indicate the sampling rate – you don’t get a higher sampling rate than 24 bit/192KHz and there is no DSD provision. There’s also another set of four LEDs to indicate the input (USB, Optical, Coaxial 1 and Coaxial2). A button to the left puts the dac1 in and out of standby and the button to the right allows you to choose the input – though you also get a simple remote to change the input too. All in all, it is very well finished without feeling ostentatious or that you are paying for frippery.

Round the back it’s all very nicely laid out and there’s plenty of space for cables not to get confused or tangled. Right to left you have the IEC power input and master power switch, the four inputs (Optical, Coaxial 2, Coaxial1 and USB) and to the far left you have the outputs that cater for both RCA and XLRs.

You can get the dac1 in either Frozen Silver or Matt Black sand-blasted, anodized finishes – the one we have is in frozen silver.

Simple BAck Panel With Plenty Of Room

The LAB12 dac1 comes with a five-year guarantee which certainly inspires a good degree of confidence.

SOUND

As I mentioned earlier the dac1 was slotted into our mid-priced system where we have tried to aim at a price of around £3K per box, though the Leema Elements CD player we use in this system comes in at around £1500. The rest of the system is the LAB12 pre1, Merrill Thor amps (slightly above our target budget) and a pair of Celestion SL6S speakers (hugely below budget), though we can swap these rather excellent vintage speakers out for Xavian Perla speakers should we feel the need. I also streamed from a little Nord streamer that’s about £150 and so well below budget! Cabling throughout this system is by Atlas and the space is heavily treated with GIK panels and bass traps. As an aside, I genuinely think this is (and not just for the money) a fantastic sounding system as it stands and I regularly find myself sitting in front of this system rather than the main system for extended periods of nighttime listening. I digress!

So, some tunes are in order.

Let’s get one thing straight, my mind tells me that trying to make a digital source sound analogue is a bit daft – surely the whole point of having high-resolution digital files on offer is to give the listener as High-Fidelity experience as possible – but I have nothing if not an open mind.

OK, I wrote the above paragraph and I’m going to keep it in the review by way of a reference point for readers. However, from the off it is clear that what we have with the dac1 REFERENCE is something very special sounding indeed. I’ll go through some tunes I listened to in the coming paragraphs but this system as it stands immediately sounds more organic, easier on the ear and, dare I say it, absolutely World-Class – and not just at the very modest price-point. As I’m typing my notes up I’ve got Hawkwind’s Hall of The Mountain Grill playing and the feeling is just one of everything feeling just “right”. Yes, there is a wide soundstage, yes there is layering to the sounds and there is a sense of the little sonic squiggles that abound on this record – in truth, I’m finding it hard to get my head down and type without being drawn into the music. And before I actually get down to the job in hand, and speaking off the cuff as it were, this is the big strength of the dac1 – an ability to draw you into a recording and get the feeling of it just being natural sounding, without harshness or, I suppose, that digital hardness. I knew my comment about digital being analogue would come and bite me on the arse!

I suppose the temptation, given that Stratos goes on about the dac1 sounding all analogue and whatnot, is to throw “analogue” music at it, that is music with real instruments, but readers will be well aware that that is just not the Hifi Pig way and so Armand Van Helden’s Too Future For You gets pulled from the virtual shelf and it’s absolutely glorious in its scale and impact with the dac1 in place – really magnificent, goosebump time. The relentless and skippy beat of the opening track has real impact and slam, and the percussion that comes and goes through the track makes you sit up and take notice. And that vocal is projected massively into the room – when the effects are added just before the beat comes back in, everything is there in its totality and you hear what the producer is doing…exactly! I was a bit nervous of this DAC in all honesty, I was expecting a top-end that was perhaps a bit rolled off by way of softening (analogueifying) the sound, but it just isn’t. The epic Mother Earth is a real workout for any bit of kit as it has lots of little ebbs and flows in dynamics and sounds, but the dac1 doesn’t miss a beat and presents it all really naturally and in an unforced kind of way. Now, I’m well aware that words like unforced and natural are the kinds of words you would expect when you have been told something is analogue sounding, and I’m sure I’m as open to suggestion as the next man, but I’m really struggling to describe the sound in any other terms.

Simple and Yet Somehow Beautiful Looking

Doug MacLeod’s Black night has the guitar right in the room with me – it’s uncanny. Again his voice is projected right out into the listening space, but what strikes me when compared to when the previous DAC was in the system is the amount of detail and emotion that comes through in MacLeod’s vocal – the sheer bluesiness (yeh, I know) just oozes out into the room. There is space between instruments and on the next track, “The Up Song”, little snare brushes really shine through and there is a real sheen to the steel-stringed guitar – you hear the steel! One of the things I really like about high-end audio kit is that layering effect you often get with better bits of kit, and the dac1 presents this layering really beautifully, but not in an unnatural or forced manner. You don’t feel like you are being presented with a version of the song that has been boosted here or muted there, what you get, in my humble opinion, is a true, natural, and, for want of a better word again, “pure” representation of the music. Now that’s another major bugbear of mine  – when a review rattles on about bit of kit X being “really musical”. I read “really musical” and think “he doesn’t like this bit of kit because it’s not resolving enough but doesn’t want to say that for fear of upsetting folk”. So, with that said, let me say that the dac1 is a machine that allows the music to shine out without embellishment, nor bells, nor whistles. Nope, I refuse to use the term musical because of its (to my mind) negative connotations, but by crikey, I really, really enjoy listening to music with this DAC in place. This record has a lot of space in it and a lot of quieter bits where there is the possibility of noise from the DAC, or whatever, to come through, but this DAC is, as far as I can hear, absolutely silent!

So, let’s compare the dac1 to the Leema Libra that we have in the main system. For sure the Libra is a more resolving and more analytical tool that gives you the whole picture of the recording and offers it no place to hide. The dac1 on the other hand doesn’t seem to be missing anything content-wise, it’s just presented in a more warm and perhaps more accessible way. Now, having said that you may ask then why we don’t put this €2900 DAC into the main system and the answer to that is several-fold: First of all the Leema is a tool for us reviewing and seeing to the nth degree into a recording when reviewing – it’s also a damned fine bit of kit to listen to. Secondly, as I mentioned, I spend a lot more time in front of this system just listening for my own pleasure and the dac1 allows me to do that without getting drawn into pulling the recording apart – see it, if you will, as my “time out” system.

OK, I’m now just listening for pleasure here and Eels’ Beautiful Freak comes out. You’ll know it, I’m sure of it. It’s a slab of delicacy intertwined with grunge and it’s truly magnificent – it goes much deeper than you think after just a cursory listen and it demands further and more intense listening. It’s also a bit of a difficult record for a system to do justice to. With the old DAC in place it did sound very good, make no mistake, but now with the dac1 in place I’m just getting so much more from the record in a connection kind of way, and as I’ve rattled on about innumerable times in the past, that is, to me, what a good sound system should bring to the party. Yes, we can talk about this attribute and that characteristic of the sound, but in the final analysis what we are all looking for, and I hope you don’t think I’m being in arrogant in speaking for what I believe is the majority of music lovers, is an emotional connection to the tunes we choose to listen to. I’m really drawn into Beautiful Freak in a real sense of the word. I’m listening to it not to dissect it into its component parts, I’m just getting right into it. The dac1 allows you to do this. It’s got all you want by way of accuracy, blah, blah, blah, but just sit down in front of it and let it play your music in as natural way as you would hope for. Of course, a good DAC can’t get away without having accuracy and all the other gubbins requisite for great production, and in that respect the dac1 excels, but forget about that, they are a given here, and just get into the tunes, for that is what this, lets be honest, pretty nondescript box allows you to do.

CONCLUSION

If you are going to get hung up on the limited 24bit/192KHz specs of the dac1 then move along, there is nothing for you to see here and you will need to find yourself a machine with better on-paper specifications. If you care about connecting with the music you love then you need to get the dac1 auditioned, it’s a truly fabulous bit of kit that allows the music to just play, and for the listener to listen to the music and not the equipment  – that’s what I took from it anyway.

Analogue sounding? I don’t care if it sounds analogue or not, what is analogue sounding, anyway? What I do know is that it has transformed this little, and relatively modest, system into something that I would genuinely pit against anything under 15K for sheer musical enjoyment and the dac1 plays no small part in this.

Yes, as I’ve mentioned in the waffle above, the dac1 is accurate and expansive in its presentation, but then there is a certain “je ne sais quoi” that lifts this DAC above and beyond what I could possibly expect for a sub €3K box. It really is that good and the previous DAC was sold to fund it. It’s going nowhere and I genuinely think I would have to spend a good deal more to get more musical enjoyment from a DAC in this system.

Many years ago a wrote an article titled “Machines For Joy” and here we have just such a machine!

I genuinely cannot recommend this DAC highly enough and sincerely considered creating a new “Editors Choice” award for it – it is that good a sounding bit of kit!

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Looks good and build is good too. Nothing overly flashy for the sake of it. VU meters are a nice touch

Sound Quality: Read the review. I love it. There is accuracy, detail and all the audiophile stuff you could want, but then there is something indefinable about the character of the dac1 REFERENCE that just seems to lift it in a musical sense

Value For Money: MCRU have these for sale in the UK for £2329 and at that, I’d suggest this is an absolute steal. In Europe, they are €2900 which is also outstandingly good value for the pleasure it brings to proceedings

Pros:

Detailed and accurate sounding without being “full-on” analytical.

Expansive soundstage

A really emotional connection with the music

Wholly non-fatiguing

Plenty of inputs

RCA and XLR outs

Looks great in a retro kind of way

Performance to price ratio is silly good

Cons:

On paper, it looks like a poor relation

May not be enough inputs for some

Price: £2329 or €2900

Stuart Smith

Features:

• Input Sampling Rate up to 24bit/192 kHz
• Non-Oversampling mode
• 8x Multibit Philips DACs network
• 2x Dual Triodes tubes I/V analogue output stage
• 6 Separate Regulated Power Supplies
• Analogue retro Nissei VU meters
• 6mm Aluminium face panel
• Five Years Guarantee

Specifications:

• Power: 210 – 240VAC 50Hz (110 – 120VAC 60Hz)
• Power consumption: 70 VA max
• Inputs: 2xSPDIF (Coaxial RCA), 1xUSB2, 1x spdif (Optical Toshink)
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20 KHz + 0dB/-1dB
• THD: lower than 0.15%
• Rated output level: 2.5Vrms
• Tube complement: 2 x 6922 dual triode
• Available colours: Matt Black, Frozen Silver
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 43x11x29 cm
• Weight: 7.5 Kg

The post LAB12 dac1 REFERENCE DAC first appeared on Hifi Pig.

Hifi Pig first reviewed the LEEMA LIBRA DAC way back in August 2016. In this update to that review, Stuart Smith takes a slightly different viewpoint and makes very different conclusions, but based on very similar findings, to the initial review.

Front Panel OF The Leema Libra DAC

Regular readers of Hifi Pig will be well aware of the Welsh manufacturer Leema Acoustics, founded by ex-BBC engineers Lee Taylor and Mallory Nicholls (LeeMa). Originally focusing on creating a mini-monitor loudspeaker to the very highest standards, Leema has expanded their outlook since launching 1998 to include a whole range of electronics, including DACs, Servers, CD players, Phonostages, music servers, power amps, pre-amps and integrated amps which are spread over three ranges  – Elements, Steller and the top of the range Constellation. Leema also produces a range of audio cables.

What we are looking at today is the Libra DAC which falls under the Constellation range of electronics ( we already reviewed it way back in August of 2016, ) and so this review is more by way of a bit of an update to that review and by way of giving a different spin on that reviewer’s conclusions. The original review concluded that the LIBRA had “Plenty of power, detail and nuances to the sound, although lacking involvement and emotional connection.  It isn’t bland or sterile by any means” and added, “ (it is) Perhaps a bit too much neutral-sounding”. I’d like to look at the DAC/Pre through new eyes and through our highly resolving reference system.

Now, I recently wrote an article for Hifi Pig asking the question “What is HiFi” and by definition, it is a product/piece of kit that reproduces the signal it is presented with “with a great degree of exactness.” The original review’s conclusion bears this out but says the LIBRA lacks emotional involvement. However, if we are as audiophiles looking to get the nth degree of exactness out of a product, then perhaps the LIBRA actually fulfils this benchmark and needs to be discussed with this criterion in mind. As a person who reviews a lot of kit,what we are looking for in our main system is a series of products that work together symbiotically and in as neutral a way as possible so that we can slot a new product in the chain and hear exactly what it is doing. Of course, we also listen to a lot of music purely for pleasure and so any product that finds a permanent place in our reference system needs to be highly enjoyable. With that said, we have two systems within one – a review system using highly transparent class D monobloc amps and a pair of Audiovector S3 loudspeakers, and a system we have using a Jean Hiraga Le Monstre amp and Avantgarde Duo XD loudspeakers. For both systems the kit ahead of the pre/DAC is identical. For the record, both systems now use the same DAC – the LEEMA LIBRA, where previously the Lampizator Big7 DAC sat, which may well give you a clue as to where this mini-review is going to end up.

I’m not going to go into masses of detail about the features of the LEEMA LIBRA as they have already been covered in the previous review, but briefly, they are (and taken from LEEMA’s specification sheet):

Analogue Inputs: 3 (configurable as Balanced or Un-Balanced)

Bluetooth interface

Headphone Amplifier

S/PDIF Coaxial Inputs: 3 (24 bit 192kHz & DSD64)

S/PDIF Optical Inputs: 3 (24 bit 192kHz & DSD64)

I2S Inputs: 2 via RJ45 connectors (24 bit 384kHz, DXD, DSD64 & DSD128)

One I2S Input has fully programmable pin allocation

AES/EBU Inputs: 2 via XLR connectors (24 bit 192kHz & DSD64)

Asynchronous USB: Yes (24 bit 384kHz, DXD, DSD64 & DSD128)

USB: fully asynchronous – Windows & Macintosh

USB Isolation: Full Galvanic

The three coaxial and three optical inputs will reproduce 24-bit/192kHz audio and since an upgrade, it can provide DSD64, DSD128, DXD & 384kHz via the USB and I2S inputs. DSD64 is also supported via all SPDIF inputs (coax and optical) and AES/EBU inputs.

The outputs, importantly for us given the two systems in one outlook I touched on, are via balanced XLR (which feed the Merrill Thor Class D amps) and RCA (which feed the Hiraga Le Monstre).

Every Input and Output You Could Wish For

So, feature-wise the LIBRA is hugely well endowed and has more than enough inputs to satisfy even the most feature-hungry music lover.

A Look Inside the Leema Libra DAC

Interestingly, the LIBRA doesn’t use the usual suspects with regards to its’ DAC chips and instead uses the unique Quattro Infinity dual-mono DAC modules. According to the blurb on the LEEMA website these modules “…feature user-selectable output filter bandwidth for maximum flexibility with higher sample rate sources. They are also field replaceable. Should conversion technology improve in the future, the modules may be upgraded, thereby future-proofing your investment.” Good to know.

SOUND

I’m not going to go into detail as to what tunes I listened to and what I thought about the presentation of each of those tunes, rather I am going to speak in broader terms with regards the sonic signature of the LIBRA.

First of all, the previous review levelled a criticism that the LIBRA was perhaps “too neutral”, but for me, that is exactly what I am looking for with a piece of kit in this system. It is a piece of equipment that allows the listener to see into the recording and pull it apart detail by minute detail – in short, the LIBRA is hugely meticulous in its presentation as to what is going on in a recording. There is no place to hide…NONE! If we go back to the definition of High-Fidelity then the LIBRA DAC fulfils this definition brilliantly. See it as a benchmark in the physics lab meaning of the word and you get to understand what the LIBRA is bringing to the test-bench. If you are looking for a product that will cover up inadequacies in a recording, or electronics that precede it in the audio chain, then you will want to look elsewhere, I’m afraid. If you are looking for a product that offers true “high-fidelity” performance then you will be well served, and at a price that is very reasonable indeed for the level of reproduction and features on offer.

Often reviewers will level the criticism that a piece of equipment is just too revealing and as such can become “fatiguing” to listen to. I don’t get this I’m afraid! Whilst the LIBRA is hugely revealing in its presentation, I can listen to it for hours and hours on end without any feeling of being over-exposed to detail – indeed, to a large extent, and when I’ve got my audiophile hat on, that detail is exactly what I’m looking for in a true high-fidelity product.

Headphone Output and an MP3 Input Finish Of The Front Panel

So, the DAC section works as advertised and whatnot, but the LIBRA is also a preamp with the three analogue inputs (XLR or RCA), so how does it fare in this sense? The answer is pretty much the same as with regards the digital inputs. I have it being fed by a LAB12 melto phonostage for vinyl reproduction from a pretty high-end front end, and I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever. I can hear the tone of the melto (it’s a valve stage) and the character of the GoldNote Tuscany Red cartridge. In short, the LIBRA is pretty much neutral in its effects on the analogue inputs.

CONCLUSION

I don’t necessarily disagree with the findings of the review carried out back in 2016, where I differ with my thoughts is what I conclude from those results. Yes, the LIBRA is hugely analytical – I think this is a good thing, whereas the original reviewer (not me, I must add) thought that level of detail a bit much. I also don’t find the LIBRA in any way fatiguing.

In short, if you are looking for a DAC/Pre that is true to the source material you feed it and don’t want your chosen DAC to present anything but the truth of the recording you are listening to, then you need to look no further than the LEEMA LIBRA. As an analytical tool, it is, in my experience, second to none. However, if you are looking for a DAC/Pre to give you a big hug, wrap you in a blanket and hide you away from the big bag world of High-Fidelity sound then you ought to look elsewhere. With that said, if you are looking for a less analytical sound you can temper the naked truth with your amps and speaker choices, whilst safe in the knowledge that what your amp is getting fed to it is the full fat, nowt taken out reality of the matter.

Put it this way, the LIBRA fulfils everything I want a DAC to do in our review system and it’s going nowhere, and hasn’t now for the best part of 12 months!

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Great solid build. Display isn’t anything to write home about but adequate. Good remote control

Sound Quality: Highly analytical and true to the recording. A high-fidelity product

Value For Money: Not a bargain-basement product but this is a precision tool and the price reflects this

Pros:

Massively analytical and true to the recording/file it is presented with

Neutral sounding

Tank-like build

Good remote

Headphone amp

MP3 Input

Cons:

Some people don’t want the truth!

Bluetooth is superfluous for my needs

Display isn’t really visible unless close to the unit

Price: £6250

Stuart Smith

The post LEEMA LIBRA DAC - A Different Perspective first appeared on Hifi Pig.

The SL-G700 network, CD and SACD player from audio giant Technics is, as the title would suggest, a wired or wireless network player, CD player and SACD player in one heavyweight box costing £2350. Stuart Smith gives it a spin.

The front panel of the SL-g700 is well laid out and with plenty of space. A bigger display would have been useful.

Japanese Hifi giant Technics has been making a bit of a resurgence of late, not that they really went away, what with their relatively recently introduced new series of their classic 1200 (plus) series of turntables, as well as lots of other separates. I’ve always had a soft spot for this Japanese brand and my first ever turntable was the company’s SL-DL1 linear tracking turntable, before graduating on to their 1200 turntables for DJing duties. As well as using their turntables in clubs and raves I’ve also used them at home, and have the excellent 1200G in our upstairs system. When I had the SL-DL1, I also had given the company’s catalogue of the time and I pored over it, and particularly remember really lusting after the SP-10 turntable in its beautiful obsidian plinth. I also absolutely loved the look of their power amps with their front panel domineering VU meters. Sadly, I have never owned either an SP-10 or any of their amplifiers.

For a good while I seemed to hear very little of Technics other than their turntables and it seemed like they had kind of abandoned the home audio market – how much of this was me being blissfully unaware of the brand, I don’t know – perhaps they retreated a little when the mid-market for HiFi contracted. Anyway, it seems, if their presence at audio shows (remember those?) is anything to go by that they’re are making something of a resurgence and the SL-G700 represents this renaissance beautifully.  So what is the SL-G700? Put simply, it is a fully functioning Network player that will play CDs and Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) too.

BUILD AND FEATURES

First of all, the SL-G700 certainly feels like a purposeful bit of kit – it is well built, big, and heavy,
430 x 98 x 407 mm (WHD) and 12.2Kg to be precise. The finish is good in the silver (it comes in black too) but the tiny display over on the right-hand side is a bit small to be of any use from my usual seating position, though it is invaluable when setting the machine up.

Onboard is an Asahi-Kasei AK4497 DAC with a dual-mono construction circuit that feeds a variable analogue output so you can plug it straight into your pre, or even straight into your power amp using the remote to control the volume.

The discrete AMP module is used instead of more common OpAmps and it uses low noise transistors and thin-film resistors – the idea here being to keep noise generated by circuits as low as possible, a common theme as you will see.

The clock generator is battery driven to isolate it from any changes in the AC mains supply, again to keep noise to a minimum.

Technics call the power supply for the G700’s analogue audio output a “High-Speed Silent Hybrid Power Supply – catchy. The no-feedback switching power supply aims to “suppress frequency fluctuations”, and again, the aim here the aim is to keep the signal to noise ratio as low as possible.

Technics talk about loads more unique features in their marketing bumph, but one of the things that really did make very good sense to me was the rather grandly named “Optically Activated Circuit System” which in essence closes off various digital modules (display, analogue and digital interfaces) to lower noise generated when tunes are playing. As well as this, I also like that their Pure Disc Playback Mode” shuts off the Network circuit, with the idea of improving the playback of your silver discs.

Inside, the whole of the unit is split into four sections which house the power supply, the digital circuit, the analogue circuit, and the disc drive.

The disc drive itself is of a triple chassis structure aimed at preventing vibrations getting out of the drive and into other sections of the G700. The tray is die-cast aluminium and again it is highly dampened to stop vibrations.

The front of the G700 has a 6mm aluminium plate and from left to right you have an on off button with an LED to the side of it so you can see the unit is on, a quarter inch headphone socket, a USB input (to allow you to connect a hard drive, with your tunes on, or flash memory to facilitate firmware updates) and a small window for receiving info from the supplied remote control. The CD tray itself sits in the middle of the front panel, and then you have the aforementioned display that has the usual play, rewind, stop and pause buttons below it, and to their right a multi-control knob that changes the input source and is used for scrolling through the set-up screen. Finally, and below this knob, are buttons to select input source and headphone volume. All in all it all looks pretty stylish and very much in keeping with what most folk would expect a HiFi separate to look like.

Round the back it’s pretty busy but not over-crowded. On the far left as you look at the back panel you have a section dedicated to the analogue outputs, for which you have a pair of unbalanced RCAs and a pair of balanced XLRs. There is then the arial for the Wi-Fi (actually there are two of these) and next comes a section for digital inputs and outputs – optical and coaxial for each. File wise the optical input will accept up to 24bit/96KHz and the coaxial up to 24bit.192KHz. There’s a socket for a LAN cable so you can wire the unit directly to your network and then another USB socket for connecting a HDD with tunes on it. There is no USB input for connecting a computer or similar, but I’m not sure that is going to be missed by anyone using this machine given its already impressive feature set. There is also, obviously, a power IEC socket.

Round the back, there are plenty of inputs and outputs and plenty of space

The remote is nice enough if a little lightweight, but it does seem to cover all the relevant functions on the G700.

SET UP

OK, I admit it, I’m absolutely useless when it comes to Network gubbins, but, once I got my head around the instructions in the manual for the G700, getting the unit connected to our wireless home network was pretty painless and extremely fast. Here’s the routine – Turn the unit on, hit the ‘NWP’ on the remote and then ‘Set Up’. This then brings up a load of options on the little screen and you scroll through until you come to the Wi-Fi screen, press ‘OK’ and then scroll up and down using the remote to select ON and then OK – hey presto, you are in Wi-Fi mode and you are ready to set up the Local Area Network. Select ‘WPS Push’ and press ‘OK’ and press the ‘WPS’ button on your router. No need to input any passwords or anything. As Borat would possibly say, “Great success!”. Set the G700 as the renderer in BubbluUPnP (or whatever UPnP controller you prefer), find your library on the network and play your tunes.

SOUND

I’m going to split this bit essentially into three sections as there are three different aspects to the G700: Networked, CD, and SACD playback. For the purposes of this review I’m going to be using the SL-G700 as a standalone unit and using the internal DAC, as I think that is how most people will use it – why spend this kind of money on a Network, CD, and SACD player and then use an external DAC, though, of course, that is an option should you feel the urge by using the optical or coaxial outputs – in fact, I did have a little play with it into our LAB12 dac1.  Pre for the duration is the LAB12 pre1, amps are Merrill Thor and speakers are Celestion SL6s, with cables being Atlas throughout in this system.

NETWORK

As I have said, once you get your head around the instructions, Network set up is pretty straightforward and I had tunes playing really quickly. First up was the excellent Fun Loving Criminals’ 100% Columbian and it’s really a bit of treat with the Technics in place. The presentation is wide and open, detailed, and erring on the side of being ever so slightly on the warmer side of neutral and I find myself listening a bit louder than I normally would in this system. On the track, All For Self the guitar licks and brass that come and go in the mix are projected well out into the room in a very pleasing manner. Layering of instruments is good, if not exceptional when compared to the LAB12 or the LEEMA DACs I have to hand – certainly no slouch though. Even at high volume, the Technics seems sure-footed and in control of everything, though between tracks I’m getting a little pop coming through the speakers  – switching to MConnect as the UPnP controller, and with gapless renderer set to on, cures this popping and so I recommend MConnect with this unit – YMMV.

One point here, and I feel I really do have to make it, most of my Network/Streaming listening is done using the ROON app with the ROON core being on a little NUC permanently connected to the network, but sadly ROON is not an option with the G700. This may seem a minor point, but, having finally embraced ROON, I find I’m missing it a little. Others will find this point completely moot, of course! I hope that future firmware updates will allow for Roon readiness.

Vibert and Simmonds’ Rodulate has a static-like electronic pulse at the start of the track and this comes across very well with the Technics in place, perhaps a little more ‘electronic’ feeling than with the LAB12 DAC and perhaps a little more lively in its presentation overall. The Technics certainly gives a good feeling for the nature of the sounds/instruments used, and whilst the presentation isn’t quite as three-dimensional as the LAB12 or the LEEMA, some of the sounds do leap out into the room at you as they are supposed to. The track Story from the same album has a lovely bass noise and it is presented without nasty artefacts and very deeply, though again I don’t think I’m getting that degree of separation of sounds in the mix I’m used to – but we are splitting hairs here to an extent as it’s certainly nothing to whine about.

Gil Scott-Heron’s When You Are Who You Are is fast and frenetic with lots going on in the mix, but the Technics copes very well with everything, and Scott-Heron’s voice is projected nicely into the room. Norberto’s guitar solo is a delight with plenty of insight into the timbre of the instrument. Dynamically the Technics is excellent and very fast at dealing with the coming and going of instruments. During quieter passages the G700 is absolutely silent!

The SL-G700 is a well made and good looking unit, very much in the traditional HiFi separates mould

For the next bit of this review I’m going to be really boring and play the same album and tracks via the network connection, Red Book CD and finally SACD as I hope this will bring a sense of how the SL-G700 plays different formats whilst keeping a consistent reference point for myself. For the CD and SACD playback I engaged the Pure Disc Playback Mode.

JOURNEY TO THE DARK SIDE

So, on the Network, and via Qobuz, I play Dark Side Of The Moon at 44.1/16 and it really does sound great, I have to say. There is subtlety, dynamics and detail aplenty. Again I don’t think I’m getting that level of separation of instruments I get with the LEEMA LIBRA, but then we are looking at a standalone DAC that costs the best part of three times what Technics are asking for this all singing all dancing Network Player/CD/SACD/DAC. I’m also sensing an ever so slight tizz to the very top-end frequencies, but you do have to be listening hard to hear it at all and have a highly resolving system. The slightly lazy sounding drumming towards the end of Time is really well-timed with the Technics and I am drawn to it very much.

Popping in the Red Book CD, the mechanism is as smooth as butter, and I feel that there is a little more there when compared to the streamed version of the same record by way of detail and dynamics. The heartbeat at the start of the record seems a little more deep and solid in its form, and the separation of instruments is a little more, well, separated, and, dare I say it, there does seem to be a bit more detail, though the overall slightly warm character of the SL-G700 is still there. The 8 note synth sequence also seems to have a smidgen more detail and depth to it – it sounds a bit more ‘organic’, for want of a better word. The presentation isn’t chalk and cheese by any means. There also seems to be a more depth (front to back) and width (side to side) than with the streamed version. Overall I think the CD is portrayed in a more immersive and nuanced way. Put it this way, if I was stuck with just CDs to play, I’d be well chuffed with the SL-G700 as spinner/DAC. At this point it is clear that the CD mechanism used in the G700 is very good indeed and I enquire of Technics if they produce a standalone CD transport using this mechanism – sadly they don’t! I popped, briefly, it has to be said, the Technics into our Lab12 dac1 DAC where I would usually have a little Leema Elements CD player routed to. In this short test/play, I found the image the Technics presented to be a smidge more stable than that of the Leema and a touch wider/deeper.

And so to the SACD. Now, I know you all may be reading this and thinking “this is not the kind of stuff that Stu would usually use in a review”, but the truth of the matter is I’ve never owned a machine that plays SACD and had to buy a disc especially for this review…and it was Dark Side that first caught my eye as something I know inside out. Ok, the low-level rumble on the synth sequence I mentioned above is clearly more pronounced and seems to come into the mix a little earlier (or is audible earlier), and there is a little more feeling of the timbre of the synth and it being an analogue instrument. And detail of the sounds that are usually in the background is a little more prominent too. As the album progresses, that separation of instruments, width and space becomes more evident than with either streaming or CD. The highs on the guitar are also without harshness or brittleness. Now all this could be the mix/mastering of the SACD, I don’t know.

I don’t do a lot of listening to headphones – we live in the middle of nowhere with neighbours out of earshot (good job really)  – but popping the OPPO PM1s on for a bit I’m happy enough with what I hear. I’m sure a person who listens mostly to headphones would go for a dedicated headphone amplifier, but it’s a useful addition on the G700 for those that need it from time to time.

CONCLUSION

I like this machine. I like it a lot. It’s not daft expensive, it sounds very nice, has plenty of detail and connection to the music, but without overloading you with detail to the point of it being a bit much. It certainly errs on the side of a warmer presentation than the LEEMA Libra DAC and is more akin to the excellent LAB12 in this respect. That slight warmth will appeal to a lot of people I think, it certainly did to me.

The transport section if the Technics is clearly very good at what it aims to do and it is a joy to use – as I said, smooth as butter.

It is best to my mind when using CD and SACD, but then the streaming option is very good too via a Wi-Fi connection – sadly a wired connection is just not possible in this system.

The SL-G700 has plenty of features to satisfy all but the most demanding and is a cinch to set up and use. It’s also built like a tank! The remote is well laid out, big enough for those with sausage finger syndrome and pretty logical.

On the negative side, Roon is not catered for and the screen is far too small to be of much use other than when setting the unit up.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Built like a tank. My only gripe is the display and I’d have like to have had something I could see from across the room

Sound Quality: Detailed, expansive and enveloping, particularly with CD and SACD. That warmth that I talk about is not at the expense of top end extension and bass goes deep at times. Good if not exceptional layering of instruments. I found it did get a bit muddled on very busy music in the lower mids when streaming

Value For Money: It’s not cheap but nor is it daft money either. You are getting a very good sounding machine that does a whole lot very well and is feature rich.  

Pros:

Great build

Lovely and non-fatiguing sound, whilst being detailed and lively

Good soundstage

Dynamic

Streaming, CD and SACD in one box

Onboard headphone amp

Decent enough remote

Fantastic transport

Electronically silent in our review system

Feature rich

Cons:

No Roon

That screen is a bit pointless as it is for me

Not as detailed as our reference DAC

Price: €2499 £2350 $2999

Stuart Smith

Review Equipment: LAB12 Pre 1, Merrill Thor Class D amplfiers, LAB12 gordian power conditioner, Atlas Cables, Celestion SL6S loudspeakers, Solid Steel speaker stands, Hifi Racks supports.

Specifications

Premium High-grade D/A Converter AK4497, and Dual Mono Construction D/A Circuit, Variable Analogue Audio Output
Discrete AMP Module
Battery Driven Clock Generator
High-speed Silent Hybrid Power Supply
Digital Noise Isolation Architecture
Supports Higher Grade Headphone Connection with Integrated Class AA Headphone AMP
Pure Disc Playback Mode for SACD/CD Playback for Greater Sound Purity
High-Res Re-master

High-quality Technics Design

Four-Section Configuration
High-Rigidity Chassis and Aluminium Die-cast Disc Tray – High-Stability SACD Mechanism
7mm Thick Aluminium Plate Used for the Front Panel
Control Port for System Control with SU-G700

Disc Compatibility

Super Audio CD (2 ch area only), CD, CD-R, CD-RW

Disc Format

Super Audio CD, CD-DA

Frequency Response

Super Audio CD: 2 Hz to 50 kHz (-3 dB) / CD: 2Hz to 20 kHz (-3 dB)

Dynamic Range (IHF-A)

Super Audio CD: BALANCED: 118dB (IHF-A) / UNBALANCED: 115dB (IHF-A)
CD: BALANCED: 98dB (IHF-A) / UNBALANCED: 98dB (IHF-A)

Signal to Noise Ratio (IHF-A)

BALANCED: 121 dB (IHF-A) / UNBALANCED: 118 dB (IHF-A)

THD+N

Super Audio CD: 0.0006% (1 kHz, 0 dB) / CD: 0.0015% (1 kHz, 0 dB)

Digital Input Termina

Coaxial Digital x 1, Optical Digital x 1, USB-A x 2

Analogue Output Terminal

BALANCED x 1, UNBALANCED x 1
Support Variable Level Output

Digital output Terminal

Coaxial Digital x 1, Optical Digital x 1

System Port

System Control Input / Output (Φ3.5 mm Jack)

Headphone Output

Yes(Φ6.3 mm, 110 mV, 32 Ω VOL MAX))

USB-A

Support Codec

WAVYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz / 16, 24, 32 bit)

FLACYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz / 16, 24 bit)

DSDYes (2.8 MHz, 5.6 MHz, 11.2MHz)

AIFFYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz / 16, 24, 32 bit)

ALACYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz / 16, 24 bit)

AACYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz / 16-320 kbps)

MP3Yes (32, 44.1, 48 kHz / 16-320 kbps)

Network Playback Support Codec

WAVYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz / 16, 24, 32 bit)

FLACYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz / 16, 24 bit)

DSDYes (2.8 MHz, 5.6 MHz, 11.2 MHz)

AIFFYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz / 16, 24, 32 bit)

ALACYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz / 16, 24 bit)

AACYes (32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz / 16-320 kbps)

MP3Yes (32, 44.1, 48 kHz / 16-320 kbps)

Ethernet Interface

LAN (100 Base-TX / 10 Base-T)

Wi-Fi

IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz Band

Bluetooth(Support codec)

Yes (AAC, SBC)

Power Supply

AC 120 V, 60 Hz

Power Consumption

38W

Dimensions (W x H x D)

430 x 98 x 407 mm (16-15/16 x 3-7/8 x 16-1/32 inch)

Weight

Approx. 12.2 kg (Approx. 26.9 lbs.)

Accessories

Remote Control, AC Cord, System Connection Cable, Analogue Audio cable, Owner’s Manual

The post Technics SL-G700 Network, CD and SACD Player first appeared on Hifi Pig.

I’m a recent and evangelical user of Roon, and couldn’t imagine an audio life without it. However, I wanted to explore the possibility of getting Roon connectivity using the ridiculously cheap Raspberry Pi computer – a route I’d been very wary of in the past.

Small, compact and with loads of USB sockets and a RJ45 Network port

A few weeks ago I put an order in for a Raspberry Pi-based streamer on English EBay expecting to be wholly underwhelmed if indeed I got the thing working at all. These things scare me and I’d previously bought a second-hand Pi with a DAC HAT (HAT stands for Hardware Attached on Top) but never used because, quite frankly, the whole thing scared me as I’m a bit of a technophobe. It has sat in its box for the best part of two years and not once did I have the courage to get it out to see if I could fathom it.

What Is A Raspberry Pi?

The Raspberry Pi is a small credit-card sized single board computer that was first introduced in 2012 with the intention of it being used to teach computer science in its most basic form. Since then it’s gone through several upgrades and now there are various models available, though all remain incredibly cheap – very cheap. Since its launch it has become the best selling UK computer of all time and, interestingly I thought, 44% of Pis are sold to industry. There is a huge community around the Pi and many companies have set up making HATs for lots of different applications, which, importantly for us, includes a whole load of audio applications. However, the unit I bought is basically a Raspberry Pi with a bit of software installed called Roipeee and, whilst this free software is compatible with a number of HATs none is used here and the software outputs the zeros and ones to the DAC via USB directly. However, I’ll talk a bit about HATs as they are pretty interesting in themselves and there are lots that are specifically made for the audio market.

What is a HAT?

HAT, as mentioned, stands for Hardware Attached on Top, and is basically a hardware module that plugs onto your Raspberry Pi without the need for any soldering. You can get HATs for loads of different audio applications and they range from DACs, DACs and ADCs, Digital amps, Digital I/Os, DSP, and streamers. All are made by third party companies and all are, in keeping with the ethos of Raspberry Pi, cheap.

SET UP AND USE

I’d sort of looked at the Pi at worst as a toy and at best a bit of a novelty for geeky types to play about with. I was wrong!

The Pi I ordered was a straight-up streamer that had been configured s a Roon endpoint using the free software Roipeee, though there was an option to have it set up as a Volumio music streamer/server. Ordering was through eBay in the UK and a seller called PaulWhittaker6 who was very helpful throughout the buying process – he also offers free advice on set up, though the process is so simple that his very brief notes on set-up were absolutely ample. I paid £124.99 for the unit but with postage to mainland Europe and the import duties (thanks Brexit) the total cost came to just over £172.

The unit is a small but chunky metal box around the size of a cigarette packet with several USB slots of different sizes, a power input, and some more USB slots. The branding of the box is FLIRC. It’s tiny but kind of quite nice looking in its silver finish. It’s so small I just popped it to the side of the preamp on the rack.

I discussed the purchase with Paul prior to pulling the trigger (I was still pretty nervous about the whole concept) and was informed that all I would need was a 5V/3Amp power supply – I had an iFi PSU and so didn’t need one, though one did come in the package anyway, though I do not believe this is usual.

All the operating system and software you need is pre-installed and as such you are ready to rock and roll.

Diminutove but nicely put together

Obviously, I already have a Roon account and the Roon ‘core’ on a small NUC computer I built and that is permanently connected to the home network.

Here are the instructions in full, which will give an idea of how easy this whole process was;

1. Plug the Pi in via ethernet and if you are going to use it wired also connect a DAC (Note to add that the DAC I was going to be using was upstairs and not connectable and so I just connected it to the network box via an ethernet cable.)
   2. Power on the Pi and wait for 15 mins for it to finish updating.
   3. Check to see if it’s done by typing ropieeexl.local in a browser of a device such as a phone (I used a computer).
   4. Go to the network tab and in put your Wi-Fi details. (On the online ropieeexl interface there is actually a ‘button’ to scan for your network.)
2. Move it to the desired location via or Wi-Fi or wired and open Roon. It will show under the audio tab if your core is running.

Once I’d taken it upstairs to the second reference system I connected it to the LAB12 DAC via a USB cable, turned Roon on the Roon app via my iPad, found the Pi and I had music. Really simple and really straight forward, much to my amazement and surprise.

Nothing much to see underneath the box

SOUND

This is a quicky review and I don’t intend to go into loads of detail about what I listened to and all the rest I’d go into with an amp, speakers etc. One of my concerns for this unit was talk of a noisy USB connection, but I have no complaints so far, though you can add a Jitterbug, iFi iDefender, or similar, and am likely to do this down the line, though more for my peace of mind than anything. I’ll also add my iFi 5V power supply as this is supposed to offer slight improvements over the standard wallwarts that are available.

As far as I can tell, and with a good few days listening under my belt with the streamer, I can only suggest that it works very well indeed. I experienced zero dropouts and as far as I can tell, no extraneous noise.

The Pi has played everything I have fed it via the Roon app with no grumbles at all. It has even played with the DSD files I have played.

All in all, it sounds very, very good.

CONCLUSION

If I lived in the UK and bought from this seller I’d have had a Roon endpoint streamer for £125, which is silly good value for money.

Given that the unit is ready built, the operating system and necessary software is pre-installed set up is very simple even for the most technophobe amongst us.

It has so far worked flawlessly and does what it says on the tin – plays music via Roon.

This is pretty hard to fault, though I’m in the early days of my relationship with it.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: Nice and Saturday box that is easy to hide should you want

Sound Quality: Hard to fault

Value For Money: Very good value for money, though adding a better PSU and something to quieten the USB output will add to the cost by about £150

Pros:

Cheap

Well put together and good looking

Easy to set up

Good support from this seller

Sounds great so far

Cons:

Not totally plug and play

Extras are recommended by the seller

Not as sophisticated as commercial products

Pretty basic and with no on-box control

Price: £124.99 before import duties to mainland Europe

Stuart Smith

Stuart Smith

Review Equipment: LAB 12 dac1, LAB12 pre, Merril Thor amps, Diptique d77 speakers, Cables by Atlas, Tellurium Q, and WAY. iPad, Qobuz account, Roon account, and NUC with Roon Core.

Melco Ex is an update to Melco library hardware. New machines from Melco will have Melco EX as a standard install, but owners of older Melco units can also take advantage of the new features. Chris Baillie takes a look at what the Melco EX upgrades bring to Melco’s functionality.

Melco announced upgrades to their well-received music library hardware at the start of 2020, but what is the new Melco EX upgrade and why might you want it? That’s what we’re about to discover. It turns out that it’s a major update for the Melco range, supplied on all new Melco Servers and automatically added via a firmware update on the half-sized N100 & N10 models. If you’ve got an older machine, it will need to be installed by a Melco Master dealer or distributor. Costs vary, depending on the age of your machine, but a maximum of £500 for the oldest machines.

The Melco NA1EX Library

A MELCO TIMELINE

Let’s start at the beginning. The Melco range has been around now for 6 or 7 years and initially, it came pre-installed with the Twonky Server.  This has been available for years and often found installed as the library manager on many a NAS drive. It works and works well, allowing easy basic navigation of your library. Personally, I have a ridiculously good memory for what files I’ve got where, so it’s never been an issue for me to find a given album.  On the Melco you’ve always had the option of searching in the ‘CD Import’, ‘Import’ (ie where your USB or Network transfers end up), or ‘Download’(where purchased files directly sent to the Melco end up). I gather that the average user is less anally retentive than me, so it’s easy to see how specific parts of a user’s collection might get forgotten. Now there’s always been the potential to install MinimServer, via a download and USB transfer onto any of the Melco range, which made it possible to search via artist or genre a little easier, although to be honest, I didn’t bother to use it as was pretty happy with Twonky. The one big pain with Twonky though, was it rebuilt your library every time you restarted the server, so you’d have to wait several minutes (depending on the size of the library of course) each time you restarted the machine.  With Minim it scans for tags, so only seems to take a couple of dozen seconds to get up and running following a restart.

Generally, the Melco range was considered by dealers as the option for the more tech-savvy user and it was always a bit of a faff if you ended up with a few albums worth of WAV file, which have limited metadata. Worse still was if you wanted to import a library ripped or prepared on a Naim server, where the metadata was stored in a separate file which the Melco couldn’t read. Personally, I got around this using an excellent program called SongKong, which works by taking an acoustic ID of your files and would do a great job of finding and adding the metadata before you transferred it to the server. This software is still available from J.Think and I very much recommend it – http://www.jthink.net/songkong/.  Of course, this is now available as part of the EX package.

SO WHAT’S NEW?

So with the EX upgrades, we now have the ability to run the fully-functioning MinimServer 2 and SongKong, combining to give us what Melco refers to as Melco Intelligent Music Library. In basic form, the EX spec machines come with a basic version of MinimServer, which is slightly more limited than the original, and SongKong Lite. It’s £28 to upgrade to Minimserver 2, plus a further £10 per year to cover the server maintenance costs. For SongKong it’s a one-off payment of £50 to run the full version for life, but a further £10 per year if you want to be eligible for updates.  Thankfully I already had a full license, so was able to enter details of that and it allowed me to unlock the features on my NA1/2 and, as they allow you to use it on a computer and your Melco, keep my existing PC software running. You’ve still got the ability to use Twonky if you wish, but now it’s a case of either/or and the latest firmware switches one off when you select the other. This does improve sound quality, as there are fewer processes going on at once. To be fair, I’d not appreciated that I was compromising performance by having both running on my machine prior to having my machine updated, so this could explain why the machine sounds a little cleaner and focused post update. The EX machines are also certified as Roon Ready, which will be a big draw for many. Below is a comparison chart of the different versions of both MinimServer and SongKong.

IN USE

So what’s different?  Firstly it takes a lot longer to import music, via USB. I don’t often transfer music over the network, as it sends it via a much longer path, leading to potential degradation by the router, switches, etc but presumably, it would take a little longer this way as well. This is because Songkong is scanning each file and matching it up with the database. To be fair it’s very rare for it to get the wrong artwork or version of a given album, but you can edit this via the MinimServer portal by entering your unit’s IP address, followed by :4567 in a web browser using a computer or via phone or tablet. Previously you’d be firing up the PC and editing artwork manually using file explorer, which was a right pain!

Direct CD Import is slightly different too and you are given a few more options on the screen of your Melco to help you ensure you pick the right version of the CD you’re importing.

A major draw for some will be the ability to work with Roon natively. Previously you’d have to point Roon to the individual folder within your Melco unit; Post upgrade it finds it on the Network within Roon.  As a minimum, you need the v4.04 update for this and v4.10 will make this more automated. I’m not a Roon user, although I trialed it and I enjoyed it for a while last summer. I am told having Roon running on the machine is fairly processor-heavy, so does potentially have a slight impact on sound quality, as it would with other equipment. (Being a heavy user of Roon, I can confirm that integration with the new EX upgrades to Melco is a breeze, and I personally didn’t feel there was a degradation in sound quality in my system – Ed.)

You also get Vtuner, which may or may not be of interest. I’ve had this available on my streaming DAC for well over three years and used it only once to check it worked, but I gather this is of great interest to many others.

A LOOK AROUND THE INTERFACE

So here’s what we can see if we do a search via composer.  Personally, I really like the fact I can see a list of artists involved, which I otherwise wouldn’t have known.  Sure, Roon will do this and so would reading through the notes of the physical media package, but it’s still useful for me.

Melco Search Via Composer

Here we’ve got a triple CD rip, which now gets listed as a single work, yet we still see it broken into three discs.  Starting the first track will result in playback of the full album, all 3 discs without interruption.  This could be very useful for Classical fans, who want to hear a complete work without being bothered by the limits of the CD storage format.

Search showing three discs for one album under one artwork

In the ‘watch folder’, we can monitor a particular folder or subfolder which will be useful for those who might otherwise forget about newly added music. In the example below, I’ve put a watch on files going to my Highresolusion.com download list. I might be away from home, reading an article about a particular artist, buy an album from the site, and then when I’m back home using the system I can see the album in my watchlist to remind me it’s there!

Screenshot showing search by high-resolution files only

Here’s how users can edit artwork, metadata, etc by directly logging into MinimServer

Editing artwork via MinimServer 

SONGKONG FIXES 

I love how you can choose the artwork to match a release for a particular country. Those migrating from Naim Servers, or having access to files originally ripped on a Naim Uniti (copyright applies), will find the ability to transfer meta from the Naim WAV file header to the main file’s meta a godsend.

Matching artwork to a specific country’s release

V TUNER

With V Tuner users now have access to hundreds of radio channels.  I’m afraid I only listen to 6Music, which is only available at 128kps, but it works and is stable.

V Tuner is now available with the Melco EX update

Do all Melco owners need to update? 

Thankfully, older spec machines are still supported and indeed there’s a more limited version of MinimServer available. I’m told that users of the non-EX machines may well have already had their latest update, which for reference is v3.92 – the EX machines firmware starts with the prefix of ‘v4.’. So it’s purely an operational update, although there are slight sonic benefits to the EX models which is down to the way the drives are mapped and the way the processor is utilised.  As stated previously, I am finding the sound slightly cleaner and more focused since the update, but it’s certainly not night and day. Clearly, having the update is going to help if you intend to sell your machine or part-exchange it with a model higher up the range. If you don’t feel you would benefit your existing machine will still work as before.

AT A GLANCE

Sound Quality: Certainly does no harm. I noticed a slight improvement, but I didn’t have things 100% optimised before the update

Value for money: Subjective, but it will help maintain the market value of your machine if you decide to sell it on. Prices vary depending on age of your machine and certain models are updated at no cost. Roon users may well consider the costs involved to be worth it for the Roon Ready feature alone.

Pros:

SongKong is fantastic and makes a breeze of importing from both CD and Imported files.

MinimServer 2 gives you many more options than before.

Easy editing of metadata from mobile devices.

VTuner for those interested and that the EX models are Roon Ready will be a big draw for many.

Cons:

For some owners of older models, they may consider £500 to be OTT for a software update.

Price:

Varies depending on where you live and model, but a maximum of £500 in UK. It is free if you have a newer machine.  A Discount is available for some who bought an older machine within a certain time frame.  £28 for MinimServer 2 plus £10 per year.  SongKong £50 to cover use on Melco machine plus a computer, with an additional £10 per year if you want to continue to receive updates.

HIfi Pig’s review of the Melco NA1/2 

Chris Baillie

The Chord Poly and Mojo have been around for some time now and are a well known portable combo. In this review, Chris Baillie looks at Poly and Mojo as a source for music on the go as well as in a home system. INTRODUCTION Since the introduction of the Chord Mojo – MO(bile)JO(y) geddit?, […]