Valousek and his colleagues have taken the issues with HDMI seriously and, not surprisingly, have identified the audible problems as relating to jitter. Basically, the HDMI geometry consists of multiple conductors that include an elaborate TMDS (transition-minimized differential signaling) clock channel, as well as separate paths for audio, video, and auxiliary data. In standard applications, the audio clock at the HDMI receiver end is derived from the TMDS clock. The process of generating the audio clocks (determining the audio sample rate and generating the necessary clocks from the TMDS clock) must be very precise to avoid introducing timing errors. Audiopraise throws out the TMDS clock and instead use the incoming data rate to generate a new and extremely stable audio clock with the help of a pair of custom-made audio oscillators plus “a clever control algorithm.” Measured jitter is reduced to extremely low levels. (I recommend reading a highly understandable “white paper” authored by Valousek and his associates that details the experiments done and measurements taken to develop the VanityPRO’s tech: audiopraise.com/projects/internal/vanitypro/hdmi-audio-jitter/.)

The VanityPRO takes in digital audio on HDMI and outputs up to four two-channel digital data streams in the SPDIF or AES/EBU formats. The HDMI signal that comes into the VanityPRO is scrupulously isolated from the audio areas of the component by a “dielectric barrier” that limits the amount of electromagnetic noise that can pollute the audio and newly created clock circuits. Included are two Jameco power supplies, one for the HDMI part of the extractor and one for the audio domain. By the time you read this, Audiopraise promises to have introduced a linear power supply for the VanityPRO that matches the product in appearance.

The VanityPRO HDMI extractor is a compact component weighing about two pounds; its black (or silver) metal case measures 10.5″ x 2.6″ x 7.2″. In front is a single rotary/push-button knob that provides complete operability of the device, as well as an LED status indicator light and a 57mm x 43mm LCD screen. Around back, the appearance differs according to which output board has been ordered. Multichannel listeners will find four digital connectors for a total of eight channels via either AES/EBU (XLR) or SPDIF (RCA or BNC). There’s also a stereo version that has one of each of those digital outputs, plus TosLink. To the far right and left of the rear panel are ports for the two supplied external power supplies, the HDMI input, an HDMI output (for video pass-through) and two word-clock outputs (44.1kHz to 192kHz and 22.5792MHz/24.576MHz) that allow for clock synchronization with downstream devices such as a DAC.

Navigation around the ten pages of menus quickly becomes intuitive. The Home page shows what the VanityPRO is receiving via its HDMI input—PCM vs. DSD, sampling rate, bit resolution, whether the incoming signal is active (Run or Stop), and the number of channels coming in. It also allows for adjusting volume on an arbitrary scale from zero to 100. An Audio Setup page lets one establish parameters for DSD-to-PCM conversion with Audiopraise’s own proprietary algorithm; DoP can be enabled if that’s what your DAC wants. The user has a choice of four conversion filters and DSD/PCM level-matching can be selected. There are also menus for speaker setup and setting channel levels in 0.5dB increments (maximum attenuation is -7.5dB). Additional pages include HDMI setup (a “repeater” option lets the original incoming HDMI stream pass through as is), EDID setup (video parameters and speaker layout), system setup (screen brightness, clock functionality, factory reset), HDMI AV information, and a screen with eight audio-level meters for quick confirmation of signal input. Finally, there’s a very busy system status screen that requires better-than-average vision or a magnifying glass to be of much use. (I went with the second alternative.)

For this review, I requested the multichannel AES/EBU version of the VanityPRO. To get a handle on the component’s impact on an incoming TDMS data stream, I first used a two-channel source to send signal to my aging but dependable Anthem D2v preamp/processor, since far fewer variables would be involved when making comparisons. The Anthem has a single AES/EBU stereo digital input plus plenty of HDMI inputs. I used identical AudioQuest Chocolate HDMI cables from a Sony X1100ES disc player to either the VanityPRO or directly to the Anthem; a Wireworld Platinum Starlight AES/EBU cable connected the Audiopraise to the Anthem. Comparing “native” HDMI to the data stream leaving the VanityPRO was as easy as switching the AQ HDMI cable of the Sony player and changing the input on the Anthem. The Anthem connected with Siltech Classic Legend 880i balanced interconnects to Tidal Ferios amplifiers driving Magico M2s via Siltech 880L speaker cables.

Listening to familiar reference recordings, from CD and SACD, demonstrated more substantial differences than anticipated between the native HDMI input and the extracted one. With the exquisite readings of the two Brahms clarinet sonatas by Anthony McGill and Gloria Chien on the Cedille label, I heard a more seamless joining of the chalumeau (low), clarion (middle) and altissimo (high) registers of the clarinet. The sound was perceived as emanating from a single object, rather than three. Subtle inflections of the clarinet’s dynamic level and tone color were more easily appreciated, and Brahms’ characteristically dense left-hand piano writing was clearer. On the Haitink/Concertgebouw version of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15, a recording I return to for pretty much every review I write, the opening glockenspiel notes were nicely differentiated in terms of exactly how hard the percussionist was striking the bells. The active bass part on “This Town,” the opening track on Patricia Barber’s Clique, was more evenly reproduced in my room than is often the case, and the singer’s voice was richly characterized. It was hard to imagine the title track on The Big Phat Band’s Act Your Age album having more coherence at enthusiastic playback levels. “Too Proud,” from Joe Harley’s BluesQuest SACD sampler, which headlines vocalist “Mighty” Sam McClain, had startling dynamics and the singer’s anguished vocal was as gripping as I’ve ever heard it—and I’ve heard it a hundred times.

With the benefits of the HDMI extraction process apparent, I picked out favorite multichannel selections to hear in surround. This time, the tracks were played off my NAS with a Baetis Reference 3 server. For a multichannel DAC, I borrowed an Okto Research dac8PRO, which has four two-channel AES/EBU digital inputs (I needed only three) and eight XLR analog outputs (I required six, of course, for 5.1 playback). Amplification for the center and surround channels was provided by three Pass XA 60.8s. The additional speakers were Magicos—an S3 Mk2 for the center channel, a pair of S1 Mk2s for the surrounds, and an S Sub.

I’ve never enjoyed a multichannel presentation in my room more than I did with the Audiopraise/Okto combination. Paavo Järvi’s PentaTone recording of Stravinsky’s L’histoire du soldat comfortably distanced the nine players from one another on the large stage of a German broadcast hall. Each player clearly occupied his or her unique location yet seemed to be breathing the same air as the others. Scaling of the disparate instruments was ideal. On “LTMBBQ” from jazz pianist Wayne Horvitz’s Sweeter Than the Day, it’s not always easy to hear that the guitar doubles keyboard for the “head” played at the beginning and end of the tune; it was never more evident than with the VanityPRO in the audio path.

There is one fly in the ointment. At least for now, the VanityPRO cannot be used with Dolby Atmos or certain other immersive formats such as DTS:X. Pavel Valousek says: “The VanityPRO can pass through raw Atmos data (packed in Dolby Digital Plus or TrueHD), but there is no device such as a DAC or processor that would be able to take that digital audio, reassemble the compressed data, and decode Atmos. Handling the compressed multichannel formats is a completely different ballgame, and we may look into this in the future. That would mean getting into the AV receiver domain.”

The rise of object-based multichannel audio has been impressive but the primacy of this approach for multichannel music is far from certain at this point. If you’ve been into surround sound in a big way and have a large library of discrete multichannel music, the Audiopraise product effectively addresses the shortcomings of the HDMI interface—a factor that has limited the ultimate quality of DSD and high-rate PCM playback for critical listeners, and the cost is reasonable. If you have a suitable multichannel DAC (or would consider getting one), you should give the VanityPRO strong consideration. It delivers on its promise.

Specs & Pricing

Product type: 8-channel HDMI extractor
Inputs: HDMI x2 (one is video pass-through)
Outputs: Choice of four two-channel AES (XLR), SPDIF (RCA), or SPDIF (BNC)
Supported sampling rates: 44.1kHz/88.2kHz/96kHz/ 176.4kHz/192kHz
Dimensions: 10.5″ x 2.6″ x 7.2″
Weight: 1 kg (2.2 lbs.)
Price: $1899

AUDIOPRAISE S.R.O.
665 01 Rosice u Brna
Czech Republic
audiopraise.com

JVB DIGITAL (North American/Australian Distributor)
jvbdigital.com

Similar to the Omega Ethernet that preceded them, Omega USB and Digital cables are re-calibrating expectations for digital playback quality, even when compared to the performance of world class vinyl systems. The exclusive technologies applied within Omega USB and Digital cables are the reason Shunyata Research’s Omega brand cables are regarded as the finest performing products in their category.

Shunyata Research Omega digital cables are produced using a Precision Matched Impedance cable geometry. This means that tolerances of the conductor surface, dielectric extrusion, and the precision of the braided shield are held to minute variances. To achieve these tight tolerances, the extrusion and braiding machines must be run at one-quarter speed during the manufacturing process. The result is better performance through a reduction of cable-induced signal jitter.

For the purest signal possible, Omega Digital Cables feature the introduction of the TAP/CMODE Hybrid Module, merging its patent pending TAP technology and CMODE filter into a single hybrid module. The TAP polarizer reduces electromagnetic polarization distortion while the CMODE filter reduces common-mode noise that travels across all conductors. The combination delivers an analog like ease and a palpable background silence that closes the gap between digital and analog systems.

Since 1998, designer Caelin Gabriel continues a tradition of ground breaking, technological advancements in power delivery and signal transmission. Shunyata Research products have established a heritage of excellence and technological advantage that is unmatched in the industry.

The new flagship series offers three levels of performance – Monet, van Gogh, and da Vinci – each named after an artist who fathered a revolution and set new artistic expression standards. It consists of a full range of interconnects, speaker cables, power cords, and digital cables. The entire Art Series uses our latest, solid, Infinite Crystal Silver conductors and the same advanced construction and insulation materials. Consistent construction means that you can easily combine cables from different levels.

Robert Winterhoff, CrystalConnect CEO: “I want to express my sincere thanks to our engineering team. The best way to delight your customers is to exceed their expectations. We have achieved results that are explainable, measurable, and audible improvements. The Art Series lets you hear more information and places that information where it belongs. The ultimate connection to your recordings and the music they contain. It will never cease to amaze you!“

All Art Series products are available for immediate pre-order, shipments to our partners start in December. For pricing information in your country, please contact the local CrystalConnect distribution partner.

Further information and a download link to the brochure can be found on the Art Series web page.

By renaming the CrystalConnect brand, we are highlighting precisely what our products do: Connect you to music. Our new logo features both a tuning fork and a tulip. The tuning fork represents the purity of tone and musicality of our products, and the tulip is a symbol of aesthetic beauty and our Dutch heritage. 

Robert Winterhoff, CrystalConnect CEO: “The new brand name and the renewed identity reflects our strategic direction more clearly. While the name and logo have changed, rest assured that our core values and family business culture remain the same. We will continue to push the boundaries of science and technology to create innovative audio products that combine astonishing musical precision with aesthetic design to match.” 

Product portfolio 
Many of our existing award-winning products – such as the successful Diamond Series, iconic Arabesque speakers, and the renowned CCI amplifier – will continue under the CrystalConnect brand. 

As we move to CrystalConnect, it will also be the start of exciting new product launches. 

Crystal Cable Portable continues to serve head-fi fans around the world with its existing Duet headphone cable series through existing and new sales channels. Its repositioning as a separate brand reflects our success in this growing market. 

Siltech’s New Network Cables Work Smarter
Many manufacturers focus on data rate and making their cables as ‘fast’ as possible – without appreciating that audio data does not need to be lightning fast. Much more important is the consistency of the transfer rate and the integrity of the data transferred.

For all digital cables, transmission accuracy depends on the cable topology, materials, and termination. Poor impedance matching or geometrical inconsistency causes reflections and echoes in the data stream, while crystal boundaries or grain in the conductors causes micro-distortions. Any imperfection impacts the accuracy of the critical clocking and amplitude information. It’s also easy to overlook that higher frequency signals are more vulnerable to outside interference.

Siltech’s new network cables benefit from our use of superior materials, specialist construction techniques, and top-quality shielding and insulation. Our proprietary G9 silver-gold was chosen for the Classic Network cable’s conductors, while our S8 mono X-tal silver was selected for the Royal Signature Network Crown model. Individually shielded pairs and Teflon by Dupont® insulation prevent external interference corrupting your delicate digital signals on both cables. For an optimal signal transfer, each cable also features robust, impedance-matched RJ-45 connectors.

Isn’t it time you heard what streamed music is really capable of?

Enter the Network Bridge
Jump ahead about five years, and we’ve seen the development of the digital streamer and network bridge for high-end audio. (See the article by Jeffrey Barish in The Absolute Sound at https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/understanding-digital-music-systems.) These components are purpose-designed to provide a dedicated interface for connecting with home computer networks to stream digital content, and they bring notable advantages (e.g., improved functionality, flexibility, and audio quality) over connecting a computer directly to a DAC or to integrated amps with digital inputs.

A product that debuted a few years ago which raised the bar with respect to digital streaming was the microRendu network bridge, launched by Sonore and Small Green Computer in 2016 (reviewed in Issue 218). For the first time, here was a small computer and custom operating system purpose-built for streaming digital music files specifically for high-end audio reproduction. Without frills and frou-frou, what the microRendu did was remove a number of noise sources that degraded digital music reproduction, in addition to re-clocking the digital bitstream and thereby reducing timing errors. And timing errors, most notably in the form of clock phase noise, would prove to be a key metric for digital streaming front ends. 

I’ll share my own journey with the micoRendu as an example. 

Prior to getting the microRendu, I used a Mac Mini sitting in my audio rack as a music server, connected directly to my Schiit Gungnir DAC with an AudioQuest Diamond USB cable. Without any other reference, I thought it sounded great. Little did I know! 

In December 2016, I bought a Sonore microRendu so that I could use it as an endpoint for Roon, which had also recently come on the market and was making a very big splash in the audio world. After installing the microRendu, I moved the Mac Mini and the hard drive that contained my music files into my bedroom/study, approximately forty feet away from the audio rack. The microRendu requires a copper Ethernet cable connection to work, so initially I used an Apple Airport Express in the audio rack with the microRendu. The Airport Express connected to the Mac Mini music server via my Wi-Fi network and to the microRendu via an AudioQuest Cinnamon Ethernet cable. With this setup, I used Roon to stream files from the music server to the microRendu, where they were re-clocked and subsequently passed on to the Gungnir for D/A conversion. I immediately noted significant improvements in audio quality: a lower noise floor; a wider, more spacious soundstage; less digital glare; and, overall, a notably more accurate, more natural, and more lifelike presentation. 

All Is Not Well In Paradise
All was well and good until about mid-2018, when my system started having frequent problems with dropouts and streaming interruptions. I finally traced the problem to a recently installed Wi-Fi-connected video doorbell. When the doorbell’s motion sensor was triggered, it would usually result in drop-outs and interruptions in my digital stereo system. The situation became so bad that occasionally I couldn’t get a single song to play all the way through without disruption.

At this point, I decided that it would be worthwhile to consider running a direct physical LAN connection from the Mac Mini in the study to the network bridge in the audio rack. This should result in better connectivity, I thought, as I had read in a support bulletin from Sonore that a direct Ethernet connection from the server to the network bridge would result in better overall performance, as well as higher audio quality than Wi-Fi. Around this time, I also become aware of a new product from Sonore called the OpticalRendu, which used “optical Ethernet.” Further research showed “optical Ethernet” is an optical fiber often used for very long runs (in the 100m to 1km range) of Ethernet connectivity, as it has significantly less insertion loss than copper Ethernet. 

Advantages of Optical Fiber
Putting my scientist hat on, I went into full research mode and started reading everything I could find about digital streaming using copper Ethernent versus optical fiber. Here’s what I learned.

Consumer-grade computers contribute significant high-bandwidth RF and impulse noise from their CPUs and GPUs that audibly impacts and degrades the sound quality of a stereo system. Additionally, this high-bandwidth noise can be picked up by many speaker cables (most of which are unshielded for sound engineering reasons), which literally function as antennas for high-bandwidth noise components that are then fed backwards into the power amplifier, to be amplified as noise. Moreover, any smart devices in the home (mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers, tablets, non-audio computers, video doorbells, thermostats) also contribute to the high-bandwidth RF and impulse noise in listening rooms. Consequently, one of the most significant things you can do to improve your digital audio system is to move any computer-based music servers (laptops, Mac Minis, Intel NUCs, etc.) out of the audio rack and well away from the main system, as these devices are very dirty with respect to the noise they create. The inverse-square law pays big dividends here. 

The “el cheapo” clocks in consumer-grade cable modems, network routers, Ethernet switches, and fiber media converters also contribute notable clock phase noise to the analog square wave voltages that actually comprise the digital bitstream, and the more of these devices in the configuration, the more the original signal is degraded. 

The dreaded switch-mode power supply (aka SMPS)—the ubiquitous device that powers almost everything from a computer’s internal power supply to streamers, network bridges, routers, NAS’s, external hard drives, switches, fiber media converters, etc.—are very dirty and nasty sources of noise, as they create both low-impedance and high-impedance AC leakage currents, which travel down DC power busses and lines, and ultimately into our DACs. High-impedance leakage currents arising from SMPS are particularly insidious, as they cause increased jitter and clock phase noise.  

Copper Ethernet cables are also susceptible to a number of noise factors, including RF, EMI, and the low- and high-impedance leakage currents described above; in addition, they suffer from a lack of galvanic isolation and common-mode noise rejection. In particular, shielded Cat 7 and Cat 8 Ethernet cables that are connected at both ends actually serve as conductors for high-impedance leakage currents. 

A good mitigation strategy for these problems is to use a run of optical fiber between the music server and the network bridge, streamer, or DAC. Optical fiber has a number of advantages over copper Ethernet: It is inexpensive, thin, flexible, and very easy to route. Most importantly, because the digital signals are transmitted as light, optical fiber is immune to RF and EMI and will not pass high-impedance leakage currents from computers, NAS’s, and routers to network bridges, streamers, and DACs. This results in a significant reduction in noise across the entire chain of streamer components, and notably cleaner, quieter, more transparent, and more natural-sounding digital music reproduction. 

The nice thing is that it’s easy and straightforward to set up an optical-fiber-based network connection. All you need are two fiber media convertors (FMCs), optical transceivers (if not provided with the FMCs), and a length of OM-1 specification optical fiber to run between them. 

Installation
The fiber media converters are active devices, so you’ll need a power supply for them. You can use the power supplies that are typically supplied with the FMCs, but as these are typically switch-mode supplies, I strongly recommend ordering a good linear supply that matches the voltage requirements of your specific FMC. I’ve used inexpensive Reliapro linear power supplies from Jameco Electronics (approx. $11 each) very successfully, as well as power supplies purpose-built for audio applications, e.g. the Uptone Audio LPS-1.2 and the Keces P3. These power supplies support a range of voltages so you can set them to match your FMC’s voltage requirements. 

Below is a list of equipment for a basic setup: 

1.2x TP-LINK MC200L Gigabit Media Converter, 1000Mbps RJ45 to 1000M multi-mode fiber, up to 550m/1800ft. 
2.2x TP-Link TL-SM311LM 1000-Base 850nM MMF LC/LC optical transceivers.
3.Cat 6 Ethernet cables. (I use Shunyata Research Venom as a minimum spec Ethernet cable; Shunyata Alpha or Sigma Ethernet cables will deliver notably improved audio quality.) The number required is system-dependent.
4.Tripp-Lite Duplex Multimode OM-1 62.5/125 Fiber Patch Cable (LC/LC termination). The length will vary with your application, but the fiber optic cable is inexpensive. For example, 30 meters costs approximately $40. 
5.2x 4.5W Jameco Reliapro AC-to-DC Regulated Linear Wall Adapter 9 Volt, PN:1953639
6.Optional Cisco WS-C2960L-8TS-LL Catalyst Ethernet Switch (8-port). 

Here are the steps to connect a basic fiber optical network:

1.Connect your music server/NUC/Roon Core to your router with an Ethernet cable.
2.Connect the Ethernet cable from the Router to the Ethernet switch.
3.Connect the Ethernet cable from the Ethernet switch to the fiber media convertor.
4.Connect the optical-fiber patch cable from the upstream FMC to the downstream FMC 2 that will connect to the streamer or network bridge (length/run will depend on your setup and application).
5.Connect Ethernet cable from the downstream FMC to the streamer or network bridge.

A representative basic configuration is shown here in Figure 1.

Sonore Optical Module
If you like the benefits obtained from the basic configuration, you can go “high-end” and replace the generic FMCs with Sonore’s OpticalModule and use higher-quality power supplies. The Sonore OpticalModule was designed specifically for high-end audio applications, and features a considerably higher-specification ultra-low-jitter femto-oscillator (i.e., “clock”) and four high-quality, ultra-low-noise linear regulators. Using a OpticalModule FMC will result in considerably less jitter, lower clock phase noise, and a notable decrease in the noise floor compared to generic FMCs. Most notably, the lower clock phase noise results in more precise and accurate timing, and a concomitant increase in overall audio quality. 

Below is a list of equipment for a setup using the Sonore OpticalModule:

1.2x Sonore OpticalModules.
2.2x TP-Link TL-SM311LM 1000-Base 850nM MMF LC/LC optical transceivers.
3.2x Uptone Audio LPS-1.2, or Keces linear power supply. 
4.Cat 6 Ethernet cables. (I use Shunyata Research Venom as a minimum spec Ethernet cable; Shunyata Alpha or Sigma Ethernet cables will deliver notably improved audio quality.) 
5.Tripp-Lite Duplex Multimode OM-1 62.5/125 Fiber Patch Cable (LC/LC termination). Length will vary per your application, but the fiber optic cable is inexpensive. For example, 30 meters costs approx. $40. 
6.Optional Uptone Audio EtherREGEN Ethernet switch. 

Figure 2 depicts an optical fiber configuration using the Sonore OpticalModule. 

Less is More
The purpose of using optical fiber and networking devices with better clocks and power supplies is to reduce sources of noise and improve timing of bitstreams. It was originally thought that digital sources and connections were impervious to the effect of noise on audio quality; after all, they’re just 1’s and 0’s, right? What can go wrong? Well, it turns out that bitstreams are not composed of 1’s and 0’s; that is only how the data comprising the music file is encoded. What is actually transmitted from server to DAC are analog square wave voltages. As result, it turns out that…everything matters. 

In my home network and system, adding the FMCs and a run of optical fiber from my router to the downstream network bridge improved the sound of my digital streaming system in notable ways. The noise floor was appreciably lower, which allowed me to hear more deeply into the music. Interestingly, I could lower the volume setting on the preamp, yet still hear as much detail and musical information as I could at louder levels. Compared to Wi-Fi or a long run of generic copper Ethernet, the soundstage was also notably more spacious, open, and airy-sounding with improved focus on individual instruments and voices. On the whole, the overall presentation was a notably more lifelike and natural-sounding digital streaming system. 

The advent of the Sonore OpticalModule in the market around this time provided yet another audible level of improvement with a fiber-optic-based network. The higher-specification clock (crystal oscillator) and power supply of the OpticalModule provides improved timing and lowers the noise floor more than generic FMCs, so you get a lot less of the bad stuff and lot more of the good stuff described above. Power the OpticalModule with a good linear power supply, e.g., an Uptone Audio LPS-1.2, and you’ll effectively have a state-of-the-art network system for digital streaming that will be clean, quiet, transparent, and lifelike. 

The Wrap
We’ve come a long way with respect to digital music reproduction, particularly in the last five years. Streaming services like Tidal and Qobuz have become mainstream as viable sources of musical content, and components specifically designed for networking digital streaming have become available to provide superior-quality audio reproduction. We’re no longer limited to physical media and disc players, and the convenience and ease of use that streaming offers is matched by equipment and components that provide a concomitant level of superb audio performance. In my experience and in my system, this performance is best realized by direct network connections from streamer to DAC utilizing the advantages that a fiber-optic connection has over traditional copper Ethernet, including immunity from RF, EMI, and high-impedance leakage currents from SMPS and network component clocks that increase jitter and clock phase noise. 

Everyone’s system is different, and the degree of benefits in any system can be tricky to assess, but the components and cabling for a basic configuration are inexpensive enough to try for yourself, and see if they work for you. They certainly worked very well in my system. If you like the results, and want to upgrade these networking components, there are now audio-application-specific fiber media convertors, e.g. the Sonore OpticalModule, and power supplies (e.g., the Uptone Audio LPS-1.2) that provide higher performance and audio quality. Moreover, if you find that you also need an audiophile-grade Ethernet switch, the AQVox and SOtM Ethernet switches have been on the market for over a year, and the recently released Uptone Audio EtherREGEN Ethernet switch shipped in Q4, 2019. The EtherREGEN not only provides much higher-quality audio performance than other Ethernet switches, but also supports fiber-optic connections. 

Bottom-line: Digital streaming is here to stay. We’ve now got amazing streaming service providers at our beck and call, and we also now have audiophile-grade networking components that lets us realize the full potential of the amazing content we have at our fingertips. My advice: Jump in! The water’s fine. 

The Hidden Treasure Cat7 cable utilizes a superior-quality RJ45 connector, which provides an extremely secure, heavy-duty locking connection to ensure maximum signal transfer. The cable features a braided outer jacket that is flexible and extremely durable.

The new Hidden Treasure SATA cable provides better audio quality by lowering the noise floor, reducing jitter and using superior internal wiring and connectors. The result can be notably improved sound for streaming and networked audio when used with music servers, D/A converters, preamps, integrated amplifiers, professional audio products and other components with Ethernet connectivity.

“As networked audio continues to evolve, equipment designers, audiophiles and astute listeners are finding that, just as with analog, there are subtleties of networked digital audio implementation that definitely affect sound quality,” noted John McDonald, president of Audience. “By removing noise and jitter to provide better data transfer, the results can be clearly heard in a more natural sonic presentation with better resolution and clarity and the ability to hear more deeply into the music.”

The Audience Hidden Treasure Cat7 Ethernet cable is currently available with suggested retail pricing starting at $500 for a 0.5 meter.

Unique Technology
The VANTA Series utilizes some of the most exclusive materials in terms of the highly unique Silver-Gold alloy for each individual conductor, tightly sealed in a tube of PTFE insulation, surrounded by a braided screen of silver plated copper wires to secure the best possible insulation and transmission of the delicate signal, and finally wrapped in a beautiful black, glossy jacket of Polyurethane.

The Devil Lies In The Detail
All VANTA Cables are terminated with carefully selected audio grade connectors from some of the leading manufactures in the world, such as Oyaide and Neutrik. The connectors are soldered to the Silver-Gold conductors under microscope to make sure that all connections are soldered to perfection. Nothing is left to chance. Everything is thought through to the very last detail… As we tend to say: “The devil lies in the detail”.

2020 not only marks the 35th Anniversary of Gryphon Audio Designs, but also 35 years of cable manufacturing at Gryphon Audio Designs. We celebrate the 35th Anniversary with The VANTA Series… Uncompromising design, technology, performance, build quality and sonic neutrality.

The Gryphon presents The VANTA.

To judge by some cable manufacturers’ “technical” explanations, you could be forgiven for thinking that cable differences are voodoo, black magic or hallucinations But the simple fact is that there are straightforward laws of physics that govern impedance, inductance, capacitance and hysteresis and, through them, sonic performance. At Gryphon Audio Designs, we have made it our mission to identify and control the practical construction parameters which define these crucial mechanisms.

Gryphon Audio Designs offers audiophile-grade cables with high-purity conductors and carefully selected dielectric materials to optimize the essential low impedance, low inductance and low capacitance characteristics necessary to achieve the full, free flow of music. Through careful selection of ultra-pure conductors and dielectrics, high construction quality and extreme mechanical stability, Gryphon audio cables dramatically reduce noise, grunge and colouration, revealing the natural space, dimensionality, tone and dynamics of the original musical performance.

The Gryphon DNA The Gryphon design philosophy that is the foundation of the speed, transparency, dynamic detail, musicality and sonic neutrality of our amplifiers, source components and loudspeakers also defines the metallurgy, mechanical construction, electrical characteristics and sound embodied in our exclusive range of interconnects, speaker cables and power cords.

Consequently, Gryphon cables do not act as filters to color the sound in any particular direction. While other cable manufacturers deliberately tweak their products to be “forward,” “dark”, “bright,” “recessed”, etc., in the vain hope that the overall system result will somehow be acceptable, Gryphon cables are designed to be neutral conduits that reveal with unflinching precision exactly what your audio system is capable of.

As with all Gryphon products, there is no recognizable cable “house sound” that can be attributed to the brand. Neutrality, purity and accuracy are the DNA of everything that carries the Gryphon logo. The extreme, high build quality of Gryphon cables ensures maximum mechanical stability, optimum electrical insulation and minimum dielectric absorption. Conductors, PTFE insulation, bedding and outer sheath form a tightly wrapped bundle virtually immune to self-induction and hysteresis. The extreme low noise and high resolution that is the Gryphon sonic trademark are in large part due to careful scrutiny of the electro-dynamics of field geometry.

Fully shielded against RF interference and emission, unstressed conductors of the purest metals available are protected by multiple layers of insulation for uniform pressure on the conductors to effectively eliminate the “acoustic memory” of insulating materials, which in other cables causes smearing and degraded impulse response.

Sonic Neutrality
The crystalline purity of the unique, costly silver/gold alloy employed in all Gryphon conductors results in fewer crystal boundaries and eliminates distortion caused by amplitude-dependent signal transmission. Unlike more conventional cables which distort high frequencies due to crystal impurities in the conductor wire, Gryphon cables provide pure, open high frequencies and a natural, non-resonant tonal quality across the audio range. Materials purity and a sophisticated extrusion process contribute to the focused, clean, tight sound of Gryphon cables.

With no intrinsic colourations and no bias in favor of specific frequency bands, Gryphon cables possess a unique level of tonal coherence from deep, detailed bass up through the rich, open midrange to the airy transparency of the highest frequencies.

Gryphon cables with their handsome exteriors and carefully designed connectors for optimum signal transfer will set new standards for your musical enjoyment. Their breathtaking, flawless performance will be the perfect complement to any High End audio system.

We rescheduled out of an abundance of caution during this unpredictable time to provide the best opportunity for a well attended event and to ensure the best AXPONA experience for all show goers in 2020. We will contact all exhibitors and attendees directly later this week as we work through the details of the move. Our sole priority today is to communicate this news immediately so everyone can adjust their plans accordingly. We thank you for your understanding and we apologize for any inconvenience. We look forward to seeing you all at AXPONA in August!

RSX Technologies officially opened for business on January 3, 2020, introducing three series of products – PRIME, MAX and BEYOND, targeting AC power cords and phono cables as its initial product categories.

 “It’s been less than 60 days since we officially launched RSX Technologies and introduced our first RSX audio cables into the market”, stated Jim Arvanitis, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Launching three series of products centered on just two targeted categories was a bit risky, but so far it’s proven to be a sound strategy for us. The new factory and offices and the hiring of additional staff will increase our production output to help us to keep up with demand and allow us to move into the next phase of our product plans sooner than anticipated.”

The new facility will continue to be located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The new address will be 10184 6th Street, Suite A. Additional information regarding when the new facility will officially be fully staffed and operational will be announced soon.

Although all audio shows involve a collaboration between manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, the structure of FLAX reflected the growing trend away from national events, which focus on manufacturers, to regional shows that are dealer oriented. To be sure, there was a good representation of the brands that any committed audiophile would want to encounter—over 160 were listed in the show guide. But many of the rooms were administered by retailers, both Floridian and out-of-state, and those spaces were organized around systems, rather than specific products.

Thus, at most of the Tampa show’s rooms the synergy of a combination of loudspeakers, electronics, sources, cabling, and the rest wasn’t a matter of happenstance or convenience. Instead, an audio professional—a dealer—had made considered choices based on experience to put together a system that, hopefully, would show off all the products in a room to their best advantage. The hotel did its part, too, spreading the 65 rooms over eleven floors in order to avoid placing exhibitors in adjacent rooms. This greatly reduced the usual sonic bleed-through. That and solid construction no doubt accounted for the generally good sound.

Because of the systems-oriented approach, we decided to deviate from the TAS norm of splitting up show coverage based on equipment categories and, instead, divvied up rooms according to the price of their systems, choosing $30,000 as the (admittedly arbitrary) dividing line. We then decided—not entirely seriously—to call the two system categories “Inspirational” and “Aspirational.” Please understand that we are not maintaining that a system costing under $30k is a “budget” system or is necessarily compromised in any musically meaningful way; we just needed some strategy for apportioning listening responsibilities. Below you’ll find the ten best-sounding rooms each of us heard in our respective category.

Given that FLAX isn’t a national or international stage, we weren’t expecting many new product introductions. To our surprise, exhibitors used the show as more than merely an opportunity to cop a tan. There were quite a few products that, if not making a world debut, were being heard for the first time at a U.S. show. You’ll find an accounting of those we each encountered after our system choices.

Top Ten “Inspirational” Systems

Alan Taffel

Eikon Audio
Eikon is the brainchild of Martin-Logan’s Gayle Sanders. The concept is: You plunk down $25k for the Image1 and you get a virtually-complete system, including speakers, DAC, power amp, DSP room correction—even cables. The simplest way to get started is to add a Bluetooth streamer (Bluesound makes some excellent units), and you’re set. The more I listened to this system, the more I appreciated its balanced mix of attributes, especially its ability to illuminate separate musical lines.

Janszen
I walked into this room and saw nothing but a pair of speakers. Where was the equipment-laden rack? But David Janszen was holding a smartphone, and wonderful-sounding music was coming out of his Valentina A8’s. Turns out the active speakers were being driven by a $100 Bluetooth receiver and David’s phone. So, the speakers cost $12,750, and the entire system cost $12,850. On streaming Tidal, the sound was amazingly full and easy-going. Needless to say, with the A8’s ’stat panel handling everything above the bass, transients were exemplary. But so was the bass. This is the future for Millennial systems: powered speakers with analog and digital inputs, driven by a smartphone. With the A8 Janszen proved just how well it can work.

Ocean Way/AGD
Speaker-maker Ocean Way teamed up with electronics manufacturer AGD to create some of the most beautiful sound I heard at the show. The Eureka speakers ($12,000 or $14,800 with stands) were extremely coherent, and the AGD Vivace monoblock amps ($7500 each) featured the company’s Gallium Nitrade MOSFET power stage mounted within a glass tube. The design means you can repair or change the amp’s power stage as easily as swapping out a tube.

Pure Audio Project/Pass Labs
At the top end of my price category was this nicely conceived system featuring a Pass stack for much less than you’d expect: the XP12 preamp and XA25 power amp together go for $10k. In Tampa, they were fed by a VPI ’table and drove Pure Audio Project’s customizable Quintet 10 open-baffle speakers ($10k as configured). Digital was courtesy of a Roland Super UA pro DAC ($680) and cables were from Luminous Audio. As its name suggests, the Quintet 10 speaker features four 10″ woofers, which mate with a horn mid/tweeter. The sound was assured, smooth, and relaxed, with the horn integrating surprisingly well.

Musical Surroundings
This system was Exhibit A in Linn’s maxim that for best results you should spend most of your budget on the source. In this case, the front end—the AMG Giro with 9WT tonearm and outboard power supply mounted with a DS Audio E1 optical phono cartridge—cost $17k, while the Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp sells for under $3k and the Magnepan .7 speakers are a mere $1400. Together with WireWorld cable, the system had a level of naturalness that was hard to beat. Bass extension? Not so much. For that, you’ll need bigger Maggies.

Sumiko
Sumiko was showcasing its Pro-Ject and Sonus Faber brands. The ’table was Pro-Ject’s penultimate model, the Signature 10 with (of course) the top Sumiko cartridge ($10k total). A full stack of Pro-Ject electronics was another $10k, and the likewise-priced Sonus Faber Olympica Nova 2 speakers brought the system to my $30k limit. The sound would please any Sonus Faber fan, given its characteristic sweetness and low-end extension.

Legacy
If there were a prize for most speaker bulk per dollar, Legacy would win handily. You don’t usually see speakers as large as the Aeris for just under $20k. Paired with the company’s new IV-7 multichannel ICEdge Class D amp ($7350) and Wavelet DAC/Pre ($4950), the sound was exceedingly relaxed—or punchy when the music so required. Not only was transparency high, but imaging was excellent from many points in the room. Even Legacy’s “smaller” Focus XE speaker ($12,915), which was also shown, proved to be a lot of speaker—size- and sound-wise—for the money.

A la Carte Productions
This Central and Northeast Florida dealer’s room boasted a new $9500 Vienna Acoustics Beethoven speaker (see New Products below), the VPI Super Prime Scout ($3400) and Voyager phono/preamp ($2500), Ortofon’s Cadenza Black cartridge ($2729) and Chord’s Qutest DAC ($1695), all feeding the Aethetix Mimas integrated amp ($7k). The sound was light, airy, and dynamic in the extreme.

Soundfield Audio
The newcomer’s room (see New Products below) included its two inaugural speaker models, the active WT1Ad ($3800/pair) and the larger, semi-active 1212 ($7500/pair). Both were paired with a Schitt preamp, while an NAD M51 Master Series DAC/amp powered the top end of the 1212. I must say I was mightily impressed with the sound from the smaller speakers. They lacked top- and very bottom-end extension, but such compromises are to be expected at this price. The speakers had excellent imaging, dynamics, and midrange realism. Most importantly, they were highly musical. The larger 1212 retained those virtues and solved the extension issues, with the tradeoff being a larger footprint.

Muraudio/Simaudio
Muraudio’s always-splendid SP1 omnidirectional speakers ($16k) teamed with a Simaudio Moon 240i integrated amp resulted in a system costing less than $20k. Nonetheless, the sound was smooth and well-rounded.

NEW PRODUCTS

Andover Audio Model One ($3200 with sub). For those interested in a gorgeous, compact all-in-one system, Andover introduced the Model One. What differentiates it from virtually all other all-in-ones is that it is LP-oriented, though for just $100 you can add the Songbird streaming adapter. I highly recommend opting for the $500 subwoofer module; without it, the unit is quite bass shy.

The Bob Carver Company announced a new integrated amp, the Crimson 2180i ($4000); however, the unit itself wasn’t on display, active or otherwise. At this point, all we really know is that it’s a tubed design that puts out 180 watts/channel. More to come.

exaSound Audio Design debuted its new Delta music server ($3000-$4000 depending on storage). The product was spurred by Roon’s rapidly expanding capabilities for DSD recordings. These include EQ, room correction, headphone optimization, and other features. These things require far more processing power than most of today’s music servers can muster. Thus, the Delta, which exaSound claims is even more powerful than Roon’s own Nucleus Plus. Expect to see more high-powered servers in the near future.

The Janszen Valentina A8 ($12,750) made its world debut. The speaker is distinguished from its passive version, the P8 ($9250), by a pair of built-in 500-watt N-Core Class D amps paired to a Hypex input card. Significantly, the latter has both analog and digital ports, so add one or more sources and you’ve got a system! The sealed cabinet, which houses dual sub-enclosures, is made of thick MDF, while drivers consist of two 8″ woofers, an electrostatic panel, and a side-firing ring-radiator tweeter. There are woofer and tweeter level controls on the back panel. As described above, I was mightily impressed with this speaker’s sound, even when it was being driven by a lowly smartphone.

Margules Audio was showing a prototype of its forthcoming, as-yet-unnamed music server. The device is simplicity itself, with four USB ports into which the owner can insert any combination—and any capacity—of thumb or USB drives. Most servers have internal storage, but Margules claims its advanced USB interface eliminates the sonic advantage of built-in drives. The unit will begin shipping this summer for a mere $3000.

In the Modwright/Egglestonworks room the latter was premiering its OSO floorstanding speaker ($11,900). Its unusual configuration involves a side-firing 10″ woofer paired with a 1″ Morel silk dome tweeter and a 6” Morel midrange. The cabinet is 1.5″ MDF. Driven by the Modwright gear, the speaker proved light and airy, with plenty of bass punch as well, though coherence could have been better. Also bowing was Modwright’s KWH 225i 225-watt/channel hybrid tube/solid-state integrated amplifier ($8500 with optional phonostage).

The Børessen room played host to accessory maker Ansuz Acoustics’ introduction of an entire line of Ethernet-related products. Of course, there were cables, and the A2 (approx. $1800 for one meter) and D-TC (approx. $12,600 for one meter) delivered a much wider soundstage and more palpable vocals than generic Ethernet cable. The D-TC model added noticeably crisper transients and even more spatial expansion. But the most eye-opening demo was of a line of Ethernet switches priced from $2200 to a whopping $14,000. Generic Ethernet switches are about $100 at Best Buy, but even the entry-level PowerSwitch proved to be a huge upgrade in terms of noise reduction, and the flagship PowerSwitch Supreme ($14k) made an incredible difference in clarity and dynamics. Dang! Yet another seemingly innocuous element (like power cords) that makes a difference.

SweetVinyl premiered its new SugarCube SC-1 Mini. The $1500 box ($2000 with built-in phonostage) is an LP de-clicker/de-popper. The SC-1 Mini is similar in concept to FM Acoustics’ $50,000 phonostage, except that the former operates in the digital domain whereas the latter is pure analog. Nonetheless, the SugarCube worked amazingly well. In the demo I heard, the SC-1 transformed a virtually unplayable Steely Dan album to virgin vinyl. The only adverse effect was a very slight roll-off at the upper extreme. In all, a boon to used vinyl shoppers.

RJS Acoustics is a brand-new audio company based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Its introductory product, the MD-6 ($5750) is a powered subwoofer. However, RJS would rather you call it a Bass Augmentation System to avoid any confusion with the “slow, muddy” sound it associates with subs. To prove the MD-6’s speed, RJS boldly paired it with Maggie LRS speakers. The two systems integrated seamlessly, which was quite a testament.

Active speakers were all the rage at FLAX, but the Piega took the concept one step further with the U.S. premier of the 701 wireless active speaker ($7500). The price includes a Bluetooth receiver that also supports RCA analog and two digital wired inputs. In the demo, Piega was Chromecasting from a phone and the sound was impressive.

Tampa’s own Soundfield Audio introduced two new models. The first, the WT1Ad ($3800), is a relatively slim, fully active floorstander. Each driver gets its own Class D amp. 100 watts for the ¾” dome tweeter, 125 for the 6.5″ mid, and 250 watts for each of the two 6.5″ x 8″ down-firing subs. The second model, the 1212 ($7500), is only partially active. The 12″ coax mid/tweeter is passive and features a cardioid radiation pattern, while the dual 12″ bass drivers, also cardioid, are powered. Both models feature an active tweeter on the rear panel meant to increase spatiality. While the driver complements and radiation patterns on these speakers are somewhat novel, there’s no denying that it works (see Top Systems above). Soundfield’s Ammar Jadusingh (aka AJ) has been designing speakers for 35 years, and that experience showed brilliantly.

Vienna Acoustics never seems to run out of variants to its long-running Beethoven floorstander. The latest, shown in North America for the first time, is the Baby Grand Reference ($9500). This is a lovely, svelte speaker, and the Florida samples were finished in a luscious cherry wood. Inside, there are new “spidercone” flat drivers—one 6″ midrange and two 6″ woofers—plus a 1.1″ hand-coated silk dome tweeter. The bass-reflex cabinet is heavily braced, and the crossover is a combination of first and second order. As always seems to be the case when I hear a new Beethoven, I was very taken with the latest iteration.

Alan Taffel’s Best of Show

Best Sound, Cost No Object, System
There were a surprising number of great-sounding systems at FLAX, including the Constellation/Rockport and, of course, the big VAC/Von Schweikert rig. However, I felt the large Acora SRC 1 speakers, also driven by top-shelf VAC gear, disappeared more completely, and let the music shine more freely, than any other system at the show. Acora is a newcomer to watch.

Best Sound for the Money System
FLAX proved that you can put together a superb system for under $30k. But I was most bowled over by the Janszen Valentina A8 speaker playing Tidal via an iPhone and a hundred-buck Bluetooth receiver. For under $13k, the sound and simplicity of this system was mind-boggling.

Most Significant Product Introduction
The Ansuz PowerSwitch line of Ethernet switches, which demonstrated just how much degradation is taking place when we stream through commodity switches.

Most Coveted Product
What keeps coming back to mind is the Doshi tape head preamplifier. A “phonostage” designed specifically for the idiosyncrasies of tape decks, I found myself wanting one—along with the nearby refurbished Studer deck—very badly.

Most Notable Trend
Tape decks as sources. There were more of them—at least a half dozen—than I’ve ever seen at one show. Both the hardware and source material are getting easier to come by, and the sound is unrivaled.

Top Ten “Aspirational” Systems”

Andrew Quint (Photos by Dennis Weeks)

The Audio Company (Marietta, GA)
At show after show, Leif Swanson and Damon von Schweikert expend considerable effort to provide a listening experience that’s representative of the best high-performance audio can offer. At FLAX, Von Schweikert Audio installed its flagship Ultra 11s ($325,000) in a room of suitable size, powering them with four VAC (Valve Amplification Company) Statement 452iQ amplifiers ($75,000 each.) The system, the total value of which makes it into the low seven figures, also included Esoteric and Aurender digital source components, a Kronos turntable with Airtight cartridge, and Masterbuilt cables. Large-scale symphonic music had lifelike scale; on a solo piano recording, the instrument had palpable mass and volume. A Nils Lofgren concert recording—you know which one—possessed an uncanny sense of being there. I have no idea if Damon and Leif left Tampa with any new orders for Ultra 11s. But quite a few attendees left with a better understanding of what’s possible with the playback of recorded music at the current moment.

Sweet Home Audio (Clearwater, FL)
In a system that included the Vimberg Mino loudspeakers in a striking white finish ($31,000) and Cardas Clear Beyond cables throughout, Zesto Audio‘s George Counnas oversaw the East Coast premiere of his Leto Ultra preamplifier ($9950). Counnas explains that the use of a 12DW7—a hybrid tube that’s half AX7 and half AU7—”allows for the smoothest transition from the input section to the outputs.” The new preamp also has a six-position “presence control” that allows one to tame overly bright and aggressive recordings. I tried this feature out with a beloved Mercury, Hi-Fi a la Española. Those sleigh bells on Side One/Track One can get pretty annoying after about 15 seconds; now there’s something you can do about it. Other components of this superb analog-only rig included a Merrill Williams Audio REAL 101.3 turntable ($8900), Tri-Planar U2 tonearm ($6200), and Benz Micro Gullwing SLR MC cartridge ($3600). Also from Zesto was an Andros 1.2 phonostage, Allasso step-up transformer, and Bia 120 stereo power amp.

Joseph/Doshi/Berkeley/Aurender/Cardas
Jeff Joseph, sharing a room with Nick Doshi, brought the Joseph Audio Perspective2 Graphene loudspeakers ($15,000), compact floorstanders that employ a 1″ Sonatex dome tweeter and a pair of 5.5″ graphene-coated magnesium woofers. They definitely “play big.” Electronics included Doshi Audio’s V3 Line Preamplifier ($18000), Evolution Series tape stage ($18,000), and the 25Wpc V3 stereo amplifier ($20,000). The digital source was an Aurender W20SE network streamer ($22,000) feeding a Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 ($22,000) via the latter company’s Alpha USB interface. All cables were from Cardas Audio, Clear Beyond balanced interconnects and SE loudspeaker cables. Acoustic guitar was reproduced with remarkable speed and Gary Karr, performing Kol Nidrei at the top of his instrument’s range, was clearly playing a double bass and not a cello.

The Audio Company (Marietta, GA)
Acora Acoustics, fabricating its loudspeaker enclosures from African black granite, brought two models to FLAX, the 2-way SRC-1 floorstander ($28,000) and the 2-way stand-mounted SRB ($15,000). It was the latter that performed especially well in a smallish hotel room, driven by a VAC Sigma 170iQ integrated amplifier with phono ($11,500). An Esoteric K-01Xs CD/SACD player saw service and LPs were spun on a Transrotor Fat Bob S turntable outfitted with an SME 5009 tonearm ($11,000) and Airtight PC-7 cartridge ($2500). AudioQuest cabling, beginning to end. With the Shostakovich Symphony No. 15 recording I brought (Haitink/Concertgebouw, an RCO Live SACD) spatial delineation was as good as I’ve ever heard and orchestral climaxes crested gracefully. The speakers maintained their poise when challenged with full-bore big band material.

Raven Audio
Raven Audio does it all—electronics, speakers, cables. Well, almost all: the DAC was a Myrtek Brooklyn ($2195). With the Corvus Tower loudspeaker system ($12,995 at the show and online; the usual price is $14,995), a Corvus Reference Monitor sits atop a Corvus Bass Module to comprise the complete system. The former is a 2-way employing a 1″ ring radiator and a pair of 7″ poly cone woofers. The subwoofer is active, to the tune of more than 750 watts of DSP-managed power. The passive monitor was driven by Raven Audio Silhouette Mk2 monoblocks ($25,995). All the Raven Soniquil wires—RCA and XLR interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords—were under $200 each. On the Shostakovich Fifteenth, bass drum hits were reproduced without overhang and the open low B string of a 5-string electric bass sounded with authority on Kevyn Lettau’s Songs of the Police.

Suncoast Audio (Sarasota, FL)
A less-than-astronomically-priced but nonetheless no-holds-barred system was encountered in the Suncoast Audio room, starring the Swiss-made Stenheim Alumine 3 loudspeakers ($29,950), a model available for less than a year. The cabinet for this 3-way, four-driver design is solid aluminum, with three discrete internal chambers. Suncoast employed VAC electronics—a lot of VAC electronics were at the Tampa show; designer Kevin Hayes lives just an hour away—a Master Line Stage ($28,000) and a Signature 200 iQ stereo amplifier ($14,500). Digital files were handled by an Aurender A30 ($18,000) and vinyl playback was courtesy of an Acoustic Signature ’table ($5000), equipped with a TA-2000 tonearm ($2995) and a Dynavector XX2 moving coil cartridge ($2000). Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, from the RCA Ansermet/Royal Ballet set, registered with a true sense of occasion.

Daedalus/LampizatOr/VAC/WyWires
Daedalus Audio loudspeakers are always among the most exquisitely crafted products at an audio show (four-quarters hardwood, flawless dovetail joints, ¼” marquetry) but the Apollo loudspeakers ($18,500) were also among the best sounding at FLAX 2020. The Polish manufacturer LampizatOr provided the digital source, a Super Komputer server (starts at $8000) and the Pacific DAC in balanced configuration ($27,850). More VAC—the awesome
Statement 450i iQ integrated amplifier ($150,000). Cabling included WyWires‘s pricey Diamond Series interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords and the componentry was plugged into a WyWires/Daedalus Power Broker AC distributor. The system easily parsed the differences in character between a vintage Mercury recording (Dorati’s Nutcracker) and a Living Stereo “Shaded Dog” from the same era (Reiner’s Scheherazade.)

Salon 1 Audio (Ormond Beach, FL)
The only Wilson Audio loudspeakers at FLAX 2020 were the Sasha DAWs ($37,000), demoed by their east-central Florida retailer with associated components that the brand is often heard with, including VTL—the TL-7.5 Series III Reference linestage ($30,000), TP-2.5i Performance phonostage ($5000) and MB-185 Series III Signature monoblock amplifiers—and Transparent Reference Series cables. Digital sources were an Aurender A10 server/streamer/DAC ($5500) and a vintage Sony SCD-XA777ES CD/SACD player ($3000 new, nla) that the dealer seemed vaguely embarrassed to be using. Vinyl was played with a Sumiko Palo Santos Presentation mc cartridge ($4500) mounted on a Pro-Ject Xtension 12 turntable ($4500). Nothing new or outrageously expensive yet the sound was consistently engaging, with an excellent rendering of space and lifelike dynamics (as with Cécile McLorin Salvant, on LP.)

MSB Technology/Magico
Magico M2 loudspeakers ($56,000 plus $7600 for the MPod support system), with MSB Technology products upstream, were making beautiful sounds on the tenth floor of the Embassy Suites. MSB’s S500 stereo power amplifier ($58,500), a zero-feedback design with 138dB of dynamic range, was introduced last year at High End Munich. The power supply of this 135-pound CNC-machined aluminum beauty has capacitance of a million microfarads (= 1.0 farad, but that sounds a lot less impressive) and power output is rated as 500Wpc continuously into 8 ohms, 900 into 4 ohms. The MSB digital components in the system, the Reference DAC ($39,500) and the Reference Transport ($18000) are justly celebrated. In a less-than-palatial environment, orchestral climaxes crested majestically. Initial transients were crisp and organically connected to what followed; vocal and instrumental timbres were 100% true.

High End by Oz (Los Angeles, CA)
Ozan Turan, the Los Angeles-based importer for AudioSolutions loudspeakers, presided over the U.S. debut of the Virtuoso S ($22,500), the smallest member of the Lithuanian manufacturer’s next-to-the-top product range. A 3-way design (1″ silk dome tweeter, 5″ hard pulp paper cone midrange, and two 6.5″ paper cone woofers), the Virtuoso S features box-in-a-box construction and a user-adjustable crossover. Driven by the massive Vitus SIA-030 integrated amplifier ($40,000) and with disc, analog tape, and file sources—a Vitus SCD Mk II CD player/DAC ($25,200), United Home Audio Ultima 4 tape deck ($32,000) and Aurender W20SE music server ($22,000)—orchestral recordings manifested good front-to-back layering and an excellent sense of the performance venue.

New Products

AudioSolutions Virtuoso S loudspeaker ($22,500) [see “High End by Oz” room description above]

Dynamic Sounds Associates Phono III phono preamplifier ($19,000). The latest iteration of the DSA phonostage has the capability to adjust cartridge loading with a remote control while you’re listening: 256 loading options for moving coil cartridges and 128 for moving magnets. In addition to the usual RIAA equalization curve, four other curves suitable for older discs are selectable. Both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) connectivity is provided on the new version of the product.

Gershman Acoustics Grand Studio II loudspeakers ($11,900). Two sealed-box enclosures are held in the embrace of a 93-pound, ½” stainless-steel stand. The 2½-way design incorporates two 8″ woofers with aluminum cones made in the U.S. to Eli Gershman’s specifications and a pair of Vifa double-chamber silk dome tweeters. Well-recorded orchestral music was presented with a reach-out-and-touch-it sort of immediacy, and there was a ton of musically meaningful detail on vintage jazz recordings.

Linear Tube Audio ZOTL Ultralinear integrated amplifier/headphone amplifier ($7,650). The Tacoma Park, Maryland, company has been in business for only five years but already has attracted a good deal of attention, including several loudspeaker manufacturers at the Florida show. LTA’s latest features high- and low-gain headphone outputs, 20Wpc speaker outputs, and a stepped attenuator volume control, operable with the included remote.

MC Audiotech Forty-10 loudspeaker ($35,000). Not exactly new, but new to most FLAX attendees and surely a novel design. The Wide Band Line Source (WBLS) transducer was patented by designer Paul Paddock 35 years ago and each Forty-10 incorporates ten of these “predictable flexible membranes.” Bass is handled by a separate “folded cube” low-frequency enclosure. With Linear Tube Audio electronics, the scaling of individual instruments on a favorite orchestral recording was impressive. Striking in appearance, if an acquired taste.

Métronome DSS streamer ($4500). An appealingly compact component, roughly 10″ x 10″ x 3″, that handles PCM (up to 384kHz), DSD64, and Roon, and is MQA compatible. As the front end of a system terminating in the small but mighty Kiso Acoustic HB-N1 speakers ($9500), it contributed to a dramatically spacious sonic presentation.

RBH Sound SVTRS Modular Loudspeaker System ($45,000). Honoring the occasion of the company’s 45th anniversary and limited to just 20 pairs, these hefty towers—each weighs 310 pounds—comprise an SV-831R positioned between two SV-1212NR subwoofers. The middle module sports an Aurum Cantus AMT tweeter and three 8″alumninum cone woofers, while the subs each have a pair of 12″ long-throw aluminum drivers. The package also includes a RBH six-channel amplifier and a DSP processor made by Marani, a pro-audio manufacturer. The price also includes delivery to your home and calibration of the system in situ.

Synergistic Research held forth with its #1 dealer, Scott Walker Audio of Anaheim, CA, and had numerous products deployed to optimize the performance of a system that included Constellation electronics—a Pictor preamplifier ($19,900) and Taurus stereo amplifier ($22,000)—and Rockport Atria II loudspeakers ($26,500). Synergistic had continuous demos of its new MiG SX footers, a set of three costing $995, which could be oriented facing either up or down beneath a component, what SR referred to as “Ambient” vs. “Pin-Point” configurations. This allowed for some obvious (and rapidly accomplished) tuning of the system. Mostly, “Pin-Point” provided the focus and image specificity I value, but on some overly aggressive recordings (“Keith Don’t Go”) the “Ambient” option improved listenability.

Volti Audio Rival SE loudspeaker ($19,900). The standard Volti Rival, which can be had for under $10k, is well regarded sonically, but it’s a clunky-looking thing, best relegated to man caves. The 2020 Rival SE, released on the occasion of the company’s tenth anniversary, is visually stunning—especially in the bubinga wood finish of the pair demoed at FAE— with curved sides for both the external crossovers and the speakers themselves. Clean, clear acoustic bass on a jazz recording and utterly unforced vocals.

Andrew Quint’s Best of Show

Best Sound, Cost No Object
The Audio Company/Von Schweikert/VAC exhibit (see above). A noteworthy listening experience for even the most jaded audiophiles.

Best Sound for the Money System
The most expensive component in the system, by far, was the RJS Acoustics MD6 subwoofer (OK, “bass augmentation speaker system”) but, boy, did it ever elevate the performance of the well-under-$15k Magnepan LRS/PS Audio rig it was paired with.

Most Significant Product Introduction
Gershman Acoustics Grand Studio II. A solid performer that touches all the audio bases admirably. A good value, as well.

Most Coveted Product
Triangle Arts turntables. Any of them. Left-to-right: Hathor ($3999)/Maestro ($7500)/Anubis ($14,995).

Most Notable Trend
Cécile McLorin Salvant. Female vocalists are a necessary evil at audio shows; a well-recorded specimen will demonstrate many systems in their best light. This wonderful singer showed up in multiple rooms, sparing us all at least a little Diana Krall and Shelby Lynne. A little.