CALYX USB DAC


The numbers are impressive on paper, but over time I’ve learned to take them with a grain of salt.
We need to go a little bit beyond appearances if we want to be sure of what we really have.

Top of Calyx box

As a preliminary step before listening, I asked our technical consultant, Eric Juaneda, what he thought of the design of this DAC. With his experience in designing and building this kind of device using proprietary circuitry, he is an expert in the field.

Part 1: Eric Juaneda

The front panel of the Calyx DAC is very discreet. There is a single indicator light which shows that the unit has properly locked on to the digital signal.

Front panel

Most of the controls are on the back panel.
The converter has USB and S/PDIF inputs. A switch selects one or the other. There are balanced and unbalanced outputs.

The USB input is built around an XMOS chip. XMOS is a RISC microprocessor design company based in Britain.

The data stream is asynchronous, in other words it’s the DAC’s clock, not the computer’s, which controls timing.

Question: Is this a good thing?

Answer: It means that jitter won’t be directly affected by the quality of the USB connection.

To control jitter, the chip relies on three quartz oscillators, one for the USB link, one for signals at multiples of 48 kHz (96 kHz, 192 kHz) and the other for signals at 44.1 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 176.4 kHz.

It’s a classic configuration but it ought to be effective.

Back panel

There is a fourth quartz oscillator used for digital-to-analog conversion.
All four run at different frequencies.
This generosity with quartz is the tradeoff involved in this kind of design.
The Calyx is one of the small number of USB converters able to handle 24-bit signals from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz with both Windows and MacOS.

The board

The digital-to-analog converter circuit comes from ESS Technology. It’s a Sabre ES9018 whose eight channels are here used in a symmetrical stereo configuration. It uses its own quartz timing oscillator to reduce jitter from the S/PDIF link.
It’s a less effective solution than the one used for the USB connection.

You’ll have gathered that it’s not likely you’ll get the best from the Calyx via S/PDIF.

Detail of machined hole connectors

The output stages use the very common 5532 op amp. The circuit design is extremely compact and uses primarily surface-mount components.
Power is supplied by an external transformer or by the USB bus.
A small switch lets you choose between power sources: either the USB connection or the external one needed for S/PDIF. Overall sound quality will be closely linked to the precision and size of the power source, so we can expect differences in sound quality depending on the quality of the power supply used.

The manufacturer’s obvious intention is to demonstrate some particularly advanced technical features.
The USB and S/PDIF inputs accept 32-bit data, but I don’t feel I need to make much of this as it’s hard to see what use it can be in practice.

Inside the box

It’s hard not to notice the purely marketing value of this specification.

Does this panoply of technology really serve the music and the listener?

Only the listener can say.

The big surprise is the chassis.
It’s a magnificent aluminum box, cast or machined from a billet, dense and heavy for the size of the unit and it contrasts greatly with the squeezed dimensions of the electronics.

Alloy machined box

This aspect of its design is what will make the Calyx DAC play well in the market.
The mechanical integrity of a unit is responsible for 50% of its musical quality.
A good chassis doesn’t create the music but it allows the quality of the electronics to show itself.
Chassis, footers and racks are all points not to forget.
The product manual is succinct but provides the basics.

Whether you use Mac OS or Windows, don’t hesitate to ask your dealer how to set up your system to get the best from this converter.

Below, the bottom plate

Conclusion of Part 1

We have now heard the technician’s opinion based on his visual observation of the Calyx DAC.
The next step is to listen to it, and we’ll get back shortly with our impressions.

One point on the subject of the enclosure: I myself would say the chassis contributes about 30% of the sonics. The other 20% ( of the 50% Mr. Juaneda mentioned ) comes from the rack, the cabling and the power supply.

The packaging

I wasn’t impressed by the circuit as such, I expected something quite different, more complex and refined. Not a bit of it, the Calyx designers chose an academic, almost textbook approach, no doubt to avoid risks, which is not a bad idea in mass production when a single mistake can be expensive.
But at $1799, the unit had better play music.

The part 2 follow …

Contact

Charisma Audio

Manager : Bernard Li

Suite 86
4261, Highway 7
Markham, Ontario
Canada L3R 9W6
Telephone: (905) 470-0825
Fax: (905) 470-7966

E-mail: charisma@rogers.com

Web site : www.charismaaudio.com

Article by Marc Philip, independent publisher, all rights reserved, copyright 2012, text and photos are the property of the author and the magazine, under creative commons licence.

Have a nice day and happy listening !

Tickets are only $15 for the weekend.

It is now possible to buy your ticket online on the Salon Son & Image’s website.

There is no additional administration fee.

The e-ticket is delivered immediately in your email box, simply print it and bring it with you at the show.
This will save you precious time at your arrival at the show.

Includes, conferences, seminars, live show, and about hundred sound rooms to visit.

For more information:
e-mail : info@salonsonimage.com
www.salonsonimage.com

Enjoy the show!

The Salon Son & Image’s mission is to promote high-end audio and video, its brands and its dealer network to the uninitiated as well as among audiophiles who gave birth to this hobby.
By making available in one location all the major brands shopping is easier and allows visitors to listen and compare many systems in optimal conditions that only sound proof hotel guest rooms and boardrooms can offer.

100% high-fidelity, 100% high-quality
The latest and most sought-after audio/video systems under one roof

The 25th edition of the Salon Son & Image will provide a unique opportunity for music and high-quality sound enthusiasts to discover the latest devices and equipment and take their passion a notch higher.

SSI 2012

“Visitors will not want to miss this event, which once a year brings together 100 exhibitors presenting some 300 product brands and cutting-edge audio and video systems,” affirms Michel Plante, Salon President. “One of the key elements attracting our visitors is Canada’s global reputation for quality and the number of high-end manufacturers who specialize in audio equipment. In fact, our Salon is the largest and most prestigious of its kind in the country.”

You don’t have to be an audiophile to benefit from a visit to the Salon; all music lovers will find a wide range of information to help them learn more about their hobby or make the best choice if they are in the market for high-fidelity audio and video equipment.

In addition to showcasing high-quality products, the Salon Son & Image offers training sessions and seminars designed to enrich your audio or video experience. For example, you can learn how to calibrate your home theatre receiver or HD television, get info on the best applications to control your system from your iPod, iPad, iPhone or Android, or obtain advice on how to listen to and compare audio systems. You can also join discussions with speaker designers, digital technology experts, and a host of other specialists.

Of particular interest is that the Salon will be held in the comfort of rooms that have been cleared of their furniture at the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Montreal (900 de La Gauchetière West, Bonaventure métro). This unique venue offers visitors an exceptional environment and optimal acoustics to appreciate the systems on display.

The Salon Son & Image will be held from Thursday, March 22 to Sunday, March 25, 2012. For just $15, you’ll discover products that may just change the way you listen to music, watch television, or enjoy your favourite films. Reputed technology columnist François Charron also returns as Salon spokesman for the second consecutive year.

Salon hours
Thursday, March 22: 11 am to 6 pm*
(*Trade only day: media, industry professionals, interior designers, architects and developers)
Friday, March 23: 11 am to 9 pm
Saturday, March 24: 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday, March 25: 10 am to 5 pm

Admission valid for entire weekend
Regular price: $15
Seniors (65 +) and students: $10

Please note that tickets can be purchased online at salonsonimage.com.

The Salon Son & Image, organized by Les Nouvelles Éditions Alcyon, aims to promote high-end audio and video and its associated brands and retail network to the general public, music lovers and audiophiles alike. By bringing together top brands and state-of-the art equipment in a single venue, the Salon facilitates and enhances the shopping experience while enabling visitors to discover the systems on display in the optimal acoustics environment offered by isolated rooms in a hotel.

Boulder Officially Announces Immediate Release and Initial Shipments of the 3050 Mono Power Amplifier.

New power amplifier offers unprecedented levels of power and clarity and is the highest performing product in the history of the company.

New release mono block power amplifier Boulder 3050

For nearly 30 years, Boulder Amplifiers has been America’s premier manufacturer of high-performance audio electronics.
We are very proud to announce the official release of the 3050 Mono Power Amplifier (MSRP US$195,000).

The 3050 is the largest and most powerful amplifier in the history of Boulder’s product range, delivering 50% more power than the 2050 Mono Amplifier, already widely acknowledged as the world’s finest audio amplifier by no small margin.

Nearly 100% of circuitry and assembly of the amplifier was refined or redesigned during engineering of the 3050.

Noteworthy improvements and features include:

• Massive Power Output. With an abundant reserve of power, the 3050 is the ultimate audio amplifier.
It will produce 1,500 watts of continuous power into any load and requires a 240VAC mains feed. Peak output
power is a staggering 6,000 watts.
5 encapsulated and potted toroidal transformers, 48 filter capacitors and 120 bipolar output devices ensure that voltage headroom is more than adequate, current delivery is instantaneous, damping is optimized and control of every driver in the loudspeaker is ideal. Distortion is 0.0006%, unheard of for an amplifier of this size.

• Distinctive, Modern Architecture. Despite their size, the amplifiers’ aesthetics are a dramatic step forward in audio component design. The exterior of a pair of 3050s is truly unique. Nowhere does the casework terminate in a 90-degree angle and no assembly screws are visible.
Because every piece of metalwork is carved from a single block of aluminum dedicated to each finished unit, the amplifiers’ left and right chassis do not share any common exterior parts.
Even the power buttons and LED indicators are new creations.

• Substantially Improved Noise Floor. Improvements in the circuit layout properties of electronics originally developed for the 1008 Phono Preamplifier led to further engineering advances in the 3050’s new circuit architecture.
As noise is reduced, more low-level information from the recording is revealed and rendered more accurately.

• New 99H Gain Stage. A new, fully discrete, surface-mount gain stage evolved from Boulder’s own renowned 993 features prominently in the 3050. The new gain stage, dubbed the 99H (“H” for “high voltage”), utilizes +/-38V rails to raise the dynamic headroom of the gain stage to unprecedented levels.
All 99H circuitry is sealed in a beautifully machined, textured and heatsunk housing before being potted with a proprietary mineral and epoxy resin.
Thermal stability and increased reliability are thus happy by-products of dramatically improved performance.

• Fully Balanced, Phase Isolated Construction. Outputs are fully-balanced and inputs are of instrumentation quality balanced design.
Active output audio circuitry is separated for total isolation of mirror-imaged positive and negative phases.
Attention to detail is, of course, well beyond expectations in a product of this level.

• Framed and Damped Circuit Board Mounting. Every critical audio circuit board in the new 3050 is framed in a custom machined, aerospace-grade aluminum housing rather than screwed to a plate. Vibration damping
material is then sandwiched between the circuit board and the frame in order to eliminate even the tiniest mechanical resonances that could have any possible microphonic effect on the clarity of the musical output.

• Custom Granite and Stainless Steel Platform. Because of the tremendous weight of each 3050 (380 lbs./172 kg), every unit is shipped with a stable platform of alternating layers of black granite and polished stainless steel that is custom cut to the angles and dimensions of each chassis.
This is no longer just an audio component, but art on a pedestal.

Contact and information

3235 Prairie Avenue ⋅ Boulder, CO 80301 ⋅ U.S.A.
Tel: 303-449-8220 x110 ⋅ Fax: 303-449-2987 ⋅ E-mail: rmaez@boulderamp.com ⋅ Web: www.boulderamp.com

Reviewer

Marc Philip, editor, www.magazine-audio.com

Is there anyone who has never asked him or herself, « How would my system behave with better electronics? »

Or perhaps,

« … what does a high end preamp sound like? »
« … is a Class A amplifier really better than a Class AB? »
« … what difference does a power conditioner make? »

To answer these questions, we installed in our listening room, in the place of our reference, a completely different system lent to us by a local audiophile.

We knew this setup from previous sessions in our friend’s listening room with his speakers.
Now was our chance to find out how his electronics sounded in our own listening room.

System Components

Music Hall CD 25.2 digital transport, Sound Fusion Cd player shelves dedicated.

Bel Canto II digital converter

Melos SHA1 Studio Series vacuum tube preamplifier

Pass Aleph 5 amplifier, Class « A », 60 W / channel

PS Audio Power Plant 300 AC regenerator (500W maximum load)

Wireworld Stratus III AC cord on the converter. Stereovox HDXV digital interconnect.

Kimber Silver Streak interconnect with Eichman bullet plugs from converter to preamplifier via the amplifier.

Goertz Alpha Core MI 2 Veracity copper speaker cables with rhodium connectors. Wireworld Stratus III AC cord on the preamp.

XSymphony Precision One AC cord with gold Furutech connectors on the amplifier.
(This cord replaced a Wireworld Electra 5 with silver Leviton connectors, a cord which we thought imposed too much of its « own » character, forward in the high frequencies, and unbalanced the overall sound.)

XSymphony Triton Silver SE AC cord on the Music Hall transport and the PS Audio power conditioner.

Only the loudspeakers remained from our own system.
These are Monsoon FPF 1000 hybrid threeway units, upgraded with better crossover components (Mundorf Silver & Oil caps) mounted externally on triple points.

AC line treatment

Three dedicated circuits of BX 4 x 10 gauge cable run from the entry panel. Each line has its own breaker and is connected to a 20 amp double wall plug.
Our usual Furutech RTP6N box for the digital components was replaced here by the PS Audio Power Plant 300.

Audio supports and furniture

« Amadeus » tripod audio rack and shelves, Tripod steel & wood floor stands from the Marc Philip Design inovaudio™ line.

Sound Fusion Sound Fusion UNIVERSAL CD PLATFORM SF-79 advanced line of components and accessories.

Listening room

4.9 metres x 3.53 metres (16 feet x 11.5 feet), painted gyproc (gypsum wallboard) walls and ceiling.

Acoustic treatment

inovaudio™ design type 2D horizontal and vertical diffuser panels

As a warmup, we thought it a good idea to take the time to get used again to the Goertz speaker cables, which replaced our own XSymphony Silvers.
The MI2 cables have a fairly high capacitance of 3535 pF, and they need an amplifier capable of driving such a load.

Our Crimson monoblocks could indeed take it, but curiously we heard something we had never heard before: voices were shifted towards the left of the soundstage.
We have no explanation for this.

The Goertz cables have their own signature, which you either enjoy or not. Their sound is soft and round, with no exaggeration, but they are most suitable for systems which need calming down at the high end and some help in the bass; this should enter into any purchasing decision.

There was absolutely no doubt about the difference in the sound reproduced by the two systems, using our Monsoon FPF 1000 hybrid speakers.

Having said that, what exactly was the difference?

Remember that with electronics of this quality the slightest change in setup is audible, so that a simple AC cord, a speaker cable or an interconnect swap will contribute its sonic « signature » and affect the fine tuning of the system. This is one way to achieve an impeccable setup, if an impeccable setup is what you desire.

The beauty of having high end electronics is that you can work on these little details and the results are audible; the effort is not in vain.

Further adjustment was not needed in the first hours after the system had been properly set up. All the same we placed the transport on a shelf made by Marlen Mogilever, director of R & D for Sound Fusion, a division of the Global Wood group.

This shelf is made up of two modules, the first of 2.7 cm (1 1/8″) plywood, with four brass and plastic cones set into the underside to provide coupling to ground. These four points rest on four Reference Vibe Boosf?ter I damping cups.

These damping cups are made of two different materials.
The centre is hard, to receive the point, and the periphery is soft, to provide damping.

A second shelf, made of acrylic 2 cm (3/4″) thick, sits on the wooden shelf, decoupled from it by four Reference Sound Booster III rubber pucks calibrated to accept the weight of a CD player.

The whole thing is a sort of monument dedicated to digital and is unpretentiously called a doublelevel CD platform.

In order to keep the system sounding as much as possible the way it did in its owner’s home, we kept the PS Audio power regenerator in the system, at the maker’s « SS1″ setting, which provides a stable 117 volts at 60 Hz followed by tow 120 Hz partial cycles.

We would see later on how the system behaved with the PS Audio Power Plant at different settings, and without it entirely.

Results

The difference we mentioned? A real improvement in two frequency ranges, the bass and the upper midrange.

The bass had new extension and firmness, voices were better defined and more natural.
The difference was flagrant as we went from one system to the other and back again.

The sound was less dry, smoother, and I loved the midrange, very natural with a nice height.

I’ve noticed in the past that missing detail seems to be the first thing we perceive in a comparative listening session.
For me anyway, going from a highperformance system to one a little less good is more revealing than going the other way.
I can evaluate an improvement and not just a difference.

The minuses

The extreme highs were slightly laid back, but this is being finicky.
Auditory memory being what it is, I am still thinking of our usual system as a reference.

We thought of trying something just to see what happened.

As we saw, the special shelves under the CD transport were in decoupling (soft) mode.
My idea: switch to coupled (hard) mode.

To do this, I removed the acrylic shelf and the four Sound Booster IIIs, then replaced the four Vibe Booster I cups with four aluminumandwood cups from our catalogue.

The transport thus was sitting on three Black Diamond Racing Cones with carbon supports Those Things.

As we have frequently observed, coupling is much more effective than decoupling under a CD player, yielding better definition and a less heavy, more articulate bass.

This setup put the bass and the lower mids on a muchneeded diet, which allowed the extreme highs to appear where they had been absent previously.

You read us right: decoupling supports under a CD player may well produce a rounder sound… a useful thing to know if that’s what you want.

To confirm our impression, we decided to test Mr. Mogilever’s shelf a little further by doing something he suggests: setting a Vibe Buster II or vibration hunter on top of the transport.

In fact we did get the best results with the Vibe Buster II on top of the CD transport, but without the Sound Fusion cups which cancelled some of the Vibe Busters’ effect.

Set up coupled/decoupled in this way, the CD player sounded more at ease.

We wind up with four inovaudio coupling cups (i.e. rigid links) made of solid wood with aluminum inserts.

The four points + wood shelf + four rubber decouplers + acrylic shelf + Vibe buster Sound Fusion on top of the CD transport.

Simply removing the Vibe Busters from this setup changed the bass response.

Keeping them or not was a question of taste. Some will like their full, ample low end and others will prefer a tighter bass with more slam, better defined and « cleaner ».
Whichever way you like it, the effect is there.

Upcoming tests

– The PS Audio Power Plant 300 and its different modes and settings
– The system without the Power Plant 300
– A different RCA interconnect from the preamp to the Pass power amp
– The Melos preamp with the Crimson monoblocks
– The Proceed player with the Melos preamp.
– The Proceed player with our Sima P2001 preamp and the Pass Aleph 5 amplifier
– Whatever you’d like to try out if you were doing it with us, just ask!

Record listening to this session :

1 Chris Jones (No sanctuary here) 03:47
2 Blues Company (Cold rain) 05:44
3 France Gall (besoin de vous)Live Bercy 1993 03:36
4 Oscar Peterson Trio “You look good to me” 04:47
5 Monty Alexander Trio “Nite Mist Blues” 10:10
6 Georgia on my mind (jazz vocal) 05:14
7 Holly Cole (I can see clearly now) 04:13
8 J.Strauss (Tik-Tak Polka-Orchestre Pasdeloup en Répétition) 03:54
9 J.Terrasson (la Javanaise) 03:33
10 Jheena Lodwick (FIM) (Do that to me one more time) 03:57
11 Martin Xavier (Scene de la vie pastorale) 02:04
12 Musica Nuda (How Insensitive) 02:36
13 Patrick Husson (Casta Diva) 02:41
14 Rachelle Ferrell (Prayer dance) Montreux 1991 06:31
15 Sometimes I feel Like a motherless child (spiritual) 02:26
16 Vincent Bidal trio (La boheme) 03:33
17 Canon in D (Pechelbel) 06:43
18 Clochettes et sonnailles 03:09

Sound Fusion Inc.

1111 Flint Road, Unit 1,
Downsview, Ontario,
Canada M3J 3C7

Tel: 416-645-1726
Fax: 416-645-1727

Web site :

www.soundfusion.ca

E-mail:

info@soundfusion.ca
_____________________________________________

This article as been written by Marc Philip independent writter to www.magazine-audio.com, all rights reserved, copyright 2006, texts and photos are the property of the author, under liscence commons:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncnd/2.5/ca/

Trends Audio unveils PA-10.1D Tube Headphone/Pre Amplifier for supporting Bi-amp audio system!

Trends Audio PA-10.1D

ITOK Media Limited’s innovative Hi-Fi brand « Trends Audio » (www.TrendsAudio.com) launched its new innovative Hi-Fi product

Trends PA-10.1D Tube Headphone/Pre Amplifier.

It provides all functions of headphone amplifier and pre amplifier as well have fun tube rolling.
New Trends PA-10.1D includes a swithchable input(CD/DAC or PC/iPod)and two inputs for targeting Bi-amp audio system below US$1,000 budget. Meanwhile, it applies ELNA capacitors which result in improved transient performance, enhanced spatial accuracy and low frequency realism.

« With pure class-A circuit and low voltage hybrid (tube/transistor) preamp provides audiophile quality sound and easy/safe DIYer accessibility, new PA-10.1D Tube Headphone/Pre Amplifier is an affordable and compact hybrid pre amplifier and the economical way to enter the true high fidelity headphone system. » say David Ho, the marketing director of Trends Audio.

« As you know, the Hi-Fi product is no longer <>.

In addition, changing different tubes to taste for different sound is the great fun for many audiophiles and also a great feature of Trends PA-10.1D.
A creative device that you can use to add color to individual tracks.
As the sonic differences of individual pre amplifier become more apparent to your ears, you can begin to see them as colors in your sound palette, using them on different tracks and in different settings to build a distinctive sound. »

Trends Audio PA10.1D

Features

* support both 6DJ8/6922 series and 12AU7 series tubes by simply switching the jumpers.
* the innovative circuit design of low voltage hybrid (tube/transistor) pre-amp to provide audiophile quality sound.
* ONE bi-triode 6DJ8/6922 or 12AU7 tube as voltage amplification and TWO MOSFETs as output driver which perform the warm, comfortable tube sound and in addition, guarantee the high fidelity & sufficient driving power to the next power amplifier stage.
* Besides the normal audio output in the back panel, ONE headphone output in the front to drive even high-impedance audiophile-grade headphones.
* compact design (mini-size & light weight), suitable for hi-fi room, living room, sleeping room or even right beside your laptop computer or iPhone-Fi.
* TWO precise screw-driving potentiometers for professional audiophiles to adjust the tube*s bias voltage to guarantee the best working point for different tubes.
* require just a single +24V power supply ONLY, besides the bundled AC adaptor, audiophiles can apply all other power supply with the same spec., e.g. lead-acid batteries.
* a specially designed AC power adaptor with extra low ripple & noise for Hi-Fi device is bundled for continuous power supply
* separate pre-amp unit & power adaptor to minimize interference and flexible to apply other power sources, e.g. lead-acid battery.
* all audiophile-graded parts and components
* new stylish aluminium case(4mm thick) provides outstanding shielding & grounding capability to keeps the background silent and maximize the S/N ratio.

Comparison between Trends PA-10 and Trends PA-10.1D

Comparison between Trends PA-10 and Trends PA-10.1D

Trends PA-10.1D SE/GE*
Tube Russian 6H23n/
U.S.A 12AU7 Russian 6H23n /
U.S.A GE 12AU7
Audio output Capacitor EVOX cap (White) ELNA
Input Two (CD/DAC & PC/iPod) One (swithchable) (CD/DAC or PC/iPod)
Output One Two
Volume Control ALPS ALPS
Weight 380g 400g

MSRP Price(US$)

Trends PA-10.1D Tube Headphone/Pre Amplifier will be available in November and the suggested retail are Special Edition US$299 (with Russian 6H23n tube)and GE Edition US$299 (with USA 12AU7 Tube) and it may be the first and the most competitively priced Tube Headphone/Pre Amplifier for Hi-Fi and iPhone-Fi market.

For more information or interested to become their resellers, you can visit their web site at http://www.TrendsAudio.com or by phone (852)2566-5810 or by email at sales@TrendsAudio.com

About Trends Audio.

Trends Audio is a Hong Kong based company working in audio/video and multimedia production. Since the release of Trends TA-10 Class-T Stereo Audio Amplifier in 2006, Trends has received many prizes from Hi-Fi Magazine and Hi-Fi community worldwide. Trends Audio’s products have become legendary for their compact design, performance and reliability in high end audio market.

Our quest for high fidelity leads us to explore every possible avenue in the hope of improving what we hear.
On our journey we have learned that the smaller the signal loss, the better the sound reproduction, or to put it another way, less noise equals more music.
Today, we know from experience that good acoustics, a good AC power supply, effective vibration control (rack, shelving, points) and proper speaker placement all go to make the foundation of a hi-fi system worthy of the name.

Silentplugs by Audio Exklusiv

What I didn’t know before this test was that undesirable vibrations can be controlled right at the circuit board. May I present to you, in the accessories corner, the Audio Exklusiv Silentplug?

A lot of you will think that it’s one more exotic gadget, a piece of audiophile voodoo, an esoteric thingy for the audiophile who is bored with his system. Well, you can forget that. This is a whole other thing and I was surprised by it myself, which is why you’re reading about it here.

Silentplugs

Origin : Germany
Objective : control vibration and resonance on the circuit board.

The manufacturer also claims that the Silentplug reduces distortion. We were not able to verify this and it leaves me puzzled.

Appearance

Close up to Silentplugs

The four Silentplugs in the box look like male RCA connectors, the difference being that the hot or centre pin is made of a sort of dense, nonconducting white felt. The rest of the plug is metal covered with a black plastic material.
Preliminary question
Do the Silentplugs really have an effect on sound?
Yes, without any doubt.

Alain’s Opinion
They quiet things down, they filter or something, but whatever they do, it works on the sound for sure.
The piano seems livelier, the guitar is more present. On the other hand I felt that the bass was less present, not as full. The mids seemed nearer to the listening chair. I didn’t go for them all that much but I didn’t try them on the other RCA plugs in back of my CD player.

My Own Opinion

My own hifi system while Silentplugs test

Apparently something really does happen when you use Silentplugs. I wouldn’t call it filtering as such, instead I would say there’s more coherence.
The sound seems more coherent to me—if there had still been any colouration, it was gone now. The music didn’t seem changed, in fact to me it sounded more real, as though artifacts had been cleaned away. It’s a subtle effect but it only takes a few seconds to hear.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there was an isolating material around the body of the Silentplug.
Is it an improvement or just a difference?
Whatever it is, I found it worthwhile to keep a pair of Silentplugs in the back of my CD player. Does that answer the question?

Price of 4 Silentplugs : $199

Verdict about Silentplugs

Strengths :

• Easy to install
• Positive effect on sound
• German made

Weaknesses :

• Nothing to speak of, except perhaps that we don’t know what they’re made of.

Silentplugs behind the CDP integris

Conclusion
Who would have thought that vibration control at the back of our precious equipment could affect the sound so much?

Contact

Charisma Audio

Manager : Bernard Li

Suite 86
4261, Highway 7
Markham, Ontario
Canada L3R 9W6
Telephone: (905) 470-0825
Fax: (905) 470-7966

E-mail: charisma@rogers.com

Web site : www.charismaaudio.com

Article by Marc Philip, independent publisher, all rights reserved, copyright 2011, text and photos are the property of the author and the magazine, under creative commons licence.

Have a nice day and happy listening !

Ciamara Debuts WideaLab Aurender S10 Music Storage and Playback System
Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Bel Canto Room 557

Ciamara, a vertically integrated audio engineering firm in New York, designs, manufactures, distributes and installs ultra-high end audio systems and components.

Ciamara control panel

Ciamara’s Sanjay Patel discovered the 24/192 WideaLab Aurender S10 Music Storage and Playback System and immediately realized its synergy with Ciamara’s expertise in computer audio systems. WideaLab realized they’d found a perfect distribution partner and Sanjay is now the exclusive distributor in the US. Interested dealers line up at the door and take a number!

Surrender to the Aurender!
Multi-purpose computers are no match for a dedicated, purpose-built component like the Aurender S10. With an audio-dedicated operating system, superb clocking technologies, proprietary linear power supplies for the audio boards, and a solid aluminum chassis with isolating partitions, the Aurender S10 unifies superb features, functionality and exuberant, colorful high-end sound.

The S10 features a 2TB drive, a 64G SSD (solid-state drive) and full iPad control with a beautiful integrated, thoughtfully laid out software interface. Use the USB input or simply drag and drop downloaded or ripped music files onto the S10 in popular formats like AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, WAV, MP3, MP4, M4A, and APE. Free yourself of all that plastic! Playback into your DAC of choice is a breeze using the iPad interface. The S10 offers an AES/EBU, SPDIF and TOSLink optical outputs, one LAN and a pair of USB inputs.

Computer audio aficionados as well as computer-phobic audiophiles will appreciate the quality and simplicity of the Aurender S10; it’s so easy to use! Audiophiles will recognize it as a big step forward in high-end convenience and sound for the inevitable move to server-based audio.

Your Soundcard or Mine?
The circuitry in off-the-shelf soundcards is far from ideal for high resolution playback. Several leading soundcards were originally designed for mixing multiple tracks and in high-performance audio it’s recognized that adding more circuitry effects performance. Also most soundcards use ordinary quartz crystals which are less accurate and less stable than TCXO (Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillators) and OCXO (Oven controlled Crystal Oscillators) clocks found in Aurender products.

Everyone recognizes that computers on their own quartz clocks sound terrible, so consumers invest in soundcards. But a little known fact is that a number of audio server manufacturers do the same, relying on the clock and anti-jitter re-clocking circuits of these common soundcards to do the job.

WideaLab understands that the word clock is the heart of any professional-level recording. The clock’s accuracy and stability is the foundation of quality recording and playback. And pros don’t rely on a clock from a soundcard! So why should high-end audio products?

WideaLab builds their own soundcards specifically for playback of high-resolution files.
They also design and build their own clock and PLL-based re-clocking modules using superior TCXO and OCXO technology plus FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays). You won’t find any evidence of these more precise clocking technologies in any other music storage and playback component.

Solid-State Drives Put You in the Fast Lane
CD players and transports rely on noisy electrical and mechanical components. There’s vibration from the drive, electrical noise from the motor, laser servos and the graphic display, and very high frequency noise from chip activity like data buffering and DSP. Without isolation these effects create jitter and pollute the analog output stages while injecting noise back into the AC line to be picked up by other components.

SSDs – Solid-State Drives – have no latency, no moving parts and virtually zero access time! The S10 goes even further to ensure perfect results with a SSD cache for best timing performance and highest resolution playback.

WideaLab designs and manufactures its own audio boards, front panel control and display modules. The S10 uses low- power circuits, excellent shielding and mechanical damping, careful case design, and built-in effective AC power conditioning.

The S10 features a high-quality switch-mode power supply for non-audio boards and linear power supplies for the audio circuits.

Let’s Get Ripped!
There are two ways to rip to the S10. Buy a standalone CD drive with a USB output. When connecting and inserting a CD the S10 reads the data and downloads the track and artist information from online databases; easy enough for anyone. Or rip from your computer using XLD on a Mac or EAC on PCs. Tagging techniques keeps everything neat and tidy. Your iPad or the AMOLED display keeps you informed!

See and hear the Aurender S10 in Room 557!
Once you Surrender to the Aurender you’ll never go back!

Sanjay Patel • CEO • Ciamara Corporation
Manhattan Showroom: +1 212 233 2898 • Mobile: +1 917 575 4708
Email: sanjay@ciamara.com • Web: www.ciamara.com

The word “Reference” is back in the Furutech dictionary.

Always on the lookout for new stuff, I watch the manufacturers carefully.

Furutech has done it again, I would never have guessed I’d be looking at an “ordinary” wall socket and realizing they could be made better still.

Furutech AC plug rhodium

I already use Furutech FT-15A® et FT-D 20A® AC sockets and I know and like them well, especially the FT-D 20A which I consider a refererence.

But how can a “simple” AC socket possibly make so much difference?

The following photos show the GTX-D Rhodium side by side with the first-generation FT-15A®, which we presently use on the RTP-6 power box.

Furutech GTX-D (left) and FT-15A (right)

Without going into detail, let’s say we’re looking at something frankly innovative.

Just looking at the GTX (left) and the FT-15A-N1 (right), it’s easy to see that the bracket material as well as the socket body (white on one, black on the other) is twice as heavy.
The two barriers behind the screw connectors (already part of the design of the FT-D 20A ) make the connections more secure.

This GTX-D is built like a rock.

Furutech GTX-D and Furutech FTD-15

We tried several configurations. The most obvious result came when the GTX was placed behind the power conditioner.

So now there are three versions of the AC wall socket in the Furutech catalogue, and at first glance the differences lie in three points:

Positive safety system using a movable flap in front of the plug contacts
Thick, heavy-duty material
Internal clamping system.

Does that explain why, although we were very happy with the earlier reference units, the sound changed for the better with the GTX?
I can’t say for sure, I can only note what I heard.

Furutech GTX-D (bottom) et FT-15A (top)

We didn’t do any measuring to try to find out, we just trusted our ears to tell us if something was happening and if it was better or just different.

My friend Yves took on the installation.

For this test he lent us the two dedicated 10 AWG BX-cabled AC lines that feed his system.

He did his comparative listening on his own, then called me over to hear for myself.

Furutech GTX-D move to the RTP-6

It didn’t take very long for us to admit that the GTX was far superior to the FT-15A… and that’s when I began to wonder what was going on.

With our old reference socket, the FP-15A®-N1, the sound, which was already good, had a recognizable signature. At higher volume (+94 dB) certain keynotes in the high midrange stood out and voice had a slight aggressive character on a grainy background.

In all our tests, when volume rises over 90 dB certain sonic features stand out clearly.

With the GTX in place, there were no more unpleasant keynotes and voice was perfectly smooth. You would have thought we’d changed system settings, although of course we hadn’t.

Subjective dynamics improved overall.
My first reaction to this was to check that the volume setting hadn’t been changed. It was still the same, and I had to accept that this second listen was really good, much better than the first.

It was less forced at high volume but had better dynamics: more of everything but without colouration or emphasizing some frequencies more than others. Tonal balance was maintained, and that’s very important to my ears.

Attacks were cleaner, bass was tighter and more dynamic.
Along with with the better control of transients, that left us in no doubt.
We had moved to a higher level, against all expectation.

I had been skeptical, certainly, I had no idea I could improve the sound of my system even more with a simple AC socket, and yet…

Listeners who absolutely must have measurements as proof will be disappointed, I have no sound-capturing equipment besides my ears, but for everyone else: the ears worked this time, I guarantee.

Since these tests Yves has bought a Furutech GTX-D® socket and plans to get another, to separate his AC supply into two lines for improved performance.

GTX-D black one

Features of the GTX-D

Rhodium or gold-plated α (Alpha) Pure Copper Conductor (0.8mm)
Nonmagnetic stainless conductor spring system
Body material: Nylon/fiberglass with piezo ceramic and carbon damping material
Cover material: Polycarbonate
Parts anchored with nonmagnetic 2.0mm-thick stainless brace plate
Specified for wire diameters of 4mm (set screw)
Dimensions: 104.0 mm (L) x 47.2 mm (W) x 28.0 mm (H)

GTX-D (R) close up

Because the internal contact system is patented, Furutech can boast it has the best product on the market because there is no eqiuvalent.
For proof you just have to plug in a cord and unplug it.
You can feel right away it’s not an ordinary socket.
You need to insist when you plug in, and once the plug is in it’s there to stay.
The contact is firm and solid.

Back to my home

I set up my second listening test by removing one Furutech FT-15A(R)-N1 socket from my Furutech RTP-6 power bar and putting a GTX rhodium in its place, which left me two double FP-15As and one double GTX-D.
I use the .flac musique files on the NMT hard drive.
The stereo audio signal is brought to the receiver by digital coax and via HDMI for TrueHD and multichannel.
The Furutech bar is plugged into my Belkin PureAV power conditioner.

To make the comparisons simpler, I use only the Yamaha receiver, plugged into three different AC sockets:

1. An ordinary AC contractor-quality wall socket.
2. One of the Furutech FT-15A sockets in the RTP-6 power bar.
3. The Furutech GTX-D newly installed in the RTP-6.

I can easily go from one socket to another, turning the receiver off each time, then switching it right back on again, at the same volume setting, once the plug is in.

Internal contacts Furutech GTX-D (R)

Question : So, is there any audible difference in the sound with the different plugs?
Answer : Yes, without any doubt at all.

To make the test relevant to the greatest possible number of listeners, I used my HT gear for the test, i.e. an NMT Popcorn Hour C200 and a Yamaha RX-V1065 receiver.

This is the kind of equipment you find at Dumoulin in Quebec, at the FNAC in France or at Future Shop in Canada.

But before we go on we should note that the results obtained will obviously vary with the quality of the equipment used. Just to make the listening context perfectly clear: you can’t turn an ordinary horse into a purebred racer, and the sound of a Yamaha RX-V1065 will never rival that of a dedicated hi-fi amplifier.

Listening

With the first, contractor-grade socket the sound is confused. I have the impression the bass is forward and the highs laid back, the stereo image is low and lacks definition. If I bring the volume up to -20dB, the sound gets frankly aggressive, with a coloration I don’t like at all and that some would call the “Yamaha sound”, but wait until you hear what comes next before you jump to that conclusion.

With the second socket, the FP-15A, the music comes back to life, the musical message is much clearer, graininess and confusion have gone, the stereo image is higher, wider and better defined and the voice is clearly placed in the middle of the surrounding instruments. I was able to turn the volume up to -20dB in comfort, the highs were really astonishingly present and clear although there was a slight background coloration in the middle high frequencies.

With socket number 3, the GX-D, I get more dynamics and a significant reduction in noise! Bass is full, remarkably solid and powerful — I didn’t feel this foundation before. The rest of the spectrum is still there. It’s hard to express the feeling, there is no aggressiveness, nothing, not the slightest hair of disagreeable tone. I turn up the volume and… it sounds as though I have another amplifier, plain and simple.

There is a nice 3-D quality to the stereo image, so I get a clear perception of sound planes in depth, width and height. Not too shabby with a simple Yamaha receiver and an NMT!

I would say that the tonal balance is very good given the context.
No frequency band stands out to the detriment of another.
The highs are integrated into the music without unusual emphasis. Socket number 2 lets a little noise through for sure, but it also adds a very nice little something due to the more colored or at least more obvious highs. This helps to reveal more detail, or at least apparent detail.
Must be my hi-fi side taking over

This is when I start thinking very hard about all those glib judgments you hear of the sonic signature of one piece of gear or another. If you know what I’m talking about, I think it might be a good idea to test a bit more carefully before offering this kind of thing for people to take as read. But we digress…

Conclusion

I didn’t believe the distributor when he introduced the GTX-D socket to me as a major development in the Furutech range. He was right about it, though, and thank you, Simon Au.

! What may explain the amazing performance of this AC socket is its unusually solid build coupled with the “clamp” system which provides each contact point with a firm grip over its entire surface. No vibration can get through. It’s by far the best system I’ve ever seen on an AC socket.

Since we’ve never seen anything better in this kind of product, it’s only right to confer the status of “Reference 2010” on the GTX-D ® AC socket in recognition of the R&D effort of an industry leader.

Prix Ultimate Reference 2010

The editorial team is unanimous in recommending the GTX Rhodium version. Don’t forget that to get the best out of your audio or video system you’ll need to work on the electricity that comes into it.

Everything starts with electrical power. All the rest — acoustics, speaker placement, racks and shelves, cables, vibration control — come afterwards.

Three of our systems at the magazine are now equipped with the GTX-D ®. We consider this guarantees the best possible performance and the most reliable tests in the future.

i Want to get the best out of your system?

Why not start with the best right off the bat, a GTX-D ® socket? Ideally you’ll need two, one for digital gear and one for analog.

The Furutech GTX-D ® is without the shadow of a doubt the best on the market currently. With the exceptional FI-50, I think we can affirm without hesitation that it makes the couple of the year and frankly, the best connectors in the industry.

If you can afford them, these new Furutechs will make a solid base on which to build your system.

Our verdict on the GTX-D ® AC wall socket:

Strengths :

• Exceptional build quality
• High level performance, with a tonal balance second to none,
• Helps to eliminate background noise,
• Patented system,
• Introduces no coloration into the sonic message,
• Has no competition,
• Choice of either gold or rhodium contact plating.
• Makes you want to sit down and listen to music at realistic volume levels.

Weaknesses :

• Price.
• Relative fragility of the screws,
• No competition, which makes one strong point a weak one too.

Pricing

• FT-15A(R)-N1:15A 125V duplex receptacle (Rhodium): 104,50$ + tx
• FT-D20A(R) Duplex Receptacle: 181.50$ + tx
• GTX-D(R) 20A-125V Duplex Receptacle, Cuivre plaqué Rhodium: 221.76$ +tx

Test recordings

• Metallica: Nothing Else Matters
• Avichai Cohen: Continuo
• Laurence Revey: Immortal
• Anne Bisson: Blue Mind
• George Faber: Blues.
• Oscar Peterson Trio: We Get Requests [K2HD],
• Analekta (.flac) André Laplante – Chopin_ Sonate No. 2 en si bémol mineur, op. 35 _ I. Grave – Doppio movimento
• Analekta (.flac) Ensemble Caprice – Vivaldi_ Gloria en ré majeur, RV 589 _ I. Allegro_ Gloria in excelsis Deo
• Analekta (.flac) Valérie Milot – Godefroid_ Étude de concert en mi bémol mineur
• Analekta (.flac) VIVALDI_Gloria_I_Caprice
• Analekta (.flac) BEETHOVEN_SymphonyNo7_Allegro_OF_JPTremblay
• Analekta (.flac) BACH_MagnificatBWV243_Magnificat_anima_BachChoir

My system components:

40″ Sony KDL5100 Bravia TV, (excellent value)
Stéréolith model 232 « Audiophile » in the HT setup, the brilliant creation of Walter Schupbach
Yamaha RX-V 1065 receiver
Klipsch RS-W 10 subwoofer with our own mods
Furutech Alpha pure Silver digital cables with Furutech Filament Rhodium connectors.

HDMI cables: the C200 stock cable to the Yamaha receiver and a Real Cable model from the receiver to the Sony TV.

AC power cable to the source: Silver Triton by XSymphony, FI-25 Furutech Rhodium connectors AC power cable to the RTP-6: Figaro silver/rhodium model from the Blueberry Hill Audio range (made in Canada), Furutech FI-28 Rhodium connectors

Belkin Pure AV power conditioner

inovaudio® « Art Métal » audio rack, custom model (made in Canada)

The multimedia room is 3.50m wide x 5.30m long x 2,48m high

Canadian Furutech distributor:

AUDIYO inc Associate
Manager: Simon Au
10520 Yonge Street, Unit 35B, suite 267 Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C3C7
Canadian importer: www.audiyo.com

Manufacturer’s site: www.furutech.com

French Furutech Distributor

L’AUDIODISTRIBUTION
Manager: Jean-Claude Nantois. 22, Avenue Beau Plan – 13013 Marseille
Téléphone: 04.91.06.00.23 – Fax: 04.91.06.75.25
Site web: http://www.laudiodistribution.fr

Next step: mounting the three FT-15A, FP-D 20A and GTX-D sockets in the Furutech RTP-6 power bar for a final test with both audio and video.

Article by Marc Philip, independent publisher, all rights reserved, copyright 2011, text and photos are the property of the author and the magazine, under creative commons licence.

Have a nice day and happy listening !

Staying Current

One thing that we at Nordost continue to do is help our dealers understand more and more about the products we manufacture. Knowledge is power and the purpose of this first fact sheet is to showcase one of our unique products.

Nordost Sort Kone

Sort Kones

The Sort Kone is a sophisticated, directly coupled and mechanically tuned resonance control device, using a sophisticated new approach to the problem of supporting sensitive electronics.

Why the word “Sort”?

Because it’s Danish for black, which is exactly what the Sort Kones provide –a blacker background to your music. With it comes greater focus, instrumental color, depth, transparency and dynamic range. Your system will sound more natural and more lifelike and your music more lively and engaging.
Whereas most equipment supports are referred to as Isolation Devices, this actually completely misunderstands the nature of the problem.

The most harmful mechanical energy doesn’t enter the equipment from the outside; it’s generated internally by the audio circuits and their power supplies

Transformers, power supply caps, even the active devices themselves, all vibrate as they operate – and those vibrations occur right where the fragile signal is, creating timing errors that smear and distort the music.

Nordost Sort Kone

The Sort Kone is designed specifically to deal with this threat to audio fidelity.

Three-part construction employs superior materials in a mechanically tuned configuration.

Bypasses soft feet fitted to equipment in order to provide direct mechanical ground path for internal energy.

Can be used in triplets, quartets or even larger numbers.

Four levels of price and performance, depending on materials employed:

• AS- Aluminum w/steel coupling ball
• AC –Aluminum w/ceramic coupling ball
• BC- Bronze w/ceramic coupling ball
• TC – Titanium w/ceramic coupling ball

Contact and information

Bruno de Lorimier
Unison Sales Resources
bruno@unisonsales.ca
tel. (905) 352-3615
cell. (905) 767-566