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    Australian HiFi - May-June 2014

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    292 views84 pages

    Australian HiFi - May-June 2014

    Uploaded by

    milexconsult
    Australian HiFi - May-June 2014

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    australian a ‘Phones In Our Reader Survey See details on page 42 “The Best Sound at Vegas!” Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne Speakers Pro-Ject Elemental Turntable Creek Evolution 50A Amplifier Definitive Technology C4000 Subwoote Neodio Origine CD Player/DAC an excellent bridge to the future For 60 years, Marantz has been instrumental in conveying the true emotions of musicians by reproducing their music as fathflly as posible, just as they orginally played it. Following that tradition, Marantz continuously updates its stereo collection. The PM6005 is more than an upgraded successor to the multi-award-winning PMGO04. Much more. Because now you can connect this superb integrated amplifier dirclycoa vast range of digital sourees and use its superior DAC to create an unbelievably high level of audio enjoyment with new media, Based on the "Best CD player under £500” by “What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision?” in 2012, the new CD6005 is fine-tuned version with even more specially selected components and strictly refined digital and analogue ctcuity ike Marant’s own high speed armplifis, the HIDAM-SA2. ia Distributed by Quai Pty Lie 28 ne Rs Mt Wer Ve 3149, 85421122 Mono Rules, OK? Ya gota love the his industry. After inventing 1 populaising a fo thee oven homes, the sesame industry has been ding sound ‘quality backwards ever since but eberhard Zwicker and Richard Fedtkeler. Alt worked forthe Fraunhofer Insitute and i often called the ‘father of MP3” because hed been researching methods to compress ‘muse since 1977 and Setzer was a professor atthe Univesity of Erlangen ‘sho was involved in similar esearch, it was Zwicker and Feltkller who Started the whole thing, ‘way back in 1967 with thelr book ‘Das Or Nachrihtenempranger (The Eat 3s a Communication Receiver) where they pro sed that it was posible to remove information from a music signal without fectng the car’ ability to perceive the end result as musi because, a5 they ‘wrote in thee preface: Far lephones and radio signals tobe cst In other words, lossy arts of th Important on inal that ae vel that are prcsivabl by the compression, However, Zwicker and Seltzer only proposed the idea of lossy compres sion—it was upto others to actually de ‘the MP3 format itself (and it’s a fact that Institute should ge the credit they were issued a German patent for itn 1989), MES is, after al, only one typeof lossy codec, one that owes a great debt to ther types of lossy codecs, all developed prior to 1989, The problem is that MPS i now 0 ubiquitous that it has become a proprictary eponym, so that people say MP3" when they fulty ofthat transgression), However it the hil Indusrys latest triumph isthe discovery of monoph ‘problem is that I don’t know who I should blame for mono, Charles Cros Talon, (ldo know who to blame for stereo: Clément Ader, appears that MP3 was only the tp of the leberg, because nie sound, The ‘until 1981 that EMI engineer Alan Blumlein patented a method of st {two-channel audio on both record and fm) Iespective of who's to blame, many manufacturers are now sell ophonic sound systems, in which an original stereo signal i summed o create single channel of sound that is then reproduced by a single channel amplifier and a single bass/midrange diver and tweet, Others ae seling similar systems that, whilst ostensibly ‘stereo (in that they ae possessed of two-channel) have thee left and right speakers so close together thatthe only way sinst the front [Not that fm the st sound: I would, for example, far yood mono system and a stereo version of identical quality, Il take stereo 1d, thanks... Which is very probably the reason stereo became so pop lar inthe frst place. -V reg borrowmaan hii@rextmedia.com.a3) [Say what you like about de sand quality, anal the crabilty are longevty of the ess inescapably tre that developing the CD, he li- indsty names had ever experienc in thelr own homes wus. st fuser msc playback Mentosh Se SCOR Aa a eee aC es Re eee Mem E ee McIntosh and our iconic blue watt meters have Pee Reg Ce eee eae g eens ae We've powered Presidential inaugurations, The Grateful Dead's “Wall of Sound” and Woodstock. With Dem Re A Recc SME Rone eRe a age SYNERGY ‘We have been tempting many of you for some time with the new ‘Aria series of Focal speakers. We have had a small sample to play, but precious litle stock to supply. We are pleased to say that we have finally received larger shipments, and wil supply is stil somewhat tight we are now able to meet current dernand This isa very unusual range. We have always been very big fans of Focal, enjoying the liveliness and realism that the mpany’s speakers provide, Most companies have a style or character, andi sare that they would deviate from that, particularly if it working for them — as it obvious is for Focal. However tis new Aria range does sound cfferent, in ‘many ways being more subdued and fuller compared to their traditional offering. At the same time the Aria series has been an instant succes, itis rare that we have come across a product — speakers or otherwise which has immediately garnered such ncluding the staff). Nor does thelr appeal ‘end with thei sound quali. They are aso exceptionally wel priced, For example the bookshelf Aria 906 sll fr $1,399 a pai, offering tremendous value fora speaker of this build quality and performance. Possibly the most surprising part of this package s that Focal stil manages to keep these speakers super-competitive while stil hand-buiding them in France. Part of the success ofthis new range isa new cone material made from Flax (also grown in France.) Five years in development, this cone consists ofa layer of Flax fibres sand two layers of fibreglass. Flax satisfies the main criteria of a high performance diaphragm: high internal damping, high velocity an hed between high rigidity Importanty, it has aso proven to be very competitive in price. | 942 ABN 40 00 We have aso just eceived a new Bowers pul 600" series has Thisis a complete overhaul ofthe earlier sy have now don and Wikins. Their eve Series 5 been upgraded 10 nge with a more appealing shape, improved performance, plus away with the traditional timber colours, preterin (on Gloss Back av able now) and Gloss White (avaiable in about a ‘month’ time.) Like their many predecessors this range is destined to be very popula, andi price fram $699 for the smaller of the bookshe! models to $2,499 for the large One of our mos ing mod pulae and best-loved brands of electronic Naim Auxio, and with good reason, The sound quality of ths brand if fabulous, belying both is component sizes and ther prices, Add to | this the fact that Naim Audio reall has nailed the concept of streaming and you have a very powerful offering. Streaming Audio is row business (it starting to look ike auc sour big be streaming or vinyl — who would have seen that coming?) Naim fx rot the only company offering steaming devices; tis just that they do itbetter than most. One of the other water is Marantz, Their NA7OO4 '5899) must be one of the best bargains inthe industry. We have aken possession of Marantz ultimate streamer, the NAT1S1. Frsty it. tis one of those pieces of aud that you would be proud to awn. Marantz do this unerstreamer (curtetly on special at | must comment that this piece is beautifully 0 well with ther premium equipment. At the same time itis also a very, vey fine performer — certainly one of the best streamers on the market. At $5,900 this squarely aimed atthe top end of the market th 4 wil aso stand the test of time but this is a compo will get the best out of your siitally inal, we have aso jst taken he Musical Fidelity MF-100 headphones. MF has 2 reputation for producing righend, but very good-alue, tlectronics. These phones fit that profile perfectiy (even if at $229 they are considerably cheaper a Ra Urol eee eco err 24 EVOLUTION ACOUSTICS MMMICRO ONE LOUDSPEAKERS fxtterelyoffocdoble fr 0 specter that gave one ofthe bes! sounds heard in Vegas’ said John Atkinson of Stereophile, 34 PRO-JECT ELEMENTAL SMAIATY LNaWdINDI TURNTABLE An entrylevel tumtable, available with USB {5 on opton, proves to be a surprisingly capable pertorner. 40 ‘CREEK EVOLUTION 50A INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER This sleek new SO.vate orn the UK doesn't put a foot wrong—indoed its aeady won the award as bes! Stereo Amplifier of the Year Under $5,000’ so you won't go wrong buying this litte beauty. 48 DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY C4000 SUBWOOFER A magnificent subwooter: powedul, wot ‘equipped and easly outperforms larger mote expensive madels. But one thing, 58 NEODIO ORIGINE CD PLAYER/DAC According to Edgar Kramer youre not going to fd @ bettacbult unit thats both a CD Player and a DAC thats also so distinctively styled as this'Mode in France’ uni! 8 ‘AUDIO NEWS Aerial? headphones for chicken, YBA Returns to Oz Clearaucto Master Innovation. Fist Thinksound Orr, Oppo BDP-1050 Datbee Edition, Sol Republic studio- tuned, Porasound! ZDAC. Rega Satu CD player Yomoha tSX700 Atos Cable ct Weston, Wadia 321, SVS P8200 Oytus Seam X Signature, Sennheiser DJ & Studio ‘phones Yamaha RX O77. VAF DCX63, Cocklai dstibuton changes, Fexson now wih Aucto Dynamics. Legend upgrades Kanga, and more. DISnW READER SURVEY Tellus what you think about Australion HiFi Mogazine. ond how we could make it better for you, plus get the chance to win @ pair of Bose GuietComfort @C201 Noise Canceling Earphones! 63 FEATURE ARTICLE Rod Easdown says thete is on upside fo VD piracy, even though the sound quality is terible and the images even worse. He reveals the terbletrus he uncovered on recent tip to Bal. 3 EDITOR’S LEAD-IN Following the debacle that is MP3, the hifi industy’s most recent triumph i the 1 inoduetion of monophonic sound. Andt while the Germans cre 10 blame for MPS the jury out on who to lame for mono. 64 ROCK ON Forhis latest album. Liam Finn composed all the music, played al 67 instruments used to make it, recorded i in his own home, andl ‘ko produced I. and Jez Ford wos more impressed with i than he was with George Michoeslotest team eft 66 ‘SUPER FIDELITY Haltspeed mastered LPs Pure Audio Bluray discs, hybrid multichannel SACDs... John Sunier lislens to them ail, and comes to some surprising conclusions! 68 JAZZ TRACK The latest sounds tom Gary Peacock Main Crispel, Omar Sosa, Pat Methany. Ketil Bjomstad, Howie Smith, Mark. Nock, Not Bartsch are ail evaluated by the hyper Ctical ear of John Shand, 70 BLU-RAY REVIEWS Wete not sure it Andy Worhol would have opproved of high-resolution audio. but here's The Velvet Underground (and Nico) inhies... o a least as high os it could be ftom back in 1967. The musical Chicago fares better says Stephen Dawson. avhub.com.au hiefi | 5 Hifi exex: CONTENTS Parra eey arnt SOUND TRAVELS NEODIO ORIGINE puanrarreniven Maik Byars sysiem nos undergone | | €D PLAYER/DAC Pareto ee eet cued in Sound Ts DEPARTMENTS hisfi_& “The text rar od ee a eT) Cea Decry Pecan Deter Payers rls Cato eC eed Sere eae Jozz Track Sear Australian Introducing...PROGENY DT eC i] ee) een) ets Le ce Cece Pec tceed D> Propriotary bass driver with J a eee S Creo ~ ae eect Cee! tos eee) Creed and high performance amplifier eee raed Whatmough are very proud to announce the arrival of our newest Signature loudspeaker... Progeny. Fee mn ee ce ane eee ca ec naar Rec Sea acu a Tu cette Ca tuo CEUs Rue uae eer ona Pe et Rem ea eC Un otic n oe The stunning Whatmough Progeny pictured above features: Seer eRe tr ee te Deere eae cee i ase Un ce eke) Oe eee ane ee ee a ace Oe en eee ke Le Individually matched and paired drivers of the highest quality ee a ero om ne) See en eee cee Log Whatmough en eee Ph: +61 3 0545 5152 Pre tte SOUNDBI GENEVA WIRELESS S DAB The Geneva Wireless § DAB tabletop/bedside system HEADPHONES SAFE FOR CHILDREN -Acrial7 has released a range of ‘Bantam’ head phones with a smalle-than-usual headband, tough construction and volume limiting, Specifically tallored for use by children, Aerial7's Bantam headphones come in pink (Ange, red (Asteroid), yellow (Pakman) and blue Sonic). All have super soft, childsized eat cushlons, and a small-sized adjustable headband designed to it children, so there's no mote hasle with adultsized headphones. ‘Whether they tuning into an MPS, mobile phone or other music device, the Aerial? Bantam headphones are grea for young people who appreciate the highest Sour quality, absolutely anywhere sald Geoff Matthews, of Convoy Intemational, which distributes, ‘Aerial? in Australia, Aerial” also Is the newest addi to Geneva’s range. It has Blue tooth functionality bull in, so youl be able to use your ADevice of laptop and your favourite musi streaming app to steam muse fom that device to the Geneva Wire less SDABs, Altematively, you can use the full-Aeatured builtin DAB radio, The Geneva Wireless DAB also 75mm drivers, each driven by is oven Class-D ample. hasan alarm clock, tin bass ports, and wo fll incre ln Switzerand by Geneva Lab's awarding Inose design eam, the elegant plano-acquered Geneva osc superiority a is avalable In white, black ani re high ss lacauers, sad PhIMppe fer, of Adio Dynamics, which distributes Geneva Lab fn Australia "he systern als comes witha beau brushed leaniniu ta to ve you tat tl extra touch of sophisti ‘ation anc st. Buti the sound thats the mast impressive wl be blown away bythe precision aula quay that comes ‘rom the new Geneva Wireless § DABS,’ Available now, the ‘Geneva Wireless S DAB retails for $499 (RR, Bantam headphones are ——_— For further information, please contact Aucio Dynamics on (03) 9882 0372 or vst the website at fitted with Aeria7’s Auto matic Volume Reduction {AVR) Technology to protect, the sensitive eardrums of children, Matthews told Australian H-Fi Magazine volume and sound pressure are Apt stable at safe levels, protecting Your children’s hearing without compro -misng on sound quai Available now, the hetdphones havea recommended retail price of $49.99 For further information, please contac national on 1800 817 787 or vst the website at wwixehif.com.au Convoy Ink wut are designed in France and YBA IS BACK! pet l end onpinhion sple roar YA (founded by Ywes Bernard Andre) is now once again available fallhsrainal staff and dicated production are,’ said Crag Johnstone {in Australia, I's being distributed by Audio Heaven, which has four of Audio Heaven. The Model WA202 receiver ($1,560) with just four Aiferent YBA ranges already avallable, from the entry-level Design pushbutton controls on its minimalist font panel, sated by YBA Range through to the top-ofthe-line Signature range. At the time of at SOsatts per channel into 80, can store up to 8D preset stations going to press, Audio Heaven was expecting the arrvalof YBA'snew 40 FM, 40 AND, and has a pre-out option. It has four line-tevel Iluctooth-«quipped Genesis Range Inputs, plus an Pod input, and is supplied with a full-featured remote The Design Range consists of a Model WA202 receiver incorporat-- control, Johnstone hus high hopes for BA's Design range, not least ‘ng an integrated amplier and an AM/FM radio tuner (pictured), because ll component inthe range are just 820mm wide, eather than the standard 430mm, ‘'m confident that the Design Range wll prove popular with people on tne budget who ae ooking fr seat sound, stylishly packaged in ‘compact size hat wil suit smaller areas or ‘partments he si. For further information, please contact Audio Heaven on (04) 1265 0723 or vii the w 8 | Australian hi-fi TAY Osaudio Lev OE a TD Awide-bandwidth high-efficiency loudspeaker with unique innovations — a perfect synthesis of its PCM RUE Cane ROU LU el ene aCe SLU ‘SPECS: dc10aueios unique horn loading (all 3 drivers port through the horn) «12-inch full-range driver with AINiCo motor +1308 adjustable output RAAL ribbon tweeter loaded inthe bass hom « Powerful 12-inch bass driver with zero interfering grills» Bandwidth: 18 Hz-80,000 Hz + SPL 97 db « Dimensions:135 cm H x 40-48 cm W x57 cm D « Weight: 63 kg each AUDIOHEAVEN | SOAs Lola CURL) SOUNDBITES CLEARAUDIO CLEARAUDIO MASTER INNOVATION Australian distributor Advance Audio has released Clearadio’s new Master Innova: tion turntable, which has both a magnetic driveand a magnetic bearing, The Clearaudio Master Innovation turntable has a floating ‘main plater assembly that revolves without any physical contact with the drive source What appears to be a complex vertical stack (of platters isin fact a two-piece main platter, ‘an upper magnetic drive platter and a to- piece lower magnetic drive platter. A nartove ‘gp separates the upper and lower magnetic ‘ive platters so they do not physically touch. Instead, a ing of powerful magnets embed: ‘edn each transfers drive from one to the ‘othe so thatthe entie main platter assembly precisely rotates—sloating on, and driven by, nothing but a magnetic field. "The mode! name {smo acidnt,’ said Nigel Ng of Advance Au: ‘lo, Te was chose because this fatepacked ‘mastrpec really i master of innovation, ting the same ecolgles sed in Clearaudio's ro-compomise flagship Statement turntable which is consent by some to be the world’s fir ct, yet ts price les than aft ofthat ofthe Statement, bringing it wel within the each of | any audiopil, It produces performances fom inl recon thatthe original recording artist ould oy dea of The plat kept centred by a cerame magnetic bearing (CMB). Clearaudio says it uses a ceramic shaft because t can be polished to a much higher level than metal, allowing even more precise rotation, Rotational sped is controlled by Clearaudio's patented Optical speed Control (OSC) technology. The lower magnetic drive platter is a two-plece design, the lowest part being a 1Smm-thick stainless steel platter on the underside of which isa stroboscope ring microscopically etched with 1,500 bats The troboscope ring is re Information fed back to the motor, which is then adjusted as necessary. ‘The result an outstanding lve of sped stability and precision [Ng old Australian HUI Magazine. ‘Ifyou {roam of owning the worlds fnestrumtable but have yet to make your fortune, He Master by an infrared sensor and the Inmavation may wel be the next best thing Is ‘moule-breaking combination of state-of the-art patented features and exquisite design place it firm at the very top is tas. ROTEL For those who already own a Clearaudion Master turntable, there’ an upgrade path for the Master Innovation, but prices for every- fone else star at $31,995 (RRP) for the Wood finish and $33,995 forthe Black finish (no toncarm or catrdge include, For further information, please contact ‘Advance Audio on (02) 9561 0799 Cr ist the websita at warwadvanceaudio.com au Music has changed. Today we can stream it, download it, play whatever we like, whenever we like. But all too often, this convenience comes at a price: sound quality. Until now. Sr vin Rota MIS Ia aa ORC] coe) No other audio product in recent memory provides a bigger taste of legitimate high-end sound quality for as little money.” ‘The Absolute Sound, Product of the Year 2019 ., the Triton Seven Tower is going to be on nearly everyone's shortlist for Speaker of the Year in 2013.” Home Theater Magazine They'll put a smile on your face Not only that, they'll likely become your next reference s yeakers, just as they've become mine.” ‘Sound & Vision Award Winning Performance and Value Meet the latest addition to the GoldenEar Family, the Triton Seven. Featuring the same technology in the larger Triton Two and Three in a smaller form factor, the Triton Seven is one of the hottest products on the planet, winning more than seven global accolades and a dozen positive reviews. It's one of our favourites and will be for quite some time. Visit Goldenear.com.au for more information on the fantastic Goldenear range. goldenear.com.au To audition this - Audio Connection, NSW, 02 9561 0788 Product visit: . West Coast Hifi Joondalup, WA, 08 9300 0601 Eas CAYIN | THINKSOUND CAYIN CS-100A AMPLIFIER CCayin Audio has just released its dual-mode CS-100A valve ampll- Ser, whichis rated at 80 watts per channel in Class AB Ulta linear mode and S0-watts per channel in triode mode. ‘The CS 1004 isan updated version of the popular A-1OOT we had a couple of ours ao, sl Shame Lewis of Final Link Audio, which distrib tutes Cayin in Australia, “This ew made! has Dee etal reworked ‘and now offers a on-board bas mtr, can ran KT-88 or EL. fy tubes, has a high power utput of 80. per charm! using the KT-88 valves tha come as standard, and uses iver ternal wisn ‘and that’s just © nae afew features, he added. For those interested in the finer details of the ctcutry, the CS-100, uses a 6SN7 for voltage amplification, 12AU7EH for phase inversion and voltage amplification, and 12BH7EIE for volt ye amplification and driver stages, with KES8 or EL-34 output valves and comes with a soft-start circu to protect the ampli ‘of internal components, which include an Alps volume control, audlo-grade capacitors and carbon film resistors, a toroidal transformer forthe power supply, and wie: bandwidth El output transformers. Available now, the Cayin CSLOOA sells for $3,999 (RR), Manufacturer's Specifications: Cayin 5-100 Power Output: 50ws50w (riode)/ 8ow+80w (Ultralincar) Frequency Response: SHz-75kit2 Rd) THD: 195 (6 Tht) S/N Ratio: 92a Input Sensitivity: 4s0m\ Input Impedance: 100k0 Output Impedance: 40, 80 fier and extend the hi Inputs: Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Pre-in Output: Sub Out Dimensions (WDH): 420:394x200mm Weight: 30hy Power Consumption: 480) For further information, please contact Final Link Audio on (03) 9746 0394 or visit the website at www finallink.com.ou THINKSOUND ON1 ON-EAR Thinksound has released its rst on-ca (supra-aural) headphones, the Onl. They use 40mm drivers enclosed in wooden eat cups fitted ‘with memory foam ear pads that are linked by a lexible headband “The On is part ofa whole new and exciting category of headphones for Thinksoun” says Aaron Fowrnter, the company’s President and (CEO. “Moving imo larger headphone designs allows ws to futher enginer ur sound and create more accurate hi products.’ Avalable ina natural ‘wood finish, each Ont Includes two set of detachable Kevlar: forced, tangle-resistant fabricawrapped cables. One i standard 1.5m cable, while the other hasa microphone with single button control for use with smartphones. ‘Thinksound now has six headphone models; the Ont supra the MsO1 In-ear, the 1502 in-ear, the TS02+mic in-ear, the Rain n-eat and the T01 in-ear. Thinksound headphones are assembled primarily From renewable, recyclable sources suc as woo! and alumni, and feature PVC-ice cables, sad Billy Mavrovouniotis of Noisy Mote ‘whieh distributes Thinksound in Australia “al the packaging is made from recycled cardhord and eliminates the common plastic pices normal 'y asocated with headphone packing, so not ony are you geting exce- lent goal sunt uaity, but you cn fo goo about bein seen as well” Available now, the Thinksound Ont headphones retal for $449, For further information. please contact Noisy Motel on (03) 9510 7508 oF visit the website at www.nolsymotel.com OPPO BDP-105D IN OZ Cee emer er ete ene Pee ene ete ee ence eee ee te ee ent Pte eet ree enna are eg et ee ee et eg re arom ere rey Pee eee ee ner eatery ee nent ee eee ey Digital and comes in three versions: DSD64, DSD 128 and DSD256. nett eeteeer er iene ea ‘te use of a SABRE32 Reference ES9018 from ESS Technology, which ‘many cai she work's best performing 32-8 audio DAC. 12 | Australian hi-fi Sol Republic's Master Tracks XC headphones, which it says are ts ‘fest professonal-calibre headphone’ were studio-uned! by multi-platinum producer, recording engineer, singer, songwriter and collaborator Cal vin Harris. With sound that’s acoustically accurate for music artists to use In the tuto, an ste, lightweight design an durability for use everywhere clse, Mater Tracks XC averear headphones deliver professonal-srade sound swt a modems Deadphone desig,’ said GeoFf Matthews, of Convoy International, which dstibutes Sol Republic in Australia, “Master Tracks XC produc an extremely dynamic, sonically accurate an shockingly power. ful sound signature with incredible vocal presence that retains critical details In the high, mid an tw ranges. Ie ofers an unprecedented combination of auophite acoustics, high-end, cluevel dynamic power, and rch, sophisti cated styling. Harris told Australian HEF about his alms in tuning the Master Tracks XC headphones the way he ds DJs travel «lot and they pradace ‘music onthe laptop, on the plane rin the car he sai. “hese he phones were created to have professional sound auality so yu ca make ‘music anywhere and wil sound just ike i was made inthe studio. nif ‘it sounds god on these headphones, you know its going to sou god a te clu,’ Constructed with polymer compound Sol Republic calls Fex- Tech, the headband on Master Tacks XC headphones is iesmensely strong, and «can be tossed, twisted and bent without breaking, The cable has a three-button mic/music contol to complement any compatible acessory device as well as ‘left’ and ‘right jacks that low in the dark so they're easy to read in a low-light environment Available now, the Master Tracks XC Headphones retal for 8349. For further information, please contact Convoy International on 1800 817 787 or visit the website at www.ehilicom.ou ae een er ete that uses Darbee Visual Presence (DVP) technology. Available for Petes ete ee mentee eer eee ee eee en Cae ener enter ‘back of media files, and even turn the player on and off, Available Peer er tn ee te ted coe aera tenes tae Dee eT ECOL ere eas Re oc) ARCAM bringing music and movies to life sick of working with knobs ? The NEW ARCAM AVR Series of surround receivers has no knobs... but plenty of balls ! [As one of the few audio specialists in the world to design AV Receivers, ARCAM has developed a reputation for balancing a finely honed technical specification with world class audio performance. The new AVR750, the flagship model of the new series, is, quite simply, the highest performing AV Receiver ARCAM has ever made, ARCAM is committed to engineering products that deliver a level of audio performance that is so convincing and lifelike that it connects you straight to the emotional power of the music AVR-380 avraso AvR-750 For more info on the award winning Arcam range Pe eee) SOUNDBITES DUND | REGA | YAMAHA PARASOUND ZDAC Parasound has ade! a DAG tots small form-factor’2! series of hi-fi components, and tng the wheel, has used Danish firm Holm Acoustis to help with the ‘design, andl also used the same Analog Devic {6 ADI8S3 Multibit Sigma:Delt 192kHe DAC that it deployed in the Halo 1 CD Player (and that’s also used by Jeff Rowland in its Aeris AC). ‘ina market filled with DACs, the Para sound Za sets. new standard for performance ‘and value,’ said Claver Harper, of Network ‘Audio Visual, which distributes Parssound In Australia, “And because of unique intemal arctecture, whic includes upscaling and re lacking, the Zdac sounds more natural an ess “digital” than far more expensive DACS on the ‘market, so tat is being favourably compared fo DACS that sl for $5,000. The ADISSS is fully compatible with sample rats fom 32KH up toand inchuding 192 kil and is specced with asignal-to.nose ratio of 12008 thas unique clocking system that preserves the original source audio data by elimina {ng jitter contamination that s picked up along the digital signal chain. The incoming bitstream, from any input, goes to an Analog Devices ADIS9S Asynchronous Sample Rate (Converter (ASRC). The ASRC: provides ‘ew, pristine clockat a fixed frequency of 105.SkHz (rounded off) This attenuates jter ‘that results fom the deficiencies ofthe lock Jn the datasource, and reflections inthe dig tal interconnects that result from impedance ‘mismatches ofthe connectors or reflections within the cable self, The jtertree bit stream at 105.Skiz I then sent to the Analog Devices ADISS3 DAC, The DAC itself per: forms optimally when it receives a bitstream ‘with negligible ter The DAC upsamples the 42242 (again rounded off) The jttereede tion system works on all inputs, not just the LUSH input, as in many other DACS, ‘Conc. tually te ipsam system we use salar 10 the Benchmark DACs, which were among the first DACS with ASRCs; sid Richard Seh- ram, of Parasound. ‘Renchmark lense this ‘method fom CEntrance, but Holm Acoustis has 1 own propritary met of implementation hich we Btieve is soncaly superior’ Available now in black or silver finishes, the Parasound ‘aac retails for $799, For further information, please ‘contact Network Audio Visual (NAV) on (02) 9949 9349 or visi the website at (ithout muting) and a THD+N of 10748 I Sncoming 105 Ske bit tre \wnw.netwerkavecom au “be resulting in REGA SATURN-R CD-DAC PLAYER Rega has released a component says is essentially to products Inside the same chassis: high specification CD transport and an Independent DAC. The Saturn-R uses a pair of Wolfson WMS742 digtal-to-analogue converters combined with Rega’s proven analogue ‘output amplifier technology. It has two optical digital inputs, two co-axial digital inputs, a fully asynchronous USB input and an added ‘direct’ digital outpat from the CD playback section. Resolution is up to 24-bit/192KHz, Including the USB input, which also uses dedicated drivers inthe computer to enable full SIO operation, thus el YAMAHA LSX-700 Is tan audio system with lighting effects ora standard lamp with a builtan sound system? Yamaha says its new LSX-700, from its ‘Rell Series, explores new tenitory by combining lighting and sound. "Ya ‘maha’sLSX-700 introdeces a ew concep home audio and interior de. sig, molding lighting control and audio wit sophisticated features suchas witless connectivity and app contol’ said Wesley Fischer, of Yamaha. Music Austell, “This dnaugunal eee inthe ‘Rel’ eres mares the eathtic and aural senses tose he tone of any’interir. The elegantly designe edifice conforms subtly tots surrounding dor, offering controled lighting conditions vie on array of step-adjustable LEDS and unobtrusive ‘music steaming from Blucooth devices, I breaks the mould of what 0 ‘expec from you sound system aad the integration of iting sees the LS. 700 take a stikingly bold step away from the cow, creating statement piece inthe home" Designed by Masaharu Ohno, who told Austra: 1 Magazine that in his opinion, the LSX-700 symbolises {ng signal degradation caused by generic windows-based drivers. Both the CD transport and DAC sections ate fly remote control lable via the supplied Solaris remote hanclet ‘Rega’ Satur benefits rom improvernets to the CD transport section power supply which was «result of the research an development of Ra's reference Isis CD player ‘alongwith the improved microcntroler an display dives’ said PALI Sawyer, of Synergy AV, which distributes Reg in Australia ‘it also Denefits fom high stabitty master coc, high-performance PLL dita, ineface receiver, isolate digital inputs and high performance power sup ply architecture tn the DAC crit. Sigal switching between the CD and AC functions are prfonmed inthe digital to analogue converte stage The sit path of the CD section in CD made i kept to a minimum Available now—though only in black—with a full three-year war- ye Rega Saturn retals fr $3,499 (RRP) For further information, please contact Synergy Audio Visual on (03) 9459 7474 or visit the website at www synergyaudio.com light as the iualisaton of sound’, the new lamp/audio a Yamaha's ree DTA Controller app for 10S and Android devices to deliver services that broaden its functionality beyond that ‘of wireless music stream ing and lighting contol, Available now in a choice of ‘Night Black or ‘Chocolate Brovn’leather-textured finishes, the Yamaha LSX-700 sells for $699 (RRP), For further information, please contact Yamaha Music Australia on 1300 739 411 oF atthe website ou.yamaha.com 14 | Australian hi-fi tems. Ss information call Convay international 02 WADIA 321 DAC eee Sue eae eed ‘because decoding is done pointed een) CE arcare, but whatever ‘of Alas Cables for Australia ee eon and New Zealand. Atlas entry-level Element range Analogue cal from the UK's What Hi FI magazine for the second year running, The company manufactures a wide range of cables, from digital the sole Aust and audio interconnects and USB cables, up to speaker cable, all ‘of which are hand made in Scotland, “These awarding cables area exciting addition to cur ange of hf prdct that cure Include Q Acousties and Usher Westan Australia, ‘Te ranges cover al price pont fom ent Level to very high end and perfectly complement our other great UK Brand, Q Acoustics dio sakd Michael Carvosso, of For further information, please (03) 9541 8888 or visit he website at www. THIRD ROW, CENTRE TAKE YOUR SEAT B) polkhome.com.au 0 | k one m @PolkAUNZ AstellaKern BE THE ULTIMATE PORTABLE HIGH-FIDELITY SOUND SYSTEM Native Double-rate DSD (up to 5.6MHz) Dual CS4398 DAC for True Dual-Mono Native DSD USB DAC function (DoP method) Balanced Output Wi-Fi Music Downloading 256GB, plus 1 micro SD slot (up to 128GB) eee a ert : Eien Pee eee) Ser ® AUDIO SPACE Premium Valve Hi-Fi Reference 3.1 (300B) Input Impedance 56k ohn (RCA/Diet in) “ah (MM Pho ty Outpt mpedance: 4% 16 ohm utp Dower 21632 (Iride Class Pash Combe dea special! Nas Speakers upto 80% off Bonus Sherbourn (USA) Solid State Combe dea specal! Pre Amp 50% off ‘uta tmp Ite Cn hn lupe Mas RCo Dart et Outpt) SOUNDBITES SVS | CYRUS SVS PB-2000 Subwooler specialist SVS has released its PB-2000, ‘From heroic sla to symphonic subuey, pumps out astounding precision, performance ‘and val,’ says Ba Mullen of SS, The SVS PB-2000 has a driver that’s new for SVS, and it's driven by a new version of SVS' long-running Sledge’ amplifier design. The new driver is rated at 305mm diameter, thas a heavy-duty Some diameter voice col, a lightweight aluminum come with a rubber suspension and an FEA-optimised motor system. We designed his driver rom scat ‘and opted i throu exhaustive testing unl t delivered unprecedented performance we were aftr said Mullen.‘ combination withthe new Sledge amplifier, the result higher ouput, proved linearity aa lower istrton, Which means oad of loan, precise, dep power ass for your rhe new Sledge amplifier (STA-SOOD) is rated by SVS ‘with an output of $00-wats, while in its standby mode It draws less than O.S-vatts, The amplifier uses Clss-D topology, along with DS! 26012 +38 and provide Input and driver protection, Phase is continuously variable (0-180 movies and music tollinearise the frequency degrees) and the 12 dB/octave low-pass filter can be set anywhere between Sob aid 1 60H “Tur om jour favourite music and the PR-2000 continues to delight sahd Mullins, I fills the low end with mance ‘and balance bringing the sound stage drama and depth, Tuba, cellos and {Umpant are dank and etal, Electic bass guitar, tom-trn aa ck drums bring the concert off the DVD and into the room. Available now tHe PB-2000 cea for $999 (RR, For further information, please contact, Final Link Audio on (03) 9746 0394 oF Visit the website at www finallinkcom.ou CYRUS STREAM X SIGNATURE Cyrus introduced its Stream X Signature atthe Bristol Hi Show in the UK earlier ths year asthe latest model in its line of Signature series products. ‘The Steam X Signature, lke al the ther rout in the Signature range, Benefits fr nsineering advances made to produce our recent anniversary system’ sal Cytus Technical Dtector, Peter Bat. tet. ‘Streaming music foo your liar has the potential to deliver the highest quality he possible today. Sra X Signature has ben developed to be the most advanced digital source and includes Cyrus's state-of-the-art streaming engine, twin custom power supply systems ps a multitude of ‘audlophile enhancements, with the ale of providing more spinetnglng detail and theetimonsional sound tha ever beer’ The Stream X Signa ture incorporates Tuneln radi, which allows you to access more than 100,000 radio stations and podeass from around the word, via the intemet. Operation can be via the Cynis colour sereen n-remote, of via an idevice, running the Cyrus Cadence 108 app, For further information, please contoct Australia’s Cyrus disiibutor, Cresimore con (02) 9482 3922 Cr vist the website at buy it for the performance love it for the looks DYNAUDIO All there is. DELL 648 628, 8y. warrant} ears a) SOUNDBITES SENNHEISER DJ & S Sennheiser has released an all-new range of professional D) and Studio headphones tha, while designed for the most de ‘manding users and punishing pro environments, are also ideal audiophile applications. The HDS DJ, HD7 DJ and the HDS. MIX have been developed in conjunction with some of the ‘worlds top Dis, including Bob Sincla, Luciano, Andy Baxter ‘Misill and Davina around the HD 25 and extensive experience i high-end au, the I range applies ‘Dnawing on success bas Sennheisers proprietary acoustic system to answer the needs of ie ferent performing and production applications ead of Product Management at Sennbelsr. dedicat ssid Ivan Kuan, The HDS Dy i 3 othe nee of proesslonal Ds with truly excelent sound reproduction, while the HD7 Dj offers an engaging, dynamic sound ‘ha’ pret for playing lve. Both deliver amid. low ed empha Put the soua remains tight and never overwhels, with clay retained i the high frequencies, The HDO MIX, model aimed pr ‘mari at stuti-based music creation, delivers Balanced, acunat the ear cups avoid pinching the eas, and two different types 1 mixing and monitoring work. The eliptical shape of aren een: ere alls Virtual Cinema Fron oe eer d i ny Pr Srnec y Pa ed ee ee has an ‘Extra Base’ crcult that can increase the ee ee Pe eee ts Ree ae ae Steal eee y en es Reema toy eres 20 | Australian hi-fi TTUDIO HEADPHONES changeable car pad are provided (one soft velour, the other a leatherette material) to enable comfortable listening during long, periods of use using the material you most Prefer. For hassle-free one-ear monitor Ing, both Dy models feature swivelling ‘ar cups with upto 210° of movement long oxygen-frce copper headphone ‘ables—one coiled and one stralght— fitted with gold-plated connectors that can connect to elther ear cup 10 suit any individual preference For further inforatior contact Sennheiser Australia on 1800 648 628 or visit he webs VAF DC-X63 sophisticated new loudspeaker selling for les than $3,000, Previewed at last year’s Melbourne Audio Sho, the DC-X63 has sx drivers spread across five individually stepped bales to ensure correct time alignment of sound atthe listening postion. VAFs founder, Philp ‘Vafiadis, is convinced the new DC-X63 will be hugely successful for his company. BRR lly reload in 1995, our DC-X loudspeaker has develope a cule lowing, and this ew DC-XO3 buds on that incredible legacy’ he tl Australian Hi-Fi Magazine. ‘t's bsyond an evolutionary step: the new (DC-X4 is. quant leap in desig and actualy mii fare produced in he way sounds A significant design feature of the new DC-X63 is its ‘Acoustic BME Skin’ which not only hides all the divers from view, as well asthe stepped nature ofthe cabinet, bt ean also be customised by each ‘ovener to sult the décor ofthe room in which the speakers are being sed. “This design allows each owner to personalise the look oftheir speak= ‘esto complement thelr rom, whatever ther version of beaut might we sald Vata, “This way every owner gets this amazing VAF sound ST it lok that hey can choose for thamseves.’ Pricing stats at $2,999 formodels with a black or white ‘Acoustic Skin’ and increases to $3,499 for a model witha personalised Acoustic Skin’ Al witha 10-year guarantee and a 90 day ‘afe'nsound! Web guarantee For tunthe information, please contact VAF on 1800 818 £882 oF visit the website at wivw.voticon au a “Don’t just buy a turntable ©) AVIDHIFI ere eestie eae SYNERGISTIC RESEARCH \V M STREAMING IN BEST FORM INSPIRATION CS 2.2 NEVER COMPROMISE sot the f yu jpment. HFT. XOT and FEG, or ‘cant contributions to the world of audi | EVOLUTION GS 5.2 |] (a ( Proudly distributed by National Audio Group 1st Floor 585 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Australia P +613 9230 2088 F +613 9815 1983 info@nalionalaudiogroup.com.au Persona Miblo Grove www.nationalaudiogroup.com.au Looe) VN LEP NO) >) (Om cert erence aerate DISTRIBUTION eee peat Melbourne distributor International Dynamics is now the exclusive eee eee eee et eae ee) Se ee eee ee Steere hor ea eer erent Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) dstributor for Cocktail Audio. Cet eke es er emen et nt tee ‘components, the X10 (pictured right) and X30, that combine a smart Precedence en coer eer ad See ee ee eco nay eg Ro toned Dynamics Australasia (IDA) on (08) 9426 3600 or visit eerie ane Fee ee ae eee ee oo FLEXSON WITH AUDIO DYNAMICS UK company Flexson, which specialises fn mak: Ing accessories for Sonos products, has appointed Audio Dynamics as its exclusive distributor for Aus tralia, Al Flexson brackets and stands are precision engineered to perfectly match the size, style and colour of speakers and systems made by Sonos, and the deal with Audio Dynamics came just as Flexson hhad expanded its range of wall-mounts and floor stands o inelude Sonos Pay:1 models All Flexson products are designed and built in Britain from superior-quaity see, with attention being paid to such features a cable management, easy ting and flexible placement. From space- saving supports for any’ Sunes pct, to stan that LEGEND ACOUSTICS UPGRADES KANGA Award-winning Australian loudspeaker manufacturer Legend Acoustics has launched a special edition of ts popular Kanga 6 loudspeakers. Dr Rod Crawford, Legend's founder and chie designer, told Australian ‘Hi-Fi Magavine thatthe Kanga SEs retain the cabinet ‘ofthe present Kanga 6s (which will continue tobe available for centre-channel duties in surround sound systems) but have upgraded drivers to make them dedicated stereo loudspeakers with even more open. ‘natural sound. ‘The two bass- midrange drivers inthe Kanga SE are 130mm in diameter and have Noreex non-resonant polymer-coated Papyrus-fibre cones and high-damping, SR rubber surrounds, An aluminium-alloy cas frame provides for rigidity atthe same time permitting an ‘openstructure design that reduces reflections and compression, The tweeter isa ring radiator type, whieh has the dome held at its centre to control break-up in the upper treble, particularly at high SPLs However, unlike some ring radiator tweeters it has ‘no protrusion a the centre. ‘Suc protons are oo sonal to have an effect on alispersion of sound uni their fer the perfect position fortwo Play or Play speakers in 4 PlaybarS.1 setup, there’ an optimal Fexson solution,” ssid Glenn McClelland, of Flexson, Here i Aust lia, we found the customer demand for deticated Sonos ‘mounting solutions has bern alms overwhlenin,' sak Philippe Luder, of Audio Dynamics.’Now with access to all lessons products, we are confident that dears and integrators right around the country can now offer hele customers the very best product onthe market to doth job? Wall mount prices start at $59 and flor stands at $108. For further information, please contact Audio Dynamics on (08) 9882 0372 or vis the website ct wwweaudiodynamics.com.au wavelength is approximately the dlameter ofthe prot ‘sn, Sine the usual diameter ofthe prtrsion i around 5m, that wavelength corresponds ta fequency of 1OOKHe whichis wel above normal human Dearing” si Crawford. Asin all other Legend Acoustics loudspeak- er, the crossovers are completely hard-wired and ‘connected to the drivers and to the bi-wire terminals by hand-soldering using high-quality cable. Only alr-cored inductors, polypropylene capacitors and ominductive wire wound resistors are used. “There arena fete coed Inductors or lectostie captors used tall sald Crawford, ‘bcause they would degrade the Sound quality" The Kanga 6SEs cabinets are manufac- tured and assembled in Australi, like other Legend loudspeakers, with real wood vences: Australian Jarrah (pictured), Light Oak and black stained Oak, Di- mensions are 420%230%170mm (HDW), The suggested retail price forthe Kanga 6 SE is $1,990 per pat. For further information, please contact Legend ‘Acoustios on (03) 6295 0062 oF visit the websito ct www.legendspeakers.com au 22 | Australian hi-fi SOUNDS! Not too shy to note a gs a ° big birthday coming up, rk what could REDGUM’s Australia’s Number One Store for party piece be? New Audiophile Vinyl Len Wallis Audio sey tea Distributor for Speakers Comet Records 64 Burns Bay Road * Siow 8 Hone Tha tr Lane Cove, NSW 2066 . t Dual Mono ramet cont 02 9427 6755 incoredgmaut.com tt 08 coe ee vee ee eee 7a ep @cibel HI FI Eel Class AAudio gp-->~ AUSTRALIAS BIGGEST USED Te) EE GH-END AUDIO STORE ” ~ = Ta may 03 9647 7000 07 3344 5756 tm@speakerbits.com enquiry@decibelhifi.com.au SAAN needa) eee een Ree eee SWAG 4 KRISPY AUDIO in audioconnecti in sound and vision “A new experience in Switched On Living” 08 9337 2041 1300 761 022 sales@simplyhifi.com.au __ sales@audioconnection.com.au ee ee eee avhub.com.au hiefi | 23 Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne LOUDSPEAKERS 24 | Australian hi-fi Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne Loudspeakers BEHIND EVOLUTION ACOUSTICS ‘The two men behind Evolution ‘Acoustics are Jonathan Tinn and Kovin Malmgren. The company wos founded by the two in 2006, shorty ‘for Malmgren left Yon Schweikort Research, where he'd worked for sx years, after having graduated {rom the University of California in 1998.Tinn had been in the hi industry for many years, in various roles. Formerly a vice president ‘global sales ond marketing {for Ed Moiiners EMM, he lef Meitner to start import/distibution ‘operation Blue Light Audio (which. ‘amongst other brands distributes DatTZee! in North America) and, while working there, cso started Playback Designs in partnership ‘with famous designer Andreas Koch (Studer, Sony, Sonoma). In addition 10 owning Blue Light Audio ands being a partner in both Evolution ‘Acoustics ond Playback Designs, Tinn also owns the companies ‘Chambers Audio (a retai/intemet hil operation) and Wave Kinetics. which manufactures a variety of vibration control systems J.D. [As you might also be able to see from the photograph, the tweeter snot the usual {dome type, but a type Evolution Acoustics calls a Pleated Diaphragm Ale Velocity CPDAV) tweeter. Evolution Acoustics doesn't sive any information about its design, construction or operating principle—other than to say that it’s Your own very ultra high-quality weeter"—but i appears tobe fan air motion transformer (AMT), Invented by the legendary loudspeaker pioneer Oskar Hel, the functional part of an alr-motion transformer tweeter i rather Ike the moving part of a plano accordion, being in essence a pleated membrane, As the pleats or “olds” ‘move towards each other then away, they ‘compress and rarefy the air between them fn sich a manner as to create sound waves, Te beauty ofthis system is that the ‘peat {In the membrane are supereficent at moving alr think of the diference between ‘quieting’ an orange pip away from you by squeezing it between your fingers, compared to throwing the pip with your hand), Also ‘because the pleated membrane is ine “Joos it has.a resonant frequency that’ well ‘outside is operating range, which srt true (of, for example, dome tweeters. Bocause the patent has long since expired ‘on the air motion transformer, dhe many speaker manutacturers using it have created acronyms to desribe ts operation, th tmademarked (%) those acronyms so no other ‘company can use them (though they'te free 1to.use the technology it describes, of cours) Tus itis we find similar designs known by the initials AVT (Precide Audio) JET (Ea), AKT (Adam Audio), FAL Sorasound), ESS (158 speakers, the original licensee for Oskar Heil orginal AMT), HVER (Goldene) and, no doubt, many others, not least of ‘Which is Martin Logan, though MartinLogan «alls ts versions ‘Folded Motion’ tweeters. and is therefore unique for being the only ‘manufacturer not to use an acronym! A ‘company called Dayton Audio makes AMT divers available as OEM parts, and Evolution Acoustics’ PDAV looks alot like Dayton’ AMTI-4, but with a higher quality faceplate. Adam Audio’ website offers a particularly ‘lear descipton of the advantages AMT tweeters offer aver other types: ‘AI ater Ioudspeaer drive units—whether they are vuc-cll diven, lotsa, pezos oF -magetostatics—act like a piston, moving ab 41:1 ratio, This is undesinable as the specific eight ofa is mac ower than that ofthe diving mechanics. Speaking i terms of electrical cenginerng one could say there is a bad mutt ‘betwee source an load The ar transformer] principle achieves 4:1 velocity tunsformation Detween the) diving diaphragm andthe dive ai other words, the ar moves band out our times faster ha the folds are moving "This superior motor sytem is responsible forthe enormous clarity and transient reproduction that {sto be head fmm the ART drive units.” The bass/midrange drivers used in the MMMicroOne have features. Evolut wny’ unusual design coustis cals them ‘CMAT drivers, which isa contraction of ‘Ceramic MATrix The material appears to be the same one developed by German ‘manufacturer Thiel & Partner, where thin aluminium tape is shaped by deep drawing, then completely eee eeee ‘oxidised in a proprietary process and changed to alpha corundum ina special fring process that results in an extremely hard (Mohs laniness 9) extremely thin (SOym) and snowy-white coloured dish-shaped cone. This ‘ceramic cone has comparatively high inner ‘damping because as the oxidation proceeds from both sides to the middle, the result isa foamvike microstructure in the middle that ‘damps the surface layers, leading to better Impulse esponse and significantly reduced EVOLUTION ACOUSTICS MMMICROONE rele aan) ‘Brand: Evolution Acoustics ‘Model: MiiMicroOne Category: Standmount Loudspeakers RRP: $5,500 Warranty: Two Yoors Distributor: Absolute Hiénd ‘Address: PO Box 370 ‘Ormond VIC 3204 © (04) 0877 7999 2:)Info@absolutehiend.com A wwwabsolutehiend.com ‘Sensational sound! + Glorious imaging Price includes stands + Stand design ‘Shot! warranty + No biwie faciity REPORT LAB ion Penn eet Sse Seen et reel eee eae eee era eek ey ced avhub.com.cu hifi | 25 distortion as well a a wider operating bandwith than if the material were the out. Although Acoustics doesn't state where the same consistency throug Evoluti bass/midrange drivers in the MMMicroOne 26 are made, and the kentifying labels on the Thiel & division, Accuton, ists drivers merely ay “6.6 CMAT Partner's OEM speakes Evolution Acoustics as one ofthe companies at it supplies with drivers, As fr that hassimidrange diver itl it is beautifully made, with a cast alloy basket, lovely centre-vented magnet, a ventilated voice coil and underspider cooling ‘with the aieflow filtered by a foam grille. Overall the driver is 120mm across, with 110mm and a cone diameter Thiele-Small diameter is Simm, which gives an elfective cone area (Sd) of Sem, However because 60 rivers are being wsed, the this (10cm, so f Evolution signer (Kevin “Malmgren, see breakout box ‘Behind fvoution Audio’) dna instead used a single bass/midrange driver t get the same area delivering lowe frequencies, that diver would Ihave had to have had an ‘overall diameter of 156mm. The curved side-walls the eabinet are 25mm thick and appear to be made from veneered MDF to which Is added a ‘French curve The front baffle, on the other hand, fs something cise entirely. Is for the most pat, S0mm thick bout actually increases i thickness in some places 75mm, which appeared to be due to some adaltional cross bracing. The crossover network spars across two completely separate printed circuit boards, which ae bolted one atop the other and Inside ofthe cabinet, I could network due tothe confined space Inside the cabinet, but the components 1 could se (o feel) were all state-oftheart and included MKT capacitors, cross mounted The bass/midrange driver is beautifully made, with a cast alloy basket, a lovely centre-vented magnet, ventilated voice-coil and cooling. ar-cored inductors and 1 percent metal-lm resistors. The loudspeaker grille attaches to ns of hidden magnets s01f you prefer to listen to your speakers ile, you won't have to look at any ugly baffle fixtngs. the front battle by m without The bas reflex port s located on the rear ofthe speaker, above the speaker terminals ids 48mm in diameter and 1osmm long, Rather unusually, the inside wall of the ports lined with a layer of ‘6mm soft foam, effectively reducing the ameter to around 36mm. | say “unusually because most manufacturers try to keep the ‘ies of the port assippery’ as possible, ‘which i the opposite of what Evolution Acoustis has done with its port, where the through the port. No doubt M 1 good reason for lining the port with foam, because it makes the port more expensive 10 sn has manufacture than it would be if he'd opted for a smooth surfaced port review, the Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne speakers come with thee oven stands, While this means thatthe speakers wil be placed at exactly the height the designer intended the speakers perform theit best, it also means that i you don’t ike the appearance of the stands, o¢ they pu height for your listening postion, youl either have to modify the stands to suit your he speaker atthe wrong, cat helght o, i they don’t suit your tastes andor your décor, have anew pai of stands made for you. [was not entirely happy with the stands for several reavons. One ofthese ‘vas that I found that if pushed either side ofthe speaker it swayed for quite some andl di this also 1 pushed from the front or rear, though to a far lesser extent Another was that the stands don’t have cable management, so your loudspeaker cables willbe visible, also did’ like the method plate ofthe stand tothe wertial part it uses and the speaker itself tothe top plate (two bolts, and between them a ‘sandwich’ of four metal plates and four wooden pucks), These fixing devices are not visible if you're looking from above the speakers, but once you'te sitting doven, they become clearly visible Evolution Acoustics rates the in-r00m frequency response of the MMMicroOnes as being 35H2-SOkH2 £348, theie impedance a5 nominally 69 (but notes a deviation of 120), and a sensitivity of S74BSPL, Note that although the manufacturer says on its website that: “The Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne loudspeakers are desired ard engineered in the USA, comprised ‘stom told components wit a no “ofthe shel” parts’ he speakers ate manufactured in China, Nats Soundraisers. Crafted for Perfection Re MeL Le a eC Soe ‘The HOVD 800 boasts fully symmetrical signal processing and extremely low harmonic distortion allowing for ‘pure, unbeatable listening enjoyment. It connects with digital sources and is equipped with a high-quality Burr-Brown digital/analog converter (DAC) that converts digital audio data into analog signals: ene eU EEL meee Se eee eee ee eee ee Deen ea ee co Les For more information on Sennheiser's Award Winning range, SE oe nae ae a eT) You should alo note that although Evolution Acoustics first released the MMMicroOnes at the 2012 CES show as selling for $US2,500, ‘where they gamered a furry of positive publicity including from John Atkinson, the editor of Stereophile, who commented thatthe speakers were: “extremely afordable {or speer that gave one ofthe est suds ‘Theant in Las Vegas’, Jonathon Tinn of [Evolution Acoustics later sid that twas ‘ot economically viable for speakers at this price, with the result that the US real price i now listed at $US4,000 per Pile. This may have been a genuine error in costings on Evolution Acoustics’ part, but, then again it would not be the fist time a ‘manufacturer has underpriced a product at (CES in order to gain favourable media and. reviewer attention, im tosell the IN USE AND LISTENING SESSIONS [At the time I commenced my Istening ‘sesions I was somewhat concemed that the tweeters were not ata helght” sn my listening room so, since my ears wer lower than the tweeter, 1 gradually raised my chair through several diferent heights until my. ‘ears were level with the it, listening over and over tothe same tack while Id 0. My conclusion was that with these speakers, You shouldn't worry if your ers ar lower than the tweeter because in my room I could not hear any significant differences tal However, when ater experimented with off-axis listening positions discovered this wasn't tue for those positions Indeed as moved further off-axis, the level ofthe high frequencies dropped significantly, meaning that i you want the most brilliant highs of ‘which these speakers are capable, you should always angle the speaker cabinets inwards so that both lft and right eweeters are aimed atthe lstening postion. Conversely, if you prefer ‘ess bright treble, you could face the speakers straight down your room—or even, angled aveay from you—so that you'r listen ing off-axis Despite not being able to hear any ‘significant differences related to listener Deght, I opted to listen exactly on-axis 30 that Iwas allowing the speakers to give it thei ‘best shot-—as it were—and also had the speakers angled to face me, for the reason ‘outlined in the previous paragraph. Ihave to say that Iwas most impressed by the sound quality ofthe treble: i's crisp, clean, articulated and quite effortess, and playing back some high tes ies that contained recorded material above 20KHz, i was perfectly clear thatthe tweeter’ response ‘etched ‘way above 20kH2. You could hear i from the sizzle of cymbals and the Increible‘air’ that’s inthe highs. Listen to Jonas Burgwinkel’s kit on Kataenburger Musi Productions’ fabulous Bhu-tay, titled Heinrich Von Kalnein, to hear the sizzle at its best. Not only i the sound on this ise Incredibly good, but when listening via the -MMMicroOnes you can hear what they've done when recording the drums... seems weird, but the sound. proves that it works. You can also listen to the same disc to hear the ‘alas the Sonexdore RCM4O2 captures the ambience of the room perfectly Ast happens, this dsc i also ideal for demonstrating the incredible dynamics the _MMMictoOnes are capable of delivering, because this disc has a ‘DR Score’ of DRIS, ‘whieh is right up there with the most dynamic recondings available you're planning on checking out the MMMieroOnes' dynamic capability, make sure you use a powerful amplifier, because ound they took quite abit of power to really get going. Pd been putting hours on the speakers with a well credentialed but Their ability to create a Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne Loudspeakers such as Kate Miller-Heidke singing 11N'ya as DYAmour Hew, or Big Scay’s take on. JeT’Aime Moi Non Plus. The ability ofthe Evolution Acoustics MMMOnes to accurately and pitch- perfectly deliver the exact sound of human voices—male o female—is so good that ts scary. As for ther bass esponse.. ‘well, as they s4y, your milage wil vary—in this.ase on your room and where you locate the MMfMlcroOnes in it, but in mine they certainly dug deeper into the low frequencies ‘than I thought such a small pair of two-ways ‘would be able to dig, and—again considering thee diminutive sie—delivered amazingly high sound peessue levels atthe low frequencies they can deliver before the sound ‘became congestive. And the bass they do ) ' (YX Michael Fremer, Stereophile Vol.34 No.7. WS? YPSILON. By TELOS. wiAov ee eT Niele Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne Loudspeakers LABORATORY TEST REPORT The frequency response of the MMMlcroOne measured by Newport Test Labs was excellent. Graph 1 shows an overall response, where cid in-toom pink noise response has been spiced (Vi processing) toa gated high-frequency response. This shows thatthe MNiMicroOne's measured response exten fom 40Hz to 31KH22348. ‘Graph 2 shows the high-fequency response of the MMMicx0One ln greater deta, as well as the diferences in response when using the speaker withthe grille in place red trace) Although the response is marginally smoother without the gril the differences are so slight that I think even the most golden-cared foe 1 without i (blue trace), hile would be hard-pressed to hear the difference. STO gh age pre ack ete aged elt end ssc moka ben uh 30 | Australian hi-fi While would normally recommend using a gill, because ofthe adaitional mechanical protect the drivers on the Evolution Acoustics ae so tough that thisis not an fssue, so you ean go "with o without” according to your visual (arid auelitory) tastes. Although the frequency response falls within 3B limits, you can see peaks and dips in the AMT’ response, These appeat tobe a function lof the design, as all AMT tweeters nalforded tothe vers, inthis case exhibit similar traits ike that the tveccter rolled off smoothly above 25kHz, so although it was 3dB down at 21K, twas 1348 down at 40K Low-frequency response (Graph 3) was impressive for several reasons The Bis i that although it appears as though there are o this graph, thete are actually three Newport Test Labs graphs the response ‘of but bassimidrange drivers and has shown them separately using purple and black traces. As you can se, the too responses are so similar that it's nigh-on impossible to tell them apart. (The smal variations down below 1SHe should be ignored, as these were «caused by external low-frequency noise, not the drivers themselves) The driver response above 10082 Is very ll This is speaker-matching at its finest... I've never seen a pair of speakers whose impedances have tracked so closely... fat, and exceedingly smooth right out tothe steep (crossover induced) roll-off above 2.Skiz The bas reflex por’s response (fed trace) I also excellent, peaking at §SHz and producing appreciable output from 30H up to 120K Particularly ‘unwanted high-frequency output from the port, a there swith a great many ports, This ‘may be because of the absorbent lining inside the por. Look at Graph 4, which shows the Impedance of the Evolution Acou MMMieroOne, you can see that its almost Impossible to diferentiate the trace ofthe {impedance of the lef-channel speaker from that ofthe rght-channel speaker. This is speakermatching at ts finest. 1 don’t think Ihave ever seen a pale ‘of speakers whose impedances have ‘tacked each other so closely: This notable is the fact that there's no says as much forthe quality ofthe drivers being use as it does fr the quality-control procedures in place during the ‘manufacturing process. ULTIMATE STUDIO EXPERIENCE Le ne eee Ld LS50 50th Anniversary Model Cee keane recorded. Unheard of in such a compact design, Co ea Ae nae a “soundstage experience’ that is out ofall proportion to its size. Designed using KEF's rte een ee aes ee ee cs Poannteay da Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne Loudspeakers ETT ah inpdancemoa ft ed end tio tc petra era) Broce salto eine is Oa igh opin ea ering pi isch The impedance modulus itself is also excellent, never falling below 48 (though it comes clase at 20042), never rising above 150 an bi rising impedance with increasing frequency Tals can’t see anything on the traces that would indicat a cabinet resonance ‘Outstanding! The position of the ‘saddle’ between the two impedance peaks at 3282 and 80t4 indicates that you should not ‘expect much bass response below S2H, and ‘also thatthe minima is slighty ‘out-of syne” with the peak of the port's output Yet another outstanding result can be sen Inthe phase response (blue race). Again, this Isthe Mattest, most linear phase response | ‘an ever recall seeing. though the phase sowings alte at Low frequencies stil ‘constrained to Iss than 30, and from 30082 Up its so close to OF that it may as well be, Again, I'm impressed, Graph S shows the average in-room response, and you can se the most significant Did I say | was impressed? The design of these speakers is excellent, the execution impeccable.

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