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Resolution is probably what all this is about - but not as resolution in and of itself and thus detached from the music. This was brilliantly demonstrated by the Ann Richards disc Ann, Man! The Suzanne Vega is slightly warm already and with limited instrumentation so that not everything is clear from the very beginning. The effect with Ann was the same but with a very well recorded disc we identify changes far more quickly. With the platform the sound almost ‘exploded’ from the speakers as though it had heated up. It was still all about a slight warming but less about tone and more about improved separation and dynamics.
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I have used the Richards disc for reviews over some time now and each change in amplifier, CD player, loudspeakers etc. always resulted in sonic changes. The platform now did not impact the sound as a change of active components did yet this did not imply that the change was smaller. It was simply different. The system’s general character didn’t alter. I would not count on any significant improvements if we didn’t start off with an already superior system that suffered no obvious shortcomings. The platform will diminish background noise, emphasize the sustain a little and thus improve perceived juiciness and warmth. But in a poor system those will only be half measures whereas in a good system the PAB will emphasize the already inherent virtues.
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Listening with the thinner shelves was equally instructive. The sound became slightly lighter and lost some saturation in the lower midrange. At the same time the treble grew stronger but not bright or dry, simply juicy and present. Perhaps this was lost with the shelf twice as thick. Not that I’d complain as I thought it superb. But the listening session with the other platform showed that this system could still be developed further to achieve yet more. For now the change in shelf mass becomes a sonic tuning feature. When we think that we need to clean up the sound without drying it out, we should decide on the thinner shelves. The sound will be clear, resolved, strong but without getting enlarged. If we instead want to add some sonic weight and enlarge the virtual sources then the thicker shelves will fare better.
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For my system the thicker platform seemed more fitting. For me the way the voices were rendered was priceless. I think it really is about the whole frequency spectrum with improvements in the top and bottom octaves but those corrections translate most obviously into a more natural midrange where voices have more volume and grow deeper and stronger. Many times they actually sound better than during a live performance, better than I know them from an opera or club. How is this possible? At home audio becomes a kind of theatre which focuses on only the best features of a stage performance – without problematic concert hall acoustics in bad seats, without audience noise and with pre-selected superior performances. That’s what I want to enjoy. In the Bono platforms Pro Audio has a splendidly effective and already very mature product even though certain little items could still be improved further (about which I shall pester Mr. Skrzypczak). |
opinia @ highfidelity.pl
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