On the back, the port too was covered by fabric to show unusual dedication to detail and visual coherence. Instead of into a typical aluminium terminal plate, all key technical details were finely engraved in wood. The custom-made "silver high-velocity connectors" terminals were the biggest surprise. These were cut from 1.5" copper bars, silver-plated to increase conductivity and mounted flush. So reductionist a solution I hadn't seen before though it does limit one to BFA/banana plugs [Rethm do a similar thing to minimize contact resistance – Ed]. The included adapters were for bare wire only. Lastly, in Italian piu signifies 'more'.
To review the 8mm audiolab Piu mini, I contrasted them against my usual Boenicke W8 with Trilogy 925 integrated, Goldmund/Job 225 and FirstWatt F7 power amps. LampizatOr's Golden Gate handled D/A conversion and volume control and was itself fed via my Asus UX305LA laptop. After a good while in the 8mm audiolab room back in November 2017, I'd concluded that their small model was all about sweetness, elevated temperatures and a highly saturated attitude. With generous bass and a dim top, I found it very much pleasure oriented. Still, without knowing either the room's kinks/advantages or the electronics, I couldn't say more. I'd thought the 8mm audiolab room good yet not spectacular even though certain aspects were interesting enough to want to learn more. In due course this led to a period quite complicated, unexpected and odd shortly past my loaners' arrival.
My initial agenda was very simple. The Trilogy 925 integrated was and remains my main amp and as such was first to say hello to the Lithuanians. What on paper should have been a great match proved anything but. The main issue was poorly controlled, slow and bloated bass but a thick veil also cloaked everything above and the treble was quite recessed. To combat this suffocating, constrictive and excessively syrupy character, I tried several adjustments. Woofers fired inside and out, space around both speakers was shortened then expanded, the seat moved closer then back. None of it mattered. The end result improved marginally at best. During its maiden gig Chez Grzyb, Piu mini presented itself as rich and very musical albeit dark, the latter aspect amplified to the point of excess. In short, something felt distinctly off.
For reasons unknown, my muscular, vivid, slightly warm and not fast but exceptionally authoritative Trilogy 925 integrated amp didn't at all get along with Piu mini. A mismatch this severe had previously been eclipsed only by the Voxativ Zeth. The two main culprits this time seemed to be lack of control and that omnipresent veil. This suggested that a faster leaner amp should be next. A Job 225 loaner seemed the safest bet. To have the sound texturally even more economical, this Swiss champ was handled via my reference Golden Gate's built-in TAIV VC-03 volume control. This relay-switched circuit lowers its temperature but also injects some agility and decreases density.
To get the desired SPL, -35dB on a 0 to -63dB scale was the sweet spot most of the time. And with the Job, things turned upside down. 8mm audiolab's bass monster morphed into something far more agile and trim. That unpleasantly wobbly attitude dissolved and everything else checked in. Boom and fat decreased significantly yet vividness remained very respectable, indicating that Piu mini elevated this feature all by itself. The Trilogy 925 had extended lower and the Job's contributions were far less weighty yet still pleasantly substantial and smooth. The sound also became faster and more authoritative. Everything above the bass opened up, suffocation loosened and that veil, though still present, had become far thinner. Not three blankets covered everything up but just one at most.
That subtle remaining veil related to Piu mini's general sound characteristic. In comparison to the M8audio Sweet Maxwell which I'd reviewed just before, the Lithuanian sat at the opposite end of the tonal/textural balance scale. Generous saturation, a soft top and substantial bass as key points indicated a lower centre of gravity. This tuning acted as a very potent mood enhancer meant to please with rich textures, tonal charm and suaveness rather than with elevated detailing, speed or an ethereal airy approach. Still, to assume that it'd only get on with tight, slim and fast amps along the lines of a Job 225 would have been in error as, to my great surprise, the FirstWatt F7 proved to be a great alternative.
