As far as Evo goes, that quote applies in full to make this a full-fledged noise killer. Should you put any trust in what I hear, Evo behaves exactly as advertised. Manufacturer descriptions of products often pack empty claims. Our Dutchies meanwhile are spot-on accurate. So let's break down their on-site list of improvements. Less background noise means a more pristine backdrop for all our sources. This audiophile blackness upon which everything flowers has the effect of expanding dynamic headroom, turning up contrast ratio and revealing more resolution without elevating the brilliance region. Evo's ability to lessen background noise allows other traits to follow. More naturalness and less listening fatigue result from removing harshness, grit and edginess. Effective noise killers are known for this and Evo follows suit. Then we have an increase in spaciousness and more perceivable 'dust motes' in the virtual air. Noise always steals from ambience, oxygenation and resolution. When noise diminishes, clarity hikes up. My speakers are hardly stuffy, blurry or opaque. My system already hosts numerous devices and cables designed to do what Evo does. However, the audible action of all this compounds and there seems to be no practical end. At least I haven't yet reached a ceiling so wasn't surprised upon hearing the Akiko's clear contribution atop all my other noise-rejecting neighbours. To my knowledge that's exactly how it's supposed to be.

Evo's improvement list also mentions bass that's more natural and easier to follow. Although I agree, I have some observations to add. With this device, bass gets a touch rounder and more anchored, packed with more colour and so in a way more intense. With Evo each individual bass pulse trades blurry outlines and residual smear for gains in definition which makes bass beats easier to follow. That's a positive all around. The Dutch will also make poorly recorded tracks a bit more digestible and particularly less sibilant but even that's in the product description so hardly a shocker. Intrusive 's' sounds are partly the effect of mastering quality, partly of noise in the playback chain. Though we can't change the former, Evo is a fitting tool to address the latter. To be clear, a single unit won't completely squash sibilants but will decrease their severity. The last line to discuss from the on-site promises tackles clean and honest sound that's immediately audible and not subtle. Backdrop blackness translates to a lower noise floor so higher cleanliness – simple stuff. Honesty here implies that we won't alter tonal balance in any radical way. I easily agree, albeit with a small caveat.

If we're accustomed to audible roughness, spikiness, glare and matte colors without having first identified their presence, this is simply our current reference. When Evo and similar accessories make our sound a touch more juicy, dark, warm grounded and hefty, one may at first mistake this for a tonal makeover. It's not. By stripping noise, audio electronics lose a previous distortion mechanism. Noise strippers are revealers, not cover-up artists. It's why listeners on high dosages of edge, bite and sparks may initially find Evo's contributions counterproductive. I hear it the other way 'round. I detect only meaningful gains. After all, music is supposed to please and relax, not fatigue. This is what Evo helps to achieve. It works as advertised and its presence registered in my already treated system. That's the takeaway. As expected, on the efficacy scale Evo remained in the subtle realm way beyond drastic changes. For drastic to happen I'd most likely have to use several of these golden barrels at once when in my experience, effectiveness with such devices always adds up. Let's wrap.

I often say that accessories shouldn't be addressed until all key components of our systems are sorted. Although I stand by it, Akiko's Triple AC Evolution sells for far less than any other noise buster I've sampled. Audibly efficacious and reasonably priced, it caters to cost-effective systems which won't accommodate the industry's noise-killing big guns. That's why I see this golden booster as an ideal proposition for folks who are curious to investigate the category without sweating undue expense or a mismatch. Meanwhile Evo's impact on my not exactly affordable rig proved to be the tasty cherry on top and a personal highlight. Guilty pleasures and all that. We all deserve those from time to time, don't we?