From Lumen to luminosity. Radiance has a few properties. It communicates itself without intermediary, translator or effort. It doesn't battle darkness by degrees. In the presence of radiance, all darkness simply vanishes in an instant. Also, whilst radiance might emit from a small source, it extends far beyond it. That might be physical light emanating outward in all directions from a small bright bulb; or energetic charisma that lives inside a person's heart but floods an entire gathering. That expansive, self-validating more intense presence reappeared in my upstairs system. As words, light and bright are close neighbours. In this context, 'brighter' isn't an isolated hence skewed treble phenomenon. It's a synonym for greater intensity across the full bandwidth.
Shininess suits, too. There's nothing dull, vague, hesitant or half-hearted about it. Whilst the delta of difference wasn't as pronounced as downstairs, once again the Lumen injected the proceedings with more energy; a higher level of charge. That seems to be its tell-tale action or signature. It's as though the playback illusion gained life force. It's old reviewer habit to want to break down such observations. Here it seems counterproductive. It's not any one thing in isolation but an overall effect. Like radiance, it includes and impacts everything in its path. That's an unabashedly non-technical description to risk seeming philosophical or poetic. But it's self-revealing in practice to require no explanation or special focus to notice. And, it's more primary than audiophilia's usual laundry list of partial qualities. As such the name Lumen for a measurement unit of light feels most apt. Added to the signal path, that's what it does. We feel closer to the sun.
No off-axis display joy with the Lumen whilst that of the €699 FiiO shows just fine.
Unlike Icarus, our wing wax won't melt even though there is actual bees wax on Lumen's underbelly to hide four bolt heads. Stas' grandfather was a beekeeper. These hard wax plugs look nice and remove easily should access to the insides be required. Permanent wood dowels glued in, sanded flush and stained to disappear from view would be appropriate for a fine jewellry box but not a piece of electronics that might require eventual maintenance.
The reluctant passifist. I've described a sonic effect even dubbed it an action like quickly rubbing our hands together causes friction then heat. Affixing action to a magnetic attenuator that works without battery or mains power though then without backlighting or IR remote creates a conceptual conundrum. It's caused by language. Whilst the Æ Lumen is a passive preamp—more correctly, a transformer attenuator aka TVC—its impact on a system is anything but inactive. Its impact is more akin to how unblocking pipes or restarting a pump restores proper water pressure. It creates visibly stronger flow from a kitchen faucet or shower head. The water sprays farther, its superior pressure better removes dirt and debris. Likewise for the Lumen's action. It uncorks a virtual blockage we didn't know we suffered. It instantly renders our listening experience more lively, intense and energetic. It affects the scaling of dynamics and soundstage, presence and vitality. It makes the process of playback more active, the sense of acoustic transmission reaching from well behind the speakers to the seat more tacit. It's decidedly unpassive. Its frightful luxury tariff and very limited production volume mean that very few will ever experience it. Being very real, that doesn't equate to a mythical unicorn. But its rarity and exclusivity do come awfully close.
The Akustika Eterna Lumen is the closest I've come yet to a one-up totally bespoke hifi component. It is in equal measure a radical implementation of an old idea; an idiosyncratic artistic statement; a heirloom object; and unapologetically obsessive compulsive. For anyone viewing audio equipment as appliances, those latter three qualities are irrelevant. A Lumen client attaches equal value to the sonic contribution and the extreme handcrafted nature of the physical object. A Lumen client is a globetrotter happy to book a private audition in a faraway metropolis, quite possibly on a different continent. And, a Lumen client is completely unfazed by an ask that could drive off the lot an Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz C-Class or Volvo XC60. Having never taken one of those for a test drive never mind owned, I did just take the Lumen for a spin. Now it must make onward tracks to the next listener. Thank you Æ for the privilege and opportunity. Radiant journeys ahead…
The Lumen's native habitat would seem to be this type of Göbel and Koda company.
Akustika Eterna comments: Looks like I'm a bit behind regarding the publication you crafted about Æ's story so I apologize for not sharing my notes and feedback sooner. Your mind was quick and precise in capturing and translating our conversation into a coherent and captivating narrative. Not being sure how it all worked, I came to you as a blank page without any homework or preparation while now I understand that I should have arrived with all the details, brand names and honourable mentions ready. As a result you caught the most raw and unscripted story possible. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations we had, the dinner you served and I feel privileged and honoured to now know more about you, your life path, ethos and work ethic. Thank you for this opportunity. Mikhail was also touched by the article. I shared a couple of topics we discussed besides audio and in response received a photo of a beer bottle that happened to be from Flensburg where you were born; Mikhail's favourite for quite some time. Jerry Stephenson is indeed the owner of the Lucet amplifier who appeared in our conversation as the gentleman who gave me carte blanche and was generous in allowing more time before receiving the commissioned amplifier. The plaque screwed to the Lucet's high-voltage PSU chassis [in the middle of the next montage – Ed.] carries Jerry's name and that of Nik Chesalin, a good friend who helped with the creation of the brochure, occasional product photos and some design decisions. Stas
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