Whilst the previous pages published in April, it wasn't until October that R&D wrapped. "Work on the Lektor Joy took more time than predicted but that's always the case when a really good product gets developed. I finished serial # 1 and after a month of intense tests and minor adjustments, I can finally announce it. In one chassis it combines a CD player, DAC, preamplifier and optional Digital Speaker Processor for speakers or headphones. 16 different settings for that are made with dip switches on the rear. For lowest jitter I once again selected a precision clock from TentLabs. My previous Lektor models used 24-bit converters from Crystal, Joy uses 32-bit ESS, one per channel for dual mono. Their seven digital filters can be changed by remote so from the seat. Socketry is one pair of RCA line-level inputs, coax and USB 2.0 digital inputs and RCA/XLR analog outputs. The MosFet output stage has two gain settings and uses famous oil-impregnated V-Cap capacitors from their ODAM range. Two low-noise power transformers feed the drive/display and DAC/outputs respectively. Ultra-fast low-ESR capacitors and fast linear regulators deliver stable voltage and high on-demand current."
"The carbon-fiber CD-Pro 8 transport features custom tuning with my own control code. The circuit is fully balanced input to output. Volume control spans 100dB. Hookup wiring is pure silver. Max output voltage is 15/30Vpp on RCA/XLR respectively. The direct-coupled coaxial 75Ω input runs on 0.7Vpp and can support 24-bit PCM up to 216kHz. The analog input is 2Vpp. The 35 x 36 x 7cm WxDxH one-piece aluminium housing is hard-anodized black and weighs 12kg."
In the wake of the 2023 Warsaw fall show, Jarek was back: "As always running a show was exhausting but once again successful. The new Fram Arte speakers and Ancient Audio CD player produced good sound and favourable cosmetic feedback. In fact I sold the latter's entire production for the year. Luckily one customer agreed to lend me his unit for your review. The only disappointment were the people from Qualio. They presented your IQ speaker so I hoped to spend a few hours with it to tune my Digital Speaker Processor to them. Unfortunately they didn't want me to take any measurements. What other speakers and headphones do you have? I will try to find them to write programs for my processor. I'm currently listening to Dan Clark's Aeon headphones. I'll include those so you can test the processor on them for yourself." I sent Jarek a full list of our speakers and headphones: Acelec Model 1. Albedo Audio Aptica. Audio Physics Codex. Boenicke Audio W5. Cube Audio Nenuphar v2. EnigmAcoustics Mythology M1. GermanPhysiks HRS-120. MonAcoustics SuperMon Mini. Qualio IQ. Sound|kaos Vox3. Zu Soul VI. Audeze LCD-CX. Final D8000 & Sonorous X. FiiO FT3 32Ω. HifiMan Susvara. Meze 109 Pro. With a bit of luck might he find one of them at a local dealer to obtain the necessary data?
A day later, "I found half the needed transducers. Piotr Ryka of HifiPhilosophy.com uses Susvara as his reference headphones. Asking to borrow them had him complain that he uses them every day. So I shall take them on Sunday, explaining that even God rested on the 7th day. Of course then we had to argue about God for two hours. But tomorrow I'll see about the speakers." And before you ask, no I haven't the faintest what Jarek measures to then compensate. Cynics remind us that no matter what, it's still 3rd-party messing with a transducer's voice as calibrated by its original designer/s. That's no different than applying digital equalization inside a software player like Roon. The big difference is that Roon puts the end user in charge to account for actual in-room behaviour and personal taste. It's not an absentee secondary manufacturer who brings his own sonic notions to bear without knowing our room or tastes. So I didn't see how the processor's presence on the Lektor Joy would have much if any impact on a buying decision. "I set programs for Susvara. I liked them so the correction is just minor but you will still hear it. I also borrowed a pair of Boenicke W5 over the weekend. You know my love of micro speakers. Also, I know these TangBand drivers well. Usually I write speaker-tuning programs in the customer's home. Tuning in my own listening room was a rare luxury so I enjoyed the opportunity. Driven by my solid-state SET, proper processor tuning made a complete transformation of these minis into big full-range speakers." Polish customers asking Jarek for a house call will get involved in the tuning process to enjoy a special privilege. I however would simply face Jarek's own interpretation of 'better' to decide whether my ears agreed or not.
"My standard player doesn't include the processor so a small jumper connects the data between transport and DAC chip. When the processor installs like in your sample, the jumper replaces and the socketed processor plugs in. That can store 127 programs which are set in binary code via dip switches. With your sample, the rear panel with four switches has all of them in the off position as processor bypass, switch 1 up = Boenicke, switch 2 up = Susvara. To change the DAC's digital filter, use the chassis control or the remote's 'time' button. The chosen filter displays as 'F' on the display's left side. To activate the processor, press the corresponding button on the player or the remote's 'scan' button. When the processor is active, the display's 'F' turns to 'P'."
