Hello Midi 120. As there is for Midi 150, it comes with an optional tripod, albeit in steel painted black not solid oak. Silver and black remain available chassis finishes. The posh silver or gold trim choices migrate over as well. "Designing a full line of speakers, our intention was to share as many common parts and assemblies as possible. The goal was to have a versatile scaling platform that could beget different models. So the Midi 120, Midi 150 and Maxi 150 all use the same electronic PCB. Only the configuration and code of the P-3 MkIE digital speaker processor differ. Maxi 150 also gets a second PCB with more power amplifiers for its active right channel to support the additional drivers."
When small stands tall, who ya gonna call?
The Polish quintet in Krakov who labor behind Fram would suggest their Midi 120. That I just had to hear for myself. Would I lose my head? To generate a coax output from my HP Z230 work station, I'd use our trusty battery-powered Audiobyte Hydra X+ USB bridge. USB goes in, coax comes out reclocked, filtered and isolated from the PC's ground noise. If the included wooden plinths created sufficient rake, I might even lose the riser boxes I'd used beneath Midi 150 and park Midi 120 directly on the desk top. Of course tripod action in free space would be on the menu as well. Plate up!
That Fram and Ancient Audio remain linked is something Wojciech Pacula explored for his 185th issue of HighFidelity.pl with a visit to Jarek.
"I thought that Ancient Audio was a classic valve audio house with old-school solutions refined from a hundred years ago whilst Fram pursue modern tech with their signal processor core and contemporary styling. But during my visit I learnt that everything sound-processor related is just a division of Ancient Audio which now incorporate ideas first developed for Fram.
"So for Ancient Audio I was shown their forthcoming Silver Single Mono, a 300B SET with unusual switch-mode power supply. It converts incoming 240V AC to 24V DC with a small pulse transformer of negligible capacitance for galvanic isolation. This feeds two further pulse transformers, the larger of which converts low into high voltage to power the 300B whilst the smaller one creates the filament voltage. This means double galvanic isolation again with very small capacitance. The wire length from transformer to tube is less than 20cm.
"There are linear voltage stabilizers and super fast high-voltage caps for 2'200μF of capacitance for an unusually fast quiet power supply to maximize performance from direct-heated triodes. The double C-core output transformers with Teflon-insulated silver windings are also different and from Poland's top magnetics expert, Feryster's Roman Mandziekewicz."
Original parallel single-ended 300B monos and Wing speakers.
For Fram, Wojciech mentioned a forthcoming passive flagship line source inspired by Jarek's prior Wing Speaker project for Ancient Audio; and a matching 40wpc transistor integrated with analog and digital inputs, remote control and on-board signal processor. Or as Jay put it to me, "I am developing new top products like the next edition of the three-chassis Lektor Grand now in machined aluminium blocks, with a few upgrades of course. This flagship CD player contains my Digital Speaker Processor as part of any contemporary Ancient Audio system."
"The Silver Single Mono too will consist of four enclosures, two monos and two power supplies. These high-end electronics obviously need matching speakers. The 100dB sensitive Vintage Ribbon model will have a 38cm woofer with big ribbon working above 700Hz as point source for the majority bandwidth. These speakers present incredible micro/macro dynamics with a very transparent spacious sound."
Switch-mode power supply module of new Ancient Audio SET at left.
