Country of Origin
Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (4GHz quad-core with Turbo boost, 32GB RAM, 3TB FusionDrive, OSX Yosemite. iTunes 14.4), PureMusic 3.02, Audirvana 3, Qobuz Hifi, Tidal Hifi, Denafrips Terminator, Soundaware D300Ref SD transport & USB bridge; Preamplifier: Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature with WE VT52/300B or Elrog 50/300B; Power amplifiers: LinnenberG Audio Liszt monos; Headphone amp: Kinki Studio; Headphones: Final D8000; Loudspeakers: Audio Physic Codex; Cube Audio Nenuphar; Aurai Audio M1 [on loan]; Cables: Complete loom of Allnic Audio ZL3000; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra on all source components, Vibex One 11R on amps, LessLoss C-MARC Entropic cords between wall and conditioners; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc Krion and glass amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators; Room: 4 x 6m with high gabled beam ceiling opening into 4 x 8m kitchen and 5 x 8m living room, hence no wall behind the listening chairs
Second system: Source: Soundaware D100Pro SD transport; DAC/pre: COS Engineering D1; Amplifier: Bakoon AMP-13R; Loudspeakers: Acelec Model One w. Franck Tchang magnesium 360° super tweeters, Zu Submission subwoofer, LessLoss Firewall for Loudspeakers; Power delivery: Puritan Audio Lab PSM-156; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Room: ~4x6m
Desktop system: Source: HP Z230 work station Win7/64; USB bridge: Audiobyte Hydra X+; Headphone amp: COS Engineering H1; Headphones: Audeze LCD-XC; Powered speakers: Fram Audio Midi 150
Upstairs headfi system: Source: Soundaware A280 SD transport; DAC: Auralic Vega; Integrated amplifier: Schiit Jotunheim R; Headphones: Raal-Requisite SR1a
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; DAC: Kinki Studio; Preamp: Wyred4Sound STP-SE II; Power amp: Pass Labs XA-30.8; Loudspeakers: German Physiks HRS-120; Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: £1'250
Have music. Got subwoofer? It's not a question most audiophiles ever ask. That attitude is often caused by blockbuster movie mayhem and annoying boom trucks. What do permafrost drilling, nuclear explosions and crashing cars have to do with music? Nothing. So subwoofers find themselves struck off the equation. Bham! That was the sound of a door slammed shut. Clink! That was the key to it.
But what if…
… you're a contrarious audiophile like me who stubbornly thinks that, 1/ active bass beats passive bass; 2/ woofers dedicated to just low bass are very different weapons than double-tasking mid/woofers, even 'audiophile' woofers; 3/ highly damped ultra-power affordable class D is perfect for the first two octaves but not the remaining bandwidth; 4/ standard speakers perform better when their voice coils no longer heat up as much so no longer increase their impedance to choke dynamics because low bass filters out by top-quality active high pass; 5/ perfect integration wants mirror-imaged analog filters 6/ the ideal crossover frequency for a subwoofer is ~40-60Hz. Hey, all good things are six.
Feel free to disagree, even vehemently. That's your constitutional right. If so, today is simply not for you. It's for those willing to give these points due consideration because their own trials with passive speakers have suggested things along these lines already. Vicariously, they now get to actually do it.
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