Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 10 March 2020

To Jeff Fritz,

As of late, I’ve been pretty disappointed with a lot of the high-end equipment that’s being put out. It’s not that it’s not good, but that it’s not good enough.

Seeing the quality of the stuff that Benchmark puts out for a few thousand dollars, I find it amazing how companies offer and reviewers can think so highly of high-dollar equipment that underperforms.

I can understand paying for a Bentley. It’s about more than performance. With audio equipment, though, it should be all about performance, but that no longer seems to be the case. You can’t get away with this type of bullshit with TVs, but, with audio equipment, sure. It’s insane.

Last year, Stereophile did a review of a BorderPatrol DAC that John Atkinson said, in no uncertain terms, was crap. The reviewer that listened to it loved it.

Personally, I take reviews without measurements with a grain of salt.

Not everything audible can be measured, but everything you can measure can be heard. Noise and distortion are not good things unless you’re talking about a guitar amp.

All the best,
Jeff
United States

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 04 March 2020

To Hans Wetzel,

As an avid reader of SoundStage! Ultra for several years now, I’m greatly looking forward to another voice in high-end reviews! And a request: [Please] review any speaker using Voxativ’s field coil driver! Whether from PureAudioProject or Voxativ itself, this modern interpretation of the field coil driver appears to bring something new to the table.

By the way, thanks for the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review of the Revel M126Be loudspeakers. We bought them for our listening room a few months ago!

Pauline N.
United States

Voxativ is interesting. I’ve been aware of the company for quite some time, and know they have a fervent following. I also know that field-coil loudspeaker designs are inherently compromised in certain ways. You’re simply not going to get linear extension down through the bass, or up through the treble, in the same fashion as you would with a well-executed two-way or three-way design that uses a traditional crossover. Yet, I’m also keenly aware that eliminating the crossover is kind of the whole point, and that our sensitivity to frequencies above 15kHz or so dramatically decreases with age. So, with certain types of music -- and more importantly, with certain low-powered amplifiers (due to Voxativ’s high-sensitivity designs) -- they could make for a sweet match. We’ll be sure to take a closer look at their offerings going forward. As someone who’s focusing on bookshelf speakers and modestly sized floorstanders, the Zeth looks particularly interesting. By the way, glad we could help with the Revels! . . . Hans Wetzel

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 02 March 2020

To Jason Thorpe,

I just finished reading your Rush reviews and found it interesting when you got off the train. I will say, up front, that I am nowhere near the Rush fan that you are. I do agree that the later albums just don’t have what the earlier albums have. My problem with the later albums is that -- to my ears -- most of the music sounded the same. Especially Alex’s guitar sound. I found out about Neil’s death when I was listening to Jim Ladd on SiriusXM and he played three or four Rush songs in a row. Not that Jim never played Rush, but this was rather unheard of. A quick look online announced the news.

Great article. Makes me want to look into buying the reissues.

Keep up the good writing.

Ken Kistinger
United States

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 24 February 2020

To Hans Wetzel,

I’ve been reading your great reviews for a while now and see you have a pair of Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evos in for review. I’ve had a pair [of the original Diablo Utopia] now for four years and am very intrigued to hear what you make of them, as every time I’ve auditioned double- or triple-the-price floorstanding speakers, I still find my Diablos are noticeably better -- so far, to me, they are giant killers. Are the Evos really that much better? I strongly urge you to find a Devialet Expert [integrated amplifier-DAC, which I own] to try with them -- you might be astounded.

Lee Clark
United States

I can’t go into too much detail about Focal’s Diablo Utopia Colour Evo since my review has yet to be published, but there are a couple things I can mention. The big one is this: The Diablo Utopia Colour Evo is functionally identical to your Diablo Utopia, with the “Colour Evo” upgrades being entirely cosmetic. So, the Colour Evo version should perform identically to the pair that you’ve enjoyed over the past several years.

A benefit of being one of the biggest names in audio is that Focal’s Utopia loudspeakers can remain untouched for a long period of time and still be competitive with newer competition. Revel has adopted a similar approach with their Ultima2 line, which includes the highly regarded Salon2 and Studio2 models. Performance-wise, I don’t think they’re outclassed or left in the dust by any speaker that I’ve heard in recent memory. Is the Focal a “giant killer,” and does it still represent the state of the art in loudspeaker design? You’ll have to read my review to find out.

By the way, having reviewed Devialet’s Expert 130 Pro, I don’t doubt that your Focal/Devialet tandem is flat-out fantastic. Despite being a few years old, I still believe that Devialet makes state-of-the-art amplifiers, and I’d probably own a pair of Devialet monoblocks if I were exiting the reviewing game today. If I were in your shoes, I would be in zero rush to upgrade either my speakers or my amps. . . . Hans Wetzel

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 20 January 2020

To Jeff Fritz,

I have read with great interest your reviews of the T+A PA 3100 HV [$23,500], McIntosh Laboratory MA9000 [$10,000], and the Luxman L-509X [$9450] integrated amplifiers, and thank you for the comparisons. Very helpful.

I have Wilson Sabrina loudspeakers and use a Bricasti DAC with network board to drive my amp directly. After some mechanical breakdown of my amp, I am in the market for a new integrated.

Which of the three that you reviewed might be the best match for the Sabrinas please?

Appreciate you comments.

Jeff
South Carolina
United States

These are all fantastic products and each model has strengths. Based on price, the Luxman and McIntosh are the two that would attract me most. From there, it is really a question of taste. Both should drive your Sabrinas with no issue, though the Luxman, at 120Wpc into 8 ohms, is much less powerful than the McIntosh, which will give you up to 300Wpc into the same load. Although these two integrateds do sound different -- which I detailed in my Luxman review -- they have much in common. The only way to decide is to experience them yourself, though I know that is sometimes easier said than done. The good news is that, either one you pick, you’ll have a fantastic amp that should give you many years of pleasure. . . . Jeff Fritz

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 15 January 2020

To Jeff Fritz,

I know that the review of the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III is upcoming, and I recognize that you may not wish to respond to my question before the review is published. But I thought I’d ask anyways. I am just about to put in an order for a pair of them, and wanted to ask your impressions.

Are they worth the asking price, and is there another pair in the price range that you would consider better?

Thank you kindly and best regards,
Martin
Canada

My review of the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III loudspeakers will appear on February 1. Although I don’t want to give away the content of my review, I can tell you that you have good taste in speakers and I think you’ll be very happy with your decision. Once the review posts, please do write back with any questions you have. Thanks for reading. . . . Jeff Fritz

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 11 January 2020

To Jeff Fritz,

If you were a very happy owner of a pair of Rockport’s Atria speakers, would you consider trading in for the Atria II?

In your opinion, is the II better enough to justify the expense of making this change? The Atria is ideal for the size of my listening space (12’ x 15’).

Your 2014 review of the Atria, previous Rockport speaker reviews, and recent Avior II review, have been very helpful.

Thank you for your advice on arriving at a good decision, from a reader’s standpoint.

Alan
Baltimore, MD
USA

I have not heard the Atria II at length, but I do think, based on what I know of the current round of upgrades Rockport has made of its loudspeaker line, that the new model is improved. Although I can’t predict whether the amount of improvement will be worth it to you to spend what is necessary to trade up -- those judgments are always highly personal -- it is a safe bet to say it is a better speaker in several ways.

I’m going to suggest you keep what you have, though. The Atria is a mighty fine speaker, and absolutely ideal for the size of your room. As you can see from watching our recent SoundStage! InSight videos, you have a finely crafted and expertly tested set of speakers. If I were you -- “a very happy owner” -- I’d enjoy what you have and not think too much about upgrading. . . . Jeff Fritz

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 10 January 2020

To Jeff Fritz,

I just read your article “My Most Controversial Review Ever.”

Thank you for having written it. We all need writers like you, with independent points of view and unbiased / impartial / non-influenced opinions.

The NHB-108 Model One’s first cry debuted in 1999 in my garage, then was officially introduced in 2002. Twenty years after its inception, it is still in the limelight. I am very happy about this.

The way it reproduces bass was the most controversial thing about it, and it would take more than just a few lines to explain the hows and whys about what is “good bass extension,” both in terms of measured and perceived performances.

At the end, the fact that people talked about this meant that it was something I had to “improve” in order to make an even wider audience be able to fall in love with the NHB-108. Then entered the NHB-108 Model Two, with an entirely revisited audio circuit, which is directly downscaled from the NHB-458, and with some additional -- last-second updates -- tuning, which makes it sound in between the NHB-458 and the very latest NHB-468.

Maybe if you will have the opportunity to listen to it, you will find that it will be worth talking about for the next 20 years to come.

Thank you again for being an active and consistent writer in this audio industry, and at the service of the common holy grail we are all attempting to reach: best possible emotional music reproduction.

With my very best regards, and . . . Happy New Year 2020 !

Hervé Delétraz
darTZeel Audio SA
moreinfo@darTZeel.com
www.darTZeel.com

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 21 December 2019

To Jeff Fritz,

I read with great interest your nice review of the T+A PA 3100 HV, which is on my short list of amplifiers. I have had no chance to listen to it and would like some recommendations. I presently own the Marten Coltrane Alto speakers, which are really fantastic, but are powered by a tube amplifier (Audiomat Aria, 30Wpc class A), which is missing enough power to feed them correctly (even though I like the sound very much). I would like to get your feedback about the combination of Marten Coltrane Alto with T+A integrated amp (PA 3100 HV or PA 3000 HV). Thanks a lot in advance.

Jean-Michel
France

The T+A PA 3100 HV is indeed a super-nice integrated amplifier, and one that I would happily have powering my system if I were to go the integrated route. I have little doubt it would match well with your Marten loudspeakers.

The big issue, at least in the United States, is price. When I reviewed the PA 3100 HV, it retailed for $23,500 USD. I also reviewed the Luxman L-509X recently, which retailed for $9450 when I wrote about it, and which I would say is just about equivalent to the T+A in terms of sound and build quality. Obviously, at less than one-half the price, I’d choose the Luxman every day of the week over the T+A. You’ll have to see what the prices of these two products are in France, and of course what the quality of support from your local dealer would be like, in order to make a reasonable comparison. And it goes without saying that listening to these two products is the only way to decide which one sounds better to you. . . . Jeff Fritz

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 13 December 2019

To Jeff Fritz,

I have been itching to rebuild a system from scratch and the story about your new system build inspired me. A lot of the things you said on this and on current hi-fi trends resonated with me. I wanted to ask you, now that you have spent more time with your system, if you are still as enthusiastic? If I’m correct, you are running the Auralic Vega G2 as a streaming DAC-preamp into the Boulder 2060 driving the Vimberg Tonda speakers?

I really like the simplicity of this. I’d like to build a system that’s like this bottle of wine that you open, and it’s directly enjoyable and pleasant and not this fussy-elusive wine that has to have the right temperature, the right glasses, and you have to concentrate to find the notes. I think wine and hi-fi have a lot in common in the sense that there is a lot of snobbery and mine-is-bigger-than-yours kind of thing.

Anyway, I am living in the South of France and don’t have many options to listen to systems: shops don’t carry this or that and the audio shows aren’t necessarily the best for this. And if you ask ten people, you’re gonna get ten different opinions. Similarly to you, I had a crush on Vimberg and wanted to have your opinion since you can’t review your own speakers.

I would be looking at the Vimberg Mino since I have a smaller budget and room and had several questions, if you would be so kind.

Did you have a chance to compare the speaker with and without the diamond tweeter? Which model do you actually have? What do you think the diamond tweeter brings over the standard one (since it is a pricey upgrade)? You essentially have a powerhouse amplifier driving your Vimbergs, but did you experience driving them with less-powerful amps? How hard do you think the Minos are to drive since they’re 4 ohms? Are they fussy to place or no more or less than average? Do you find them to be versatile with different kinds of music? How would you characterize their sound? Which cables are you using and find satisfactory?

My build idea would be similar to yours: Auralic Vega G2 (or similar concept) DAC-preamplifier, Constellation Inspiration Mono 1.0 amplifiers, Vimberg Mino speakers. What do you think about the synergy of these elements? I would probably be running Roon from a MacBook Pro to mostly stream.

Alternatively, would you have any other system recommendations with a similar spirit? I want a pleasant, simple, versatile, resolving, and good bang-for-my-buck system where I can listen to music instead of listening to cables or components.

Thanks for taking the time to read and for your kind input.

Kind regards,
Stephane
France

My current system consists of the Vimberg Tonda speakers, a Boulder 2060 stereo power amplifier, a Hegel Music Systems HD30 digital-to-analog converter with integral volume control, and an Apple MacBook Pro laptop running Roon and streaming Qobuz. Wire is Siltech Explorer and the rack that supports the Apple and Hegel is an SGR Audio Model III Symphony. Simplicity is very important to me, sound quality is paramount, and I value superior engineering supported by measurements and immaculate build quality.

As such, I can easily see the system you describe being an amazing one. Very rarely would I give a “go for it” right out of the gate from a reader’s letter, but in this case I can’t imagine this setup not being fantastic. There is no question that the Constellation mono amplifiers would drive the Vimbergs with ease, and the Auralic would provide a super-quiet, transparent source signal. If you add good cabling from any of a multitude of brands and a solid rack, you’re in business.

As to the sound quality of the Vimberg Tonda, I’m exactly a year into ownership so it is probably time for an update on that front. Although sometimes you start to get itchy around the year mark to look at something else, I can say with sincerity that I appreciate the Vimberg speakers I own more now than when I originally bought them. The pair of them sound lightning fast, play deep in the bass and with visceral impact, are transparent and neutral to the source signal, and image with great precision and focus. The Tonda is truly a world beater as far as I am concerned. What I know of the smaller Mino model is that it is essentially the same speaker only with smaller drivers. I would assume you could achieve about the same sound quality as with the Tonda, as long as the space is not too large you have enough power -- the Constellation monos would ensure the latter.

As far as my decision to purchase my Tondas with the ceramic tweeters instead of the diamond versions, it came down to a couple of things: first, cost; second, looking at measurements of the Accuton ceramic tweeter I could see that it is capable of solid extension into the very high frequencies and is quite linear. I’ve been happy with that choice, as the HF performance of my Tondas strikes a perfect balance between extension and air, and listenability. I’ve not been tempted to have my pair upgraded. Lastly, placement is no more or less fussy than other speakers I’ve had through my system this past year.

Good luck with your system build, and do write back once you get further along in your buying process. . . . Jeff Fritz