Displaying items by tag: review - StereoLife Magazine

Harmonix it is a brand owned by a Japanese concern named Combak Corporation, under the aegis of which many types of audio devices and many various accessories are made. The company is responsible for high-end Reimyo electronics, Bravo monitors, Enacom filters and a whole bunch of gadgets. In the catalogue one can find many different kinds of cable insulators, anti-vibrational platforms and feet, tapes improving the sound of cables, turntable mats and even special rings boosting the acoustics of the listening room. Prices which unambiguously suggest that Japanese accessories are designed for advanced in their disease audiophiles add piquancy to the matter.

Have you noticed that founders of companies producing audiophile equipment are often educated in a completely different direction? Some are electrical engineers or professional sound engineers, but a racing driver brought Naim devices to life, a sociologist founded Enerr company, and a clarinetist is responsible for Musical Fidelity brand. Theoretically anyone can set up a factory of audiophile cables. The only question is whether it will function properly. Buying plugs and wires from external suppliers, linking them together and decorating with your own emblems is something completely different than actual production of cables from scratch. That is how the Albedo works - a company founded by Grzegorz Gierszewski, who was trained as a goldsmith. Of course his cables aren't made from silver rings, but silver is a conductor material used in all models.

Many manufacturers of audiophile devices occupy a specific area of the market and introduce new constructions, designed to catch the attention of people listening to silver cables. However, there are some companies able to make their way in the world not only for audio freaks, but for other people as well. Sonus Faber is certainly one of them. This brand needs no introduction for audiophiles, but people interested in design, art and even motoring may also know it, because it is responsible for the Pagani Huayra car audio system. Its speakers can be seen not only in stores with amplifiers, but also in museums and art galleries. It is not surprising because the Italian designers treat their sets as works of art. Uncompromising approach to design coupled with a respect for tradition and modern technical solutions is particularly visible in the most expensive loudspeakers. That is why the set of Olympica III arrived to our office. This is the top model from the series named after the Olympic Theater located in the city of Vicenza.

In a relatively short time Hegel gained the status of the audiophile brand. It would seem that designing a big amplifier with shiny tubes and bright power meters is the best way to enter the market in such a spectacular way, but it's not the only one. It is hard to deny that many people still buy audio gear with their eyes, and the thickness of the wallet doesn't always go hand in hand with good taste. Norwegian devices have always been extremely modest. Matt fronts with at most two knobs and display do not promise anything revolutionary. But remember that sometimes the inside of device is the most important part.

Amphion is one of the companies that do not build speakers for anechoic chambers, measurements and purely theoretical situations. Finns know that speakers must work well in normal living rooms, and good cooperation with room space is more important than rhodium plated sockets or compatibility with power amplifier. Their goal is to construct speakers that are not sensitive to the acoustics of the room. This is probably not possible to achieve for one hundred percent, but at least you know that someone is thinking about the speaker-room system, and not just putting audiophile speakers in a nice box.

Scandinavians have a sense of style. Simple forms and raw materials appeal to customers looking for timeless elegance. Primare is one of the manufacturers who designed their own looks long time ago. The brand exists primarily as a manufacturer of amplifiers and CD players, however it has relatively quickly introduced new DAC3 converter and NP30 network player. You can also buy an integrated amplifier and later extend its functionality with network functions or DAC with USB input, thanks to optional extension cards. The outer design of scandinavian devices resists any changes. I have no idea when the first unit looking like this appeared on the market, but I know it must have been a long time ago. Despite this, Primare's products still look fresh and modern. Over the years they introduced minor modifications, but some marks remain intact.

Focal is one of the most powerful companies in the loudspeaker market, making mainly domestic hi-fi speakers and car audio components. Everything is produced in France under one roof, or rather several to be more precise. The scale of production has forced the company to build a large complex of factories and laboratories and take over the cabinet factory where most expensive enclosures are manufactured. After the launch of Aria and Easya models, Focal decided to expand its line of headphones. The first Spirit One model was very successful, so engineers decided to continue this winning streak and create a whole series of headphones based on the same design. New models had to be targeted at different customer groups. Because the basic construction remained the same, functions and applications of new headphones had to be different.

The French are very progressive. Not only do they want to be first in everything, but they often are. It seems that the concept of usual economy is sometimes limited in this country. If it wasn't true, they probably wouldn't build the famous TGV train or the Millau Viaduct. Travel with ordinary train or a bus would be much cheaper after all, and instead of a giant overpass you could easily build a road leading down and then up the valley. The French definitely can go crazy. From time to time they put aside the standard thinking and do something that others see later in admiration. No wonder that many companies producing hi-fi equipment have built their power in France. Especially speakers manufacturers. Triangle is one of three largest producers of speakers in France. Founded in the early 80's, it first came up with some unusually shaped speakers, but many people criticized the company for a lack of technical innovation in the drivers.

People behind Audel Art Loudspeakers say that their main goal is to involve more people in high quality audio and in a way show them that listening to the music can bring even more fun than they thought. However, Italians don’t do this by organizing social campaigns, but through the creation of original looking speaker and electronics that can be used almost anywhere. Each model is a little piece of art and thus has to be different than the electronics standing next to the TV set or a home cinema receiver. Speakers are hand-made by highly skilled craftsmen. This should draw the attention of customers who appreciate high-quality materials and objects with a heart. All of the speaker cabinets are made of glued laminated birch wood elements, shaped by computer-controlled machines. Boxes put together this way are much stiffer than similar structures made of MDF panels. Cabinets are finished with natural wax polish. And I have to say, it looks wonderful.

Hegel products are minimalistic, but also full of innovative solutions. Their design is always very well thought out. The company was not established by marketing experts, instead Hegel was formed by a group of friends. One of them created the scheme of an amplifier, which pretty much eliminated all the shortcomings of traditional circuitries. In his opinion the major problem is the feedback - the main reason of the sound distortion. He also took into consideration that getting rid of any feedback in fact makes an amplifier weaker and more floaty in terms of sound. The man we are talking about is Bent Holter. His idea turned out to be not bad at all, because he managed to achieve high output power and less distortion at the same time. At some point a big telecommunication company - Telenor - became interested in his project. They paid for further development of this technology in exchange for shares of Holter's new company and what we know today as Hegel was born.