Can a book shelf sound better than a floor stander ?

Can a bookshelf speaker sound like a floor stander? How do we answer this question? I think, before we do, we need to address even a bigger question. What is good sound? Or better, what are the fundamentals of good sound? Let´s dress up some sort of a blueprint. This is my version and as such it is and will always be up for a debate. It is based on what I have learned over the past 40 years, searching for that one right tone. The bottom line here is that there is no one true tone. Therefore the search is endless. My journey has ended a few times, only to discover that I did not know what good sound was (or at the time I only knew a fraction of good sound). Better equipment and accessories came to light and the scale or line defining good sound then moved. 


Blueprint




Soundstage. The sound plays outside the speakers, in front of  the speakers and way back of the speaker. This we call the depth of the soundstage. The sound in front of the speakers can extend some towards the listener, almost all the way or depending on the size, it is possible to sit in the soundstage. The soundstage is 3 dimensional. The stereo part is left to right. Voice in the middle, guitar just off to the right or left or both. Drums behind, snare drum little to right or left depending on the drummer. Tom Tom in the middle above the bass drum. Yes, the soundstage has resolution so we can hear in this 3D playback air between the instruments. The 3D soundstage has layers that rise up from the floor, as high the soundstage can go. The height depends on the room (mostly). To me it is more unnatural (if we can use that word "natural" when we talk about sound reproduction)  if the soundstage is very high, But this also depends on the recording we are playing. These layers also go from front to back. There can be a very distinct difference between a "bell" ringing just to the side of the speaker and another "bell" hit further back but higher.  


Resolution within the soundstage. We can hear a string hit. We hear how it is hit, with a finger or bow. We hear the strings' vibration. The extent of this in detail can be pretty astounding. The better the equipment has become in the last 25 years or so, the more detail we can hear. In many cases detail has come at the cost of musicality.  Analytical sound can be impressive but no fun to play for hours upon hours, at home. Musicality should mean that the music playing is "like" the band of players are there, with you in the room. 


I think (we could go on forever about all of this but let's try to keep it more simple than not, I hope most of you know what I am trying to say) this is good enough on sound. 


A Year ago I had  the Figaro M from Audio Solution in my system. I was very happy. They were supported by a pair of REL Ti9 subwoofers. The system played low in bass, was punchy. very good depth, pretty good soundstage. I have had luck with following my guts and my guts told me it could be I should try a smaller speaker in my room. So I got an XSA Vanguard clone of LS3/5s, the famous BBC monitor. It is made out of bamboo and I think bamboo is the gods gift to man to use in all things hi-fi. The big floor standers got pushed out of the room and cheap stands put in for the clones to sit on.  My Audio by Van Alstine monoblocks who push 850 watts in 8ohm had a love affair with the Figaro M (who are 4ohm and turned the amps into 1.7 kilowatt monsters). The immediate impact of the bookshelves in the room was interesting. They did not "sound as good" as the big speaker, but they "fit" better. There was a musical tone in the room that was very pleasing that was not delivered by the bigger speaker. The sound was not as detailed. Not as detailed but just like a good sweater, the fit was better. The sound was more comfortable. After some tweeking the sound had improved to a point where I thought, this is it. 


ha ha ha ..... yeah right. 


"A New Idea"




Somewhere in the pleasuredome of this new musical spiritually I had an idea. (gut feeling?). The Figaro M is a 10.000$ speaker. The LS3/5a is a 1000$ speaker. The system is pretty good so what happens if I try a very good, but small speaker? Now began a lookout that included a number of interesting ideas. To cut a long story short, the idea did bounce around to a conversation between Mike Tweek Geek and myself. To cut that story also short I found myself in the possession of Aurai Z165 loudspeakers. If you know nothing about this French design read up on them. 2 way, 3 part crossover, unique tweeter, well made mid/bass driver that has been modified by the designer of the speaker. The price is under the price of my Figaro M. So at least we can compare them that way. Or we can not. Simply because the Aurai outperform the Figaro M in every department. Does that mean they overperform for the asking price?. Oh yes they do. Fantastically. What does that mean?


Aurai Z165




One of the promises made for the Aurai is that they put on a spectacular disappearing act, and do they ever. There is no sign of them in my room when I play music.  They offer amazing soundstaging and resolution.


Details - I thought I had a pretty good idea what good details sound like but the Aurai took that understanding to a new place, never visited before by me.  I am not a big tech guy, I have trusted my ears through the years more than understanding what or why things work the way they do. I think  the tweeters are a big part of why the Aurai sound as good as they do. There is a relationship between the high end (tweeters) and bottom end (subwoofers) that has a greater effect on the sound than we normally talk about. Of course it is all about synergy. All parts need to work together or in harmony for the whole to do its proper job. 


The speaker came with extremely handsome wooden stands that match the speaker brilliantly. First the stands stood on the floor. It did not seem to bother the sound but still there was a significant upgrade in focus when I installed the IsoAcoustic feet to the combo. I Highly recommended investing in the Gaia feet.  


So where does the sound sit now? If I was happy with my Figaro M, I am more happy with the Aurai Z165. Everything is better. Bigger soundstage with more details and resolution, and better defined sound. The soundstage is deeper and the music played fills the room now like I have never heard before, ever. But most importantly,  the musicality is unmatched anywhere I have ever heard. Hands down.  They disappear better, room size they fit better and have the same "feel" as the LS3/5a, while still sonically much better. 


But...




They play down to 50hz or so so by that nature they do better with subwoofers. But then all speakers do. No matter what kind you have. Why you can ask. Well this is something in all my years reading on hi-fi, I have never seen kept aloft. Subwoofers do so much more than add bass to the sound. They add air and help expand the soundstage in a way that is hard to express. This is better to hear for one self than take any word for. If one wants to go for the Z165 keep 2 subwoofers in the mix. Or 4.


Taking A Detour




Somewhere on that detour, discovering what a wonderful idea 2 subs are, I did read (very deep on the internet, might even have been so deep it could have been the dark web) that 4 subwoofers simply do more of what 2 do. When the sound was well settled I was given the opportunity to try a second pair of subs in the system. 


What I got was a set of 12" ported 500 watt subs that sell for 399$. I did 2 things right from the start. I stumbled upon a very good spot for them to be in. On the side wall, 5 feet in front of the speakers, shooting towards the listening seat. The other was that my intention was to have them just play the lowest register of the bass. My RELs match the speakers and play from 60-65hz down. The subs play 40-45hz down. I did learn fast that one needs to be out of phase for all this to work. The impact was immediate. The soundstage became even bigger, more details in the soundstage .... just better sound. But. This biggest benefit and maybe the biggest surprise was how much punch and weight was in the bass at normal or even low playback. No reason to turn up the bass to get the rumble. Was all hunky dory ? No but far from it. I had some mild, soft bass hailo around some of the bass notes. I did learn that the sound would benefit if I raised one subwoofer up from the floor. The idea is to disturb the symmetry between the subs. I know this trick from tables under equipment. Always use 3 legs and make one out of different wood than 2. This way you interrupt the resonance relationship between the legs and the table itself. To complete this act of magic, drill a 1mm hole in the top of the table, that will interrupt the resonance in the platform. If you do not believe me, try it. It will not disappoint. So I got a 3 inch thick maple wood block I put feet under and placed it under the sub to my right as I listened.  And all the bass disappeared.  Nada. No bass at all. This was unexpected. The fix was simple. Flick the phase on the sub I had just raised to normal and all bass came back. This act of raising the sub is a clever practice. I am pretty sure I can still improve the bass by raising one REL as well.  You see there is a fantastic sub system out there that is a set of an amp and 4 subwoofers. The 4 all play different parts of the bass response and by doing that they blend better and avoid well known bass trouble issues. 


So back to the question, can a bookshelf play better than a full range floor stander? A big fat yes to that. And let me argue with it. My friend has a 1 million dollar system. Absolutely fantastic and might be the best I have heard. Does it sound better than mine ? Yes it does. But still I would not trade with him, for a few different reasons.  The biggest reason is complexity. His speakers are 5 way with 2500 watt built-in amps, 2 sets of different tweeters and to run this there is a room correction control unit.  I find more pleasure in listening to my humble system than this. But man it is fun. 


I hope this was a fun read. This is my 3rd draft and I hope I got everything in I wanted.  It is possible to tweek the Aurai like any other speaker. Putting weight on top and you tighten up the sound is one way to tweek. Maybe more on that later. Thank you for reading!


http://dlvr.it/THP9lG

Making a Small To Medium Sized Listening Room Sound Bigger Than It Is

Our listening environments. Most of us fantasize about a cavernous listening room, free from boomy bass and early reflections. Our massive system would sit well away from the room boundaries, as would our favorite listening chair. The drink caddy would be the only thing allowed near the seating during our audio therapy sessions. The sound would be open, filling the room floor to ceiling, wall to wall. Purifying the soul in an immersive, sonic bath.


That is the fantasy. Let's deal with reality.


Very rare is it the case that one has this kind of dedicated space, and sound for that matter. Big rooms have problems too. Namely standing waves. But reflections can be problematic too, especially if the room is untreated and has lots of hard surfaces.


The reality for many of us is quite different. The average listening room is about 15 feet by 12 feet with 8-10 foot ceilings. Not small, but not large either.  The margin for error in listener and speaker placement is smaller.  We have been told either directly or inferred through reading reviews, etc. that we need 8 feet of space between our speakers and ten feet of space between our listening position and speakers. Following this information in smaller rooms places the speakers and the listener near the room boundaries, creating all sorts of room modes, and reflection issues. This may look good, or fit into our assumptions of what should sound good, but are you getting the best listening experience? Probably not.







The reality of our listening room size often looks more like this.




What a situation like this calls for is defined by the recording industry as mid-field listening. Mid-field listening is done at distances of 6-12 feet from the speakers. 

It takes more work perhaps, but a mid-field listening setup can produce a visceral, holographic and tonally even listening experience with less amplifier, less speaker, and fewer acoustic treatments. By work I mean careful speaker placement. Really nailing down the best place for your speakers and the best place for your seating is critical.


Speaking of that. New Record Day has another excellent video covering speaker setup in small rooms. I highly recommend watching it.






Ultimately, we will be creating what I call a "bubble" with properly set up speakers and listening spot, acoustic treatments, and a tweak or two to really dial in the holographic experience.


The Bubble




Step 1: Speaker Placement




See the video above.


Step 3: Acoustic Treatments







Above: The Stillpoints Aperture II is in our opinion,
the highest quality acoustic treatment one can buy.
In this example, we will be using 4 acoustic treatments. These will form an area in front of, behind and to the sides of our listening area. 


I recommend at least one, and preferably 4 Stillpoints Aperture II panels if you can afford it. Why?  Out of all of the treatments I have experimented with, the Aperture II's allow my system to sound the best. The Aperture II's also take a little guesswork out of what type of treatment to place where. They absorb, diffuse and have a little bit of bass trap built in. They keep the sound and soundstage lively, balanced and intact. One can use a combination of absorbers, diffusers and bass traps from other manufacturers if that's what you have on hand. 

I place the panels as follows:



* If you can only afford one Aperture, place it centered between the loudspeakers with the main area centered at listening height. The other recommendations below are if you buy 4, but you can also substitute an acoustic diffuser for the side placement, and an absorber, or absorbers for placement behind the listening chair.

* One (Aperture or diffuser) on either side of the listening position at the first reflection points. 

* One (Aperture or absorber) centered behind the main listening seat
















The listening "bubble" with 4 acoustic treatments. As mentioned, we recommend Stillpoints Apertures, but this can be a combination of absorption or diffusion.









Alternative Acoustic Treatments


So you can't afford the Apertures? No problem, you can use different products from manufacturers like Vicoustic (which we carry, and are the best made for the money), or even Ikea.  Just keep the following in mind:



* Diffusion is usually preferred over absorption on the side wall first reflection points.

* Absorption is preferred behind your listening chair

* If you can only use a minimum of panels, placing them at ear level is the starting point, and will produce the most benefit.

* If you want a more diffuse center image and soundstage, diffusion may be the best choice for the treatment centered behind the speakers. For more focus, absorption.

* Hybrid diffusion/absorption panels may be a good compromise when in doubt.









Above: Vicoustic makes some very cool,
and audiophile grade acoustic products.



I like the mid field approach for several reasons




* It gives every critical component (speakers and your listening chair) acoustical space from room boundaries. This can help with bass response and will help with any early reflection issues.

* Like near field listening, it takes much more of the room out of the equation. Unlike near field listening, the additional distance between listener and speakers allows the sound from the speakers to become more cohesive, and is just less "in your face" as some nearfield setups can be (without the help of my room tweaks :)).






What The Bubble Can And Cannot Do



The "Bubble" will open up your soundstage, improve depth, imaging and detail. How? Most of the sound you will hear from your system will be what is directly radiated from the speakers. Reflected sound, which tends to blur detail and smear the detail, will be greatly reduced. If you have severe bass issues, you may need bass traps or something like the PSI Audio AVAA active bass traps for frequencies below 50Hz. Bass is more of a sound pressure issue than a sound wave issue. The pressure can be a function of the volume and shape of your room, and on some occasions speaker placement can only minimize this issue, not eliminate it.
 



Step 4: Finishing Touches To Enhance Resolution & Soundstage


Into The Twilight Zone... Below I will break down products that will make your space appear to be sonically larger than it physically is.  They also have the added benefit of enhancing resolution and detail as well. All without adding brightness or artificially altering the tone.





The Stein Harmonizers are our longest standing favorite tweak. Stereophile recommended them over 10 years ago, and we fickle audiophiles have long since forgotten their value in favor of the newer, shinier thing.  They still work the same magic in rooms as they did many years ago. The Harmonizer H2 system is $2995.




Above: The Stein Harmonizer






Above: Our recommended Stein Harmonizer placement.

QSA AC Receptacle - Yep, that's right. If you want a bigger soundstage, and a more 3D presentation, the QSA AC receptacles will take you there like no other AC receptacle can. I recommend the Red level or above. Even if you have a power conditioner or distributor downstream, the QSA power outlet installed in the wall will make a huge sonic improvement regardless of your listening room size.




Bybee V2 Plus - This small black box has an effect similar to the Harmonizer system, but at a lower price. Adding resolution, richness, air, space, liquidity with a little more warmth and low end than the Harmonizers. Very helpful in creating the perception of the walls disappearing. Priced at $499 each, the Plus version will give you more power to the device, increasing it's effectiveness over the standard V2, and a replaceable battery (which the standard V2 does not have).





Above: A Bybee V2 Plus placement for a wide
soundstage with a focused center image.













Combining The Bybee and Stein




This combination yields a very immersive, detailed, balanced 3 dimensional listening space that will knock your socks off.





Above: The Combination of the acoustic treatments,
Stein Harmonizers, and Bybee V2 Plus can create
the "Ultimate Listening Bubble".


As you can see, the placement of the treatments, Stein, and Bybee encircle the listening chair. This is my reference setup, creating the most natural, immersive sound field I have ever heard.


Bottom Line






* Really work on optimizing the placement of your speakers and seating. 

* With a few acoustic treatments, create a "bubble" of sound where the energy that your ears pick up is the direct, radiated from the speakers.

* With your system now hitting new heights, widths and depths try out some room enhancing tweaks to see if they do indeed take things further by making the walls in your room disappear.




Thanks for reading this far and as always, if you have questions please don't hesitate to call or email.



 


http://dlvr.it/THDFFF

A New Foundational Power Conditioning Product

Two QSA Treated Circuit Breakers

The power flowing to your audio system, be it through a wall outlet, a power conditioner, or power distributor, has a huge impact on the overall performance of your components and more importantly, your overall sense of well being when listening to music through your system.

Power, like room acoustics, isn't terribly sexy. It's hard for us audiophiles to justify spending much time or money on power conditioning components because they technically do not produce sound. They are "helper components".  They don't make sound, they make sound...Better. 

Power is the foundation of your audio system's performance. I don't care how expensive your gear is, if you have noisy, bad power, your system will not sound good. At least not as good as it could. 

In my view, a well optimized power delivery system might look something like this:

• Dedicated 20 amp Circuit
• 8-10 AWG High quality in-wall wiring 
• Audiophile grade wall receptacle with Cover
• High Current, high quality power cord
• Non-current limiting power conditioner

Experience has taught me that the further up the power chain you can go, the more potential improvement to the overall system can be realized. My hypothesis for this is that by catching noise and distortion very early on, you prevent it from trickling down further into the power chain. The components further down the chain, freed from this noise, can work on even lower levels of noise.

I have taken my Studio's power system as far as I thought I reasonably could with all of the above items installed in the Tweek Geek studio. I had even added some tweaks to the breaker box and sub panel in the store, but that was as far as I could get. I had heard about cryo treating circuit breakers, but honestly wasn't motivated to do so because of my experience with cryo on other items. It was always marginally helpful at best.  To my knowledge in the US, nobody makes an audio grade circuit breaker. Part of the problem is that there is no standardized breaker size or shape, like for example wall receptacles. So if one were to make an audio grade circuit breaker, they'd have to make at least 5 different types (that I know of) to accommodate all of the brands and sizes of breaker boxes used in homes.

I decided to take this challenge on in a different way by taking existing brands and models of breakers, and sending them to Hong Kong to be treated by QSA. I started with breakers that fit my own sub panel, and went with Black/Red. My theory was since the QSA fuses were so powerful in their effect, having a similar device at the very start of my dedicated circuit would be more powerful, and trickle down through the entire system.

If you are not familiar with QSA, they have discovered a method of treating conductors that goes way beyond cryo, zapping with tesla coils, graphene, nano fairy dust, everything (I know, I've tried it all). They treat fuses, power adapters, and signal adapters for use in audio systems. Their products are very much results oriented, and not aesthetically oriented. But for what they may lack in visual appeal, they more than make up for in the performance they squeeze out of your system. I've said it before, but it bears repeating. The QSA process is the most significant tweak, bar none, that I in my 20 years as the Tweek Geek have ever encountered. It's not even close. 

Installing the Breaker

First, the obligatory warning. Do not attempt to install your own circuit breaker unless you are a licensed electrician. If you decide to do so, you do it at your own risk. There. My ass is covered. It's not a physically or mechanically difficult thing to do, it's just the risk of death from electric shock, that's all. If you are willing to bear the risks, know how to turn off the main breaker to your house, and operate a non contact voltage detector, you are half way to safely being able to replace a breaker. 

I had a main panel outside of my store that had the only main breaker switch on it, so that is what I turned off. I then checked my sub panel to make sure there were absolutely no live wires in it by using the non contact voltage detector. All Good. After unscrewing the front panel from the breaker box, I was ready to replace the existing non QSA breaker with my Black/Red QSA breaker. It was a breeze disconnecting the old and connecting the new breaker. I put the front cover back on the breaker box, left the new breaker in the off position, and headed outside to turn the main power back on. Once that was on, I turned the power on to my main audio circuit. I had an outlet tester in the receptacle that powers my system so that I would know when the power comes on to the circuit, and also to ensure the wiring was still in phase.

The Sound And My Reaction

All levels of QSA treatments offer significant improvement, but there are some that are more "special" than others. Violet is one such level, and Black/Red is what I consider to be QSA's highest value performance level. At the Black/Red level, the noise floor plummets, and there is just a sense of naturalness. Instruments sound like their base materials in a way that is just more realistic. Strain, edge, and graininess are gone. Not papered over with softened highs or transients, just gone. Three dimensionality increases very dramatically. Overall, the improvement is not just an improvement, it is a transformation towards realism. It has to be heard to be understood completely, but this is why I love this product so much. With the introduction of the QSA Breaker, all of this happened to my already heavily QSA'd and power conditioned system. But it went deeper than any of the previous QSA products had been able to go. I felt the improvement "in my bones". 

Even some of my lesser quality recordings suddenly had more dimension to them, more kick, in the drums, and definitely more listenable mids and highs. This was a huge win.

And on the good recordings, it was simply amazing. There was a physiological relaxing of my body and mind when the music played. There was no tension. It's as if any hint of artifice or electronic unnaturalness was no longer triggering a response by my ears and brain. Musical decays, and transients that one instinctively knows to be natural but often are missed even with ultra high quality playback systems were present and startled my senses. Subtle things that make the music even more real, but if absent the music can still be very satisfying and realistic. These elements were all of the sudden there and my body and brain reacted to them as if they were closer to reality. I hope I'm making sense.

A "free association" of the QSA breakers attributes would look like this to me:

• Colors and richness
• Decay
• Air
• Space
• Dimensionality
• Dynamics
• Immersiveness
• Layering
• Sweetness
• Flow
• Relaxation

A Word On Break In

A funny thing about QSA products is the break in. The higher you go in level, the longer the break in period. It normally takes about a month for a Black/Red treated product to reach it's peak consistency in performance. Sometimes at the beginning it can be pretty rough. Taking one through highs and lows over the ensuing weeks. The breaker sounded amazing immediately, and every day since then it has gotten better. I walk in to the store in the mornings and turn the system on, once the music starts playing I just have to sit and admire what an amazing sound I am getting now. So far, there are no off or bad days, but it's only been about a week.

Conclusion

I cannot imagine having an audio system that does not include the QSA Breaker as the bedrock of an audio system. If I were starting from scratch today, I would invest half of my power conditioning budget in a QSA breaker. With that in mind, I would also revamp my Optimized Power Delivery System to include a QSA breaker.

• QSA Breaker
• Dedicated 20 amp Circuit
• 8-10 AWG High quality in-wall wiring 
• QSA wall receptacle
• High Current, high quality power cord
• Non-current limiting power conditioner

Thanks for reading this far. Next time you are shopping for a power cord, conditioner, or even a new component, remember the QSA breaker and consider giving it a try. 

The Innuos Pulsar: The Best Sonic Value In The Innuos Lineup

 

Spoiler Alert: The Innuos Pulsar is the best value in the entire lineup of Innuos products.  If you've been lusting after the Statement, and either don't need a local library of music, or you have it stored on your network, this may be the best alternative. Add  a PhoenixNET switch later on as funds permit, and you get really, really close to the performance of the Statement for just over $10,500.

Power Supply. One of the first things you will notice about the Pulsar is the weight. It's darn heavy. This is in a large part due to the massive power supply they've implemented. The Pulsar incorporates a custom ARC6 power module with Active Rectification, over 130000 uF of Mundorf Capacitors followed by a Mundorf Silver Gold Oil output cap, a large inductor and a massive 300VA audio-grade toroidal transformer.

Optimized USB port. the Pulsar offers an optimized USB output with a PhoenixUSB Lite Reclocker built right in. This is powered by a custom DC4 CX power regulator module with Audionote KAISEI capacitors.

The MSRP is $6899, and it comes in black or silver. Order turnaround times are super fast, considering they are built to order and ship from Portugal. It takes less than seven days.

Buying a streamer is unlike buying most any other audio component. Because you aren't just buying a component, you are buying a user/listener experience that involves software, a user interface and networking. There is a lot that can go wrong, on the networking side, that's obvious. Everyone's home network is different, and usually not optimal for audio (don't worry, we can help). Then there is the streaming component, and it's app. Most streamers these days have the hardware down, the setup is usually smooth, but it's the music playback where things can be a little dodgy. User interface design is a key component in a high quality streamer This is something that many audio manufacturers did not have to dedicate much intellectual capital to until very recently. But they are finding out just how important it is to the overall impression a streamer can give to a listener. A crappy user interface, clunky setup process, or instability in the operating system of the streamer can immediately bias the listener to not like the product. I've seen it firsthand, as well as experienced it myself. Having to struggle to get a streamer to make sound can put one in such a mood that by the time the component is working as it should be, one is no longer in the mental space where they can enjoy music.

I am happy to report that this is very much not the case with Innuos. They have not only conquered setup and configuration interfaces, but the music playback interface as well.

Setup

Setup couldn't be easier. Plug in the Pulsar, connect an ethernet cable that is plugged in to your network, turn the unit on, then open up a browser on any networked tablet, phone, or PC and type in the URL "my.innuos.com" That should launch the sense app and connect to the Pulsar. You don't even need to download an app if you don't want to. They do have one for Android and iOS devices, and I do recommend downloading it, but this is a testimony to the well thought out setup process.

From within the app, you connect to your streaming services, and to your music library. Boom. You are ready to play music. 

I like to enable the "keep screen always on" feature in Settings so the app stays continuously connected to your control device.

The Sense App

The Sense app works on Apple, Android, Mac and Windows devices. Any PC that connects to your network and can run a web browser can be used to set up and play music through the Pulsar. I think this is super cool. Many manufacturer apps only work fully on Apple or Android tablets. You might be able to do some configuration via a browser, but no control of the music playback. With the Sense app, if my phone rings while I'm listening to music, I just use my PC to pause the music while I take the call. I appreciate being able to use the larger screen of my PC as well. 

Innuos has done a nice job with the interface as well. It's visually appealing, logical and makes for a short learning curve. Roon is my favorite streaming app in terms of features and interface. Their Roon Radio feature and DSP functions make it tough to beat. But, that being said, the Innuos app sounds better, and is catching up in terms of features that I enjoy.

Sound & Experience

Break in is somewhat long and painful. When we first hooked up the Pulsar the sound was hard, and pretty flat. It took a good two weeks before things started settling down. By week four, we didn't miss the Statement in our reference system. The Pulsar does the same unveiling of midrange detail and richness that the Statement does (at least to my very unreliable audio memory). The midrange is very transparent, rich and focused. On the Stein Bobby S speakers I felt locked in to this all encompassing soundfield. It lacked nothing, and was just so relaxing and enjoyable. This is not an analytical sound. You can tell Innuos made a priority of nailing the midrange as this is where the streamer really shines. Not that they sacrified much of anything else in terms of bass weight or high frequency extension, they didn't. It's just that I have heard more precise image placement and detail in the high frequencies from more analytical, or more expensive streamers. I don't miss it at all when listening to the Pulsar. I feel they made the right decision in terms of sonic attributes.

In terms of dynamics, again the Pulsar excels. The investment in the power supply really pays off in terms of punch, slam, jump factor, whatever you want to call it. There was no compression imposed upon the music by the Pulsar whatsoever. If it was in the recording, it was reproduced faithfully by the Pulsar.

Conclusion

I have every Innuos streamer at the store, and have heard them all. They are a great brand with one of the best house sounds I have heard. The Pulsar is no exception. What sets the Pulsar apart and makes it such a great value is when you compare it to their Statement streamer. The Statement is better, and offers more in terms of capability, but it's more than double the price. I feel that what the Pulsar offers sonically should cost $10,000 or more. I highly recommend the Pulsar.

System

• Router: QSA Gold QNAP Router
• Switch: QSA Gold Switch
• DAC: Merason DAC-1 MK2
• Integrated: Audio Hungary Qualiton X200
• Speakers: Aurai Audio Z215, Z165, Steinmusic Bobby S
• Power Conditioning: EP2000 Kiyora
• Cables:  
• Steinmusic Highline Power X8 (DAC)
• Craft Audio Power Cord (Integrated, Switch, Pulsar, Power Conditioner)
• Hapa Audio Haiku RCA
• Hapa Audio Aero AG USB
• AB-Tech Ethernet

Use Case For The Modwright Analog Bridge

 

The Modwright Analog Bridge

Modwright introduced the Analog Bridge in the Spring of 2023. What it does is takes a line level signal and runs it through either an 6SN7 based, or 6922 based tube circuits. Both circuits are ultra high quality, very low noise, like all Modwright designs. The power supply is also tube rectified, adding to the tubey character this device imparts on ones system. You can switch between the 6922 sound (euphonic with a very beautiful midrange), and the 6SN7 sound (more focused imaging, with the tube air, space and presence).

ANALOG BRIDGE USES & SONIC BENEFITS:

• Between digital or analog source(s) and preamp. – Any digital that is deemed thin, bright or lacking depth and body will definitely benefit. Even digital that is not bright, but lacks body, will benefit from tube body and weight.
• Between preamp and amp. – An all SS system that customer feels is lacking in body, depth or warmth. Perhaps system is very resolving but uninvolving. The Analog Bridge will bring 3-dimensionality and broad soundstage to the system.
• Between source and amp. – A simple system one or two sources (with integral volume control) and amp is ideal. It adds the sonic benefits of tubes while keeping the system simple. Very low output impedance means it will drive ANY amp.
• Between passive attenuator and amp. – Same as above, source(s) – passive pre/attenuator – Analog Bridge – Amp. Analog bridge provides necessary buffering not provided by a passive.

Use Case #1 Between a Lumin T3 and Amplifier

The Lumin T3 Steamer/DAC

The Lumin T3 is an incredible Streamer/DAC. It has the LEEDH Lossless Volume Control built in, so it is ready to connect directly to a power amplifier, bypassing the need for a preamp. We initially set up the T3 direct to the Modwright KWA150SE .  The sound was good, but lacking "life". A little on the analytical side. Loads of detail and resolution, but lacking some soul.

We placed the Analog Bridge between the T3 and our KWA150SE solid state power amplifier. We heard no additional noise eminating from the speakers when no music was playing. This thing was quiet. With the 6SN7 circuit engaged the sound was full of the life that was missing previously. The midrange was gloriously rich, layered and so detailed. Image placement was slightly less clear, but we did not care in the least. Music was such a relaxing, engaging joy to listen to with this setup. Switching to the 6922, their was less of a tubey, euphonic sound, but it wasn't completely gone. There were significant gains in instrument placement in the soundstage as the image became just a bit more well lit. With the 6SN7's engaged it was candlelight, and with the 6922 it was Edison incandescent bulbs. In both cases the music was alive, soulful and captivating.

Conclusion

In this use case, the Analog Bridge proved it's worth in our system. It essentially allowed us to have two different tube circuits available to add some life to an otherwise analytical, but very resolving presentation. There was no loss of resolution, and no noise was imparted into the system by the addition of the analog bridge. It only added to the enjoyment of our system. 

Try The Analog Bridge In Your System

We offer in-home auditions of the Modwright Analog Bridge. If you are curious if it will bring more enjoyment of the music played through your audio system, shoot us an email or give us a call to set up a time to listen to it in your own system.

Thanks for reading!

Getting More Out Of Streaming Audio Pt 3: QSA "Jewel" Stones

Romancing The Stones

The QSA Small Stones, or as I like to call them "Jewel" Stones are not new. I have carried them as long as I have carried the fuses. Until very recently I found it difficult for them to find a place in my system. Other customers have had success , but for me, they kind of screwed up the sound. 

I have since learned much about these little red, clear, and blue stones that come 5 to a package. Glued to some kind of black damping material that has an adhesive backing. 

1. The colors that are easiest to work with - It took awhile to understand what these three colors do sonically, as there is a bit of overlap between them. 
1. The red stones add body, warmth, and decay all the way up to the midrange. 
2. The Blue add openness to the midrange but also overlap somewhat with the red, and even more with the clear stones. 
3. The clear stones affect the mids and high frequencies. But there is much overlap with the blue here and I don't recommend the clear stones unless your system is very dull sounding.
2. The most effective use case to date - as of this writing, the most positive impact I have had with the Blue and Red stones are with streaming audio and network components. I actually got the idea from looking at the QSA modified network switch.

If you look closely, near each ethernet port is a Red or Blue stone. There is also a Red stone placed near the power input. Of course there is a lot more going on with the switch than just the stones, but this was something I could do to my own network switch, the Innuos PhoenixNET. My PhoenixNET already has a QSA fuse inside, but to be honest, the improvement was minimal. Not at all like the effect the fuses had on my other audio components. I chalked that up to the switch being a data component, and whatever magic the fuses did to audio components, it didn't correlate as well to data components. The stones however were far more like the fuses in their effect however. It was quite remarkable. I placed the Red and Blue stones on my Modem (a Red and a Blue on either side of the single ethernet port), My wireless router (alternating Red and Blue stones on each port, and finally on my switch (alternating Red and Blue on the ports). One more placement. My internet provider is Spectrum, and they use a coax cable running from outside to their modem. they used a splitter on my run of cable, so I placed a Red and a Blue stone on either side of the splitter as well.

If you are familiar with the QSA products and their sonic effects, I would liken this to be like upgrading my network to a Red fuse or AC adapter. The sound was much more holographic, natural, with startling transient attack. Highs were super defined and transparent. Instrumental decays and hall ambiance lasted longer, and the soundstage had incredible density you could almost reach out and touch. 

I would say my system needed  1 or 2 more Red Stones than Blue stones. Too many Blue stones and the midrange becomes too forward, leaning out the overall presentation. Too many red and the sound has too much bloom and warmth. 

The Final Tweak (To date)

I listened to my system for a few days with the stones in place, and as things settled in I felt very pleased with the results. It was time to add the QSA switch to the mix. I had one on hand, QSA calls for two, but I felt with the PhoenixNet being engineered so well, and tweaked with the stones, that it would do just fine. The PhoenixNet sat next to my modem and router about 30 feet away. The run of ethernet cable that went from the PhoenixNet to my statement now went from the PhoenixNET to the QSA switch, then another run of ethernet cable took the output from the QSA switch to the Statement. Whoa, this took the sound quality up a significant level. I mean, really significant. I would compare it to the jump from the Violet level to Red Black, maybe even Silver. The soundstage was THICK. It was wrap-around, in the room, around you, so detailed, natural, rich. Unbelievable. This is the best streaming audio I have heard from this system, or any other. I literally have to pull myself away while I am at the Studio. It's hard to get anything done besides listening.

I am receiving a second QSA switch in a few days. It will be interesting to see if it improves over the PhoenixNET. 

Living With, & Without QSA: What I've learned & What You Need To Maximize Your Investment

As many of you know, it's been a bit of a love-hate relationship between QSA and Tweek Geek. Not because of their sonic quality or workmanship, but the delivery times. I even stopped carrying them for a few months because of production timelines causing order backlogs. Well I am happy to report that we have both agreed to do better.

As a result of my hiatus from QSA, I was able to listen to the effect of removing each QSA product from my system.

There was no doubt in my mind that their products had an overall positive, and in some cases transformative, impact on my system. But they were not equally impactful, some products were more effective than others. As a result, I have come up with some ideas on which products are foundational, and which products are icing on the cake. My goal is to help the person interested in trying QSA products use their budget to the greatest sonic effect.

Additionally, I also discovered that placement of certain QSA products can be critical, and also that one can overdo it with QSA if one is not careful. 

I will try to articulate that for you with the following information:

 Foundational QSA Products

To my ears, these are the products that were solidly positive. They worked every time, and were also powerful in terms of effect.

QSA AC Receptacle

• AC Receptacles -  These offer a huge benefit, not quite that of a fuse, but there is zero risk of your outlet failing unless something more worrisome than a failed outlet is happening. That is why they get my #1 vote. These are solid, put 'em in your wall, not your power conditioner. There is something about placing tweaks as close to the breaker box as possible. The closer you get, the more pronounced the impact. That is why I will very soon be offering QSA treated US circuit breakers. This is as close as one can get to the source of power, and I have a good intuition that they will prove to be amazing. Additionally. Spend some money here. Don't be tempted to dabble. I have gone from Yellow all the way to Gold, and know a thing or two about this. The sweet spot is from Violet to Black/Red. The Yellow is too minimal by comparison to really let you in on the potential of QSA.
  

  

  QSA Fuses

  
  
  
  
• Fuses - I didn't want this to be true, because selling fuses is an unbelievable pain in the ass. But, the sonic impact is undeniable in terms of effect. My reservation, and logic for naming them as #2 on my list, is the very fact that fuses are designed to fail. Yes QSA will give you up to 2 replacements. But their logic is, if you blow a fuse twice, the problem ain't the fuse... The sweet spot here too is Violet to Black/Red. The gap between levels however is more pronounced than with the AC receptacles of similar color. If you can afford Black/Red, get Black/Red. If not, get the violet or Red and never think about it again.

Next Level QSA Products

QSA Silver Switch

• Router & Network Switch - Depending on your Network Needs either one of these will be a transformative upgrade for your streaming audio system. These only come third in my list of favorites because they don't affect your entire system. If you have a vinyl rig you will not benefit from a QSA router or switch. The effects are similar to the fuse and AC receptacle, a pronounced increase in resolution, dimensionality and naturalness. One has to spend a lot more money on components to get this level of sonic performance.
  

  

  QSA Jitter AC Adapter

  
  
  
  
• Jitter AC adapters - These are fantastic as well on most power cords. I have specifically had reports of them not making much difference on Audioquest Dragon power cords, but the person who mentioned this also hated the looks of the adapters. Still, really high end cords may benefit less. On the other hand, a tonally well balanced, but less expensive/revealing power cable can be transformed into something much better with the addition of QSA Jitter AC Adapters.
  
  

Fine Tuning QSA Products

QSA Crystals

• Crystals - QSA Crystals can work wonders on a finely tuned system. Our favorites are the Black, and Red. Below is a description of what each color of QSA Crystal does sonically.
  
  
• Black Crystals - Soundstage. That is what I think of whenever I implement the Black Crystals. They don't have an affect on any certain frequency band, they just add dimensionality and space. Musical decay trails off more holographically, and the tone is more natural.
  
  
• Red Crystals - Warmth and body are what the Red Crystals appear to enhance. If a component or your system lacks warmth, these are my go to tweaks.
  
  
• Blue Crystals - Openness of the midrange frequencies. If your midrange is dull, lifeless or recessed, the Blue Crystals can resurrect midrange openness and presence. 
  
  
• Clear Crystals  - Middle high frequencies are affected by the Clear Crystals. These can give a sense of air and space, and bring up the higher frequencies. For example, I feel like the KEF wireless speakers with their Meta drivers are a bit closed in and dull sounding. A Black and a Clear crystal on either side of the AC input seems to resolve this issue. Giving more of a 3 dimensional presentation with more air, space with longer reverberant decay.

Forthcoming products

Tweek Geek will be offering some QSA treated products in the coming months. Below are just a few items we will be offering "QSA'd" versions of:

Circuit breakers: This is as far up the AC chain as you can go, and should provide a huge bang for the buck. 

Bybee AC Purifiers: Why not combine 2 great products to see what the possibilities are?

There is much, much more to come, but we have to leave the rest as a surprise for now.

Thanks for reading!