by Michael

The new Jorma Design digital cable

We got one of the new Jorma Design digital cables in for a few minutes before it went out on audition.

I got to take some photos and Neli got a chance to listen for a few minutes.


A nice looking cable.

Does anyone else like how interconnects, especially digital cables, are nice and thin and easy to work with?

Compared to power cords I mean.

But… for how long? How long until they are as thick as a brick? And weigh about as much?.

I took this photo mroe than 4 times… and this was the BEST. Not a banner photography day.

Neli describes the sound as very much like the Jorma No. 1 cable – nicely detailed, nearly as much as the Valhalla, but with a little more color in the midrange.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Jorma Design 0 comments
 by Michael

Comparing and Contrasting Digital at Audio Federation

In this post, we will not talk about sonic characteristcs, per se, but just the differences in functionality of the higher-end players we currently have available.

Just by itself, the difference in what these players do, and their basic approach to sound, is enough to differentiate them – enough to help many people choose which one they are most likely interested in.

*** Audio Note U.K. DAC / Transport combinations. $[varies]

Tube. If you want a musical, very customizable sound (through tube-rolling), do not need another preamp, do not want to run your PC or video system into the DAC. , and have space for a two component player.

*** Audio Aero Capitole Reference CD player with linestage: $9,580.00.

Tube. If you want a very musical yet unveiled sound, need a good linestage, and do not care about SACD.

*** EMM Labs CDSA CD / SACD player $9,995.00

Solid-state. If you want a very pure yet musical sound, want SACD, do not need another preamp, do not want to run your PC or video system into the DAC, and/or only have rack space for one component.

*** Audio Aero Prestige CD /SACD player with linestage: $12,990.00.

Tube. If you want a very musical, detailed and solid sound, want SACD, need a good linestage, need a front loading CD player and/or only have rack space for one component.

*** EMM Labs CDSD SE and DCC2 SE: $21,900.00

Solid-state. If you want a very pure yet musical sound, want SACD, need a good line-stage, and/or want to run your PC or video system into the DAC, and have space for a two component player.

*** Audio Note U.K. CDT3 and DAC 4.1x Balanced: $22,600.00

Tube. If you want lots of detail with each note rendered in an analog-like fashion, do not need a preamp, and have space for a two component player.

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A FEW THINGS

First, these really are some of the, if not THE, best digital today.

Second, the built-in preamp are really quite good. Not spectacular, but really, REALLY good for the price paid.

Third, given your current system, and where you want to take it, you probably have a good idea about going for a tube versus a solid-state solution. The solid-state here is very, very good, very un-solid-state-like, but it will not ‘add musicality’, but neither will it take away musicality [unlike most other solid-state digital]. . It just ‘is’.

Fourth, given a budget, it may be best to allocate a larger portion of the overall budget to a player with a built-in pre, rather than get both a lesser CD player and a separate pre. Not only from a potential shelf space (and extra power cord and cable!) issue, but because it will be find to find a preamp that does what THESE built-in preamps do for anywhere near the money.

Audio Note is coming out with several single-box players, so this will make some choices harder. But for people on a budget, who have a system that they want to keep most of, who know whether or not they like their current preamp, have a preference for a specific-sound, who have limited rack space, the choosing process is really going to be very similar to the list above.

in Audio Aero / Audio Note / Emm Labs / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo 0 comments
 by Michael

Showroom 2 and 3 swapped their speakers…

We moved the Marten Coltrane Supreme speakers over to in front of the Soundlab U1 speakers and the Marten Coltrane loudspeakers over behind the Kharma Mini Exquisite speakers. The ‘Supremes’ are slowly making their way upstairs.


The Marten Coltrane Supreme speakers driven by Lamm ML2.1 amps and Lamm L2 preamp. Source is the Brinkmann Balance turntable with Lyra Titan cartridge and Audio Aero Prestige CD / SACD player / linestage.


The system sounds good – at the volumes we play it at (i.e. below 100 dB) the bass tower’s rear-firing ports did not seem affected by the proximity of the SoundLab speakers. The main towers, being sealed, also did not have too many adverse affects [we still need to move the bass towers farther back, away from the front of the main towers – which improves imaging significantly].

The thing about these speakers, which has been unexpected, is how ‘intimate sounding’ they are. Unlike most (all?) other speakers that produce a large soundstage, which have a somewhat dominating influence, distancing the musicans from the here and now in some way that is hard to explain right now – the listening experience here is more like listening to monitors. Like the musicians are playing music Just For Me.

Still don’t know what to make of this – or whether other people will appreciate this or not. But there is a lot more ‘affection’ for the music in this context – it is much more approachable.


On the other side of the room, behind the listening chairs, is the now sparsely settled showroom 2 with the Marten Coltranes waiting behind the Khamra Minis. This will be the configuration we will use, along with a pair of Audio Note speakers standing by, when the ‘Supremes’ make it all the way upstairs into the big showroom #1.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Marten Design / Showroom 2 / Showroom 3 0 comments