An ADSM, a MAN301 and an outsider - A quick audition (ADS vs KDS to follow)
Posted by: m0omo0 on 13 November 2012
Good afternoon everyone,
As I alluded to in another post, I've had the opportunity to attend a short demo audition yesterday. A friend of mine is looking to replace its Logitech Transporter and wanted to lend an ear to a Linn Akurate DS and a Weiss MAN301, and was kind enough to let me join him. It will be followed by a second listening sessions at another dealer tomorrow, where hopefully the Akurate DS and the Klimax DS can be compared.
The protagonists
The venue: I'll post a picture later so you can have an clear idea, but let's say the place was a heavily treated room about 6 x 6 m. Treatment included typical spiked acoustic foam on the walls and the ceiling, and carpet on the floor.
The gear: I didn't bother asking for specifics (I was not really concerned after all), but here is what I could spot. The ADS was in fact an Akurate DSM (network streamer with preamp stage, if I got it right; but another preamp was involved, read on). The other source was a Weiss MAN301 (a ripper, as well as player or streamer, I don't know; with a DAC "similar" to the DAC202; double the price of the Linn). Later an external DAC was (too) briefly introduced: an MSB Technology Analog DAC (and twice the price of the Weiss...). The amplification chain was from Burmester, probably a 088 preamp and a 911 power amp. And the speakers were... (roll the drums...) the beautiful Sonus Faber Amati Futura (a more "bling" look than the Anniversario; visually I prefer Edouard's; never heard them though). No clue about the different cables involved. A mains conditioner was used, but I don't know the make or the model. Files were on NAS, and I spotted a small QNAP and a small Synology in a corner.
The music: My friend's choice comprised Adele (Hi-Res), Hadouk Trio, Lady Gaga, Crooked Still and Rebecca Pidgeon (Hi-Res remaster, 24/88.2 I think).
The circumstances: The system was completely unknown to me but I was quite familiar with most of the music. The shop owner was friendly (I had been here before years ago, so I knew that), but was talking a bit too much and had a strange way to conduct a demo (see later) ! And the whole thing was done in a bit of a hurry as my friend had to leave after 1 hour and a half. Less than perfect conditions for any kind of meaningful report.
The audition
The friendly dealer offered us a seat in a smaller room to chat a bit with my friend to try and understand his needs and desires, the music he liked and how he liked to listen to it. This room looked like a home cinema demo room, adjacent to the main listening room, and I spotted Totem, Focal Chorus and Linn Isobarik speakers along the way. And loads of records (but no TT in sight). Some nice chat and interesting explanations and opinions later, we went into the main room for the contest.
Playing my friend's chosen music, the dealer was in control with its iPad. We started with the ADSM, than introduced the MAN301 to compare. The gain was not even between the two sources so it took a while in order to have an A/B switch that was not too unbalanced. Very strangely, the dealer would have the unnerving habit to skip through a particular track 5 seconds at a time, than change the source. Very distressing, and not at all agreable.
As I've told before, I'm really not apt to give a thorough decription in English of what I heard. Despite the conditions of the demo, I was able to guess the Linn from the Weiss "blindly" (well, I had spotted the position on the preamp LED display, so... but I could tell sonically nonetheless). From the start, the ADSM had a kind of gloomy presentation, with an upfront lower midrange that would blur some pieces. The MAN301 was clearer, softer, and subjectively a bit thinner. We both preferred the Weiss (but given the conditions of the demo, it's totally meaningless). Both left me cold, and I really disliked the ADSM in such -- inhospitable -- circumstances.
A MSB Analog DAC was briefly introduced, looking like one of those heater you put on the table to keep the meal warm, but so fast that I couldn't notice if it was with the ADSM or the MAN301. But it was subjectively better for a few nanoseconds or so...
As you can most probably guess, this was a very confusing demo. But the dealer insisted that we listened to another system. And this time, fortunately, he played one track almost in its entirety. Immediately I found this system better, the music was easy, engaging, fun. I liked it very much and -- at last! -- it made my foot tap.
This other system had a pair of Focal Electra 1028 Be, powered by a Burmester amp (my guess is a 956), with a Logitech Transporter as the digital source. And at the heart of the system was a Berkeley Acoustic Design Alpha DAC. And after all we had endured before, this one was a complete relief, and not only because we were able to listen to a track in full. A lot closer to what I'm used to and like. The dealer qualified it as "the most musical DAC" [sic]. Makes me wonder what are the others for, if they're not "musical"... Anyway, worth an audition this BADA DAC, if you ask me. And apparently made by joyous and funny chaps who like to deliver updates through music files, among other crazy things.
Here you go, hope you enjoyed the small trip. Next stop: ADS vs KDS tomorrow.
ATB
Maurice
Just a little teaser... A postcardified view of the surroundings near where the second demo took place.
Is this Bern? Do I win something? 
Ok, I finally succeeded in curing my laptop troubles, so let's go on to the report on the second demo featuring Akurate and Klimax DSs. I won't disclose more about the protagonists right now, but bear with me.
A quick 100 km train trip from my place (see picture above) to meet my friend who was already there for professional reasons. Just enough time to drink a quick espresso and on to the appointment with the dealer. The place was in a small building, with offices sporting large glass walls on each side of the entrance. Looking for the shop, we noticed that the place was in fact the office on the right side of the main door. The room was L-shaped, with a conference table in the midlle of the vertical bar of the L, and two facing desks with computers across the horizontal part. The office door was near the top of the L and several pairs of bookshelf Linn speakers were displayed on a long piece of furniture next to the door (at the top of the L, if you wish). A screen displaying album sleeves (an AppleTV trick) was hung on the wood-covered wall above the speakers, and low-level background music was playing. It happened that this shop was also a Mac dealer, hence the desks, the conference table and all the computers. But we had spotted a door in the main hall of the building that looked like the auditorium.
We were greeted by a young guy who offered us a glass of water and a seat at the conference table, on which laid 2 iPads, a first generation one and a mini (the first I saw -- beautiful device I reckon, impressive build quality, a little heavier than I thought). We briefly recalled why we were here for, then the guy gave us a few explanations about the Akurate DS and grabbed the old iPad, asked us if Dire Straits was OK and tapped a song in the Kinsky interface.
The low-level background music changed to Once Upon a Time in the West from Communiqué, barely recognizable at the level played.
Unflappable, the guy stared at his iPad for a while, than tapped another song.
And the low-level backgroung music changed to News.
As we say in French, "un ange passa" (there was a hushed silence). You could have heard a fly buzz, but it was a cold Fall day. My friend and I looked at each other dumbfounded. There would be no auditorium ! The audition would take place in an office !!!
Starting to feel overwhelmed and depressed, we asked the guy to play the tune louder, and my friend handled him a USB key with a few tracks he liked (the same tracks we used in the previous demo). 'Sure' said the guy, and he disappeared for.. 15 minutes in a second office ! (Being a Mac shop, they were a bit confounded with our FLAC files apparently...) Meanwhile I grabbed a pair of chairs and placed them at the end of the table, in front of the speakers. Another guy who was working at a desk came to us and said: 'I'm gonna open this so you can see what you're listening to.' He opened the doors of the low piece of furniture below the speakers... and revealed several full Linn systems, all powered up !
Here's what it looked like (and before anyone asks, it's a Majik LP12 in the middle):
Yep, this is KDS/1 
And it sounds amazing with 552/500.
An attempt at some kind of mostly irrelevant conclusion
Or rather not a conclusion, but a look at what lessons I could learn from these auditions.
First of all, and it should not be forgotten, I enjoyed the ride and had a good time.
Then, for me who loves music and care for a good, credible and involving reproduction of the recording that let me immerse into the music, attending hi-fi auditions is an educating process on many levels.
First, I must acknowledge that my initial response is purely emotional. Like it, or not. Bored, or intrigued. Stop it or give me more. First and foremost, and this is not negotiable, to be successful an audition must be deeply involving and felt like it with my guts right from the first bar, or forget it.
Second, this emotional response is conditioned by the emotional state I'm in when attending the audition. Great expectations ? More chance to be disappointed. Don't care ? It's going to take more time to focus into the demo. Upset ? Probable initial negative response.
Third, the dealer can parazitize the audition, or be a facilitator. If he makes me feel uncomfortable or stressed, I will not respond easily to the music. If he tells his story credibly, and can share his passion or enthusiasm, I'll be more forgiving.
Fourth, I can be confident that I know what I like (in your cupboard 
). And this should help me to balance the previous factors.
Fifth, I'm really used to my system. A lot. With all its shortcomings I love it, and my memory of it is quite strong. This means that my opinion during a demo is always made by comparison with this memory, and that I can be quite critical if it deviates from this baseline. This can be a good thing (I know what I like), or a bad filter that makes me blind. I must not forget to be open minded when attempting a demo: I may discover things that deviate from my baseline but that are interesting and maybe could lead to more musical pleasure and involvment in the end.
Sixth, and this is a bit more difficult, the more I can relate hi-fi terms (and I'm not good at that) to my emotional experience (by reading the great stories people share in this forum for instance), the more I get educated and the more this emotional response changes from crude emotions to subtle ones. This is just a specific instance of a well known cognitive process. Attending demos is a good training to learn how to relate the terms, the sound and my emotions.
Seventh, no seventh, this is way too verbose already.
Oh, yes, a kind of seventh anyhow: I definitely need a very good midrange, and razor-sharp-controlled bass. I wouldn't mind for some treble too, but it must not be fatiguing or harsh at all. And I must acknowledge that I like resolution and soundstage as well.
And finally.
The Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC was fun.
The Linn Klimax DS/1 was humbling.
I'd happily listen to all the rest again, but my expectations won't be very high (and consequently the results perhaps better...).
Doesn't it help sometimes when it's simple ?
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Maurice
Do I win something?
Sorry J, but you already own a Majik DS ! 
Yep, this is KDS/1
And it sounds amazing with 552/500.
I'm sure it would, as it certainly embodies many characteristics of the Naim sound. Unfortunately I will never know unless I plan some vacation to Leicester. Or Dubai. (Or the Netherlands, and there are others in the field now.)
But you're right, I'd like to audition it in such a system, because I'm positive that the bass and PRaT must be better than what this somewhat compromised Akurate system showed us. And I found the midrange slightly lacking to my taste, if I wanted to be picky (but hey, for that price why not).
A couple more pics:
The Akurate 212 speaker is the red-ish bigger one, third from left.
The cupboards are quite nice actually. It's danish, I think.
Closer view: from top, Klimax, Akurate, Majik.
The sleeves displayed by an AppleTV (from the ALAC iTunes library I guess). It evolves one sleeve at a time, with animations.
That's all folks.