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The Constellation Audio Virgo II preamplifier and Centaur amplifier are ready to captivate aural senses at the Imacustica - Hi-Fi & Home Cinema showroom in Porto, Portugal.

The new RDacoustic Silentmax 3D Luxury Edition large acoustic panel. 

Great anecdotes about the making of their incredible podcast about the time Nina Simone, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury spent in Switzerland. 

Some analog beauties at the TAKE ONE analog sound high-end audio shop, including Kuzma, J.C.Verdier, etc.

"The S-SUB has the power to reproduce low frequencies with fidelity you did know a subwoofer was capable of. When you are fully ready to experience Magico bass, the S-SUB is a perfect choice.

See your Magico dealer to begin expanding the dimensions of what you thought possible in the low bass." 

Pitt & Giblin writes: "It’s difficult to convey how big our speakers are. At 9’5” Tenet is the rule, not the exception."  

Franco Serblin Studio showcase from last week at the Shenyang high-end show in the north of China. 

Riviera Audio Labs' flagship electronics: the APL01SE preamplifier, along with the AFM100SE and AFM50 hybrid Class A monoblock power amplifiers. 

Riviera Audio Laboratories s.r.l. was founded in January 2017: it aims to produce innovative quality products for the highest end of the audio market.

Riviera has brought together the complementary skills of three members to produce audio components aimed at bringing new advances in analogue sound, merging passion, technology and innovation.

First and foremost, Luca Chiomenti is the company’s audio designer and engineer. He has been designing and manufacturing Hi-Fi systems since the 1990s, combining both technical expertise and craftsmanship which now find their expression in Riviera products.

Silvio Delfino deals with imports and exports. He has tried and tested experience in global marketing and sales in the field of Italian audio high end. He now turns his considerable expertise to Riviera.

Marco Muzio is an expert in industrial design and rendering for mechanical applications; he brings to Riviera his outstanding skills to chassis design and manufacturing.

Riviera is the future to be heard in analogue. 

"We had the KX-8 in action during Axpona this year, in our room with @sonneraudio @sutherlandengineering @nordostcables @acoustic.signature @ortofonhifi @toruspoweraudio, and it was a major contributor to why that room sounded so good."

Hello Matej, Indeed it has been a while. Thank you for this interview opportunity.

We have two line stage pre-amps. A MC only phono stage and the K-160 mono power amplifiers.

K-160 retains much of K-70 fundamental DNA – Double single ended class A operation and reactor power supply. But we have learned much since K-70s introduction in 2008. The new amplifier is all together a far more developed machine that achieves by order of magnitude better specification and most importantly sound quality.

As beautiful as the tube stage was, along with it came some unavoidable colorations and ultimate limitations. This become apparent  when we built the K-160s superior output stage. Since the initial design process of K-70 we have learned how best to harness transistors for gain circuitry and by implementing those ideas we were able to (finally) produce a significantly improved result. So tubes  were no longer required.

MC One is conceived from the initial design process to be a moving coil only pre-amplifier.

This allowed us to optimise the architecture in a way that would not otherwise typically be possible.

Then we created a brand new idea for producing the required RIAA equalisation.

The novel RIAA eq approach yields tremendous benefit, lower distortion and dramatically enhanced overload margins. This (RIAA) element of the pre-amplifier is very difficult to build because it requires a considerable set of parts to be firstly carefully matched and then further tuned in circuit, under continuous measurement. This is not the way one would normally want to build from a commercial perspective.

But we feel if one seeks state of the art, it must be done this way.

I am delighted with MC-One both from a technical standpoint and a listening perspective.

Large broad band errors would have tonal consequences and any channel mismatch in curve shape will almost certainly disrupt stable imaging. But there is a point where further precision in the RIAA accuracy will not deliver added improvement.

Circuit and parts refinements – We refine along the way. This results in a finer sonic and visual composition.  We also added additional elements in order to prevent the ingress of mains AC related noise. This helps to keep the ground “clean” and benefits the system as a whole.

With most equipment there are processing differences between the balanced and unbalanced outputs. There are however techniques possible that do not require process differences. Those are what we adopt.

I have always liked copper as a material. From a radio frequency and thermal point of view it is said to be second only to silver. Also when pairing copper with a thicker aluminium, extra damping is achieved. Also, I suppose its a little nostalgic, going back to Kondo days...

When a system is truly well sorted the need for continual volume adjustment seems to disappear. Even when changing from one album to another on properly engineered material. Adding remote to mechanically control the input selector, and especially the massive volume switch would require significant extra space, complexity and of course digital control. In view of these consequences that would ultimately hinder potential sound quality, including RC options is not our way.

 

K-10 is now Mark II.  Very similar to the original just with extra balanced inputs and outputs. Better RCA sockets, better switches in certain locations and a few other small tweaks. Sonically K-10 and Mk II are “little darlings”. Seductive, delicate and deeply engaging.

Its really important to find a pair of speakers that works for you and the room. Once you find a pair of speakers that you love and works with the environment, the rest becomes much easier – Find an amplifier that works with the speaker and with time, the rest will fall into place. Find a dealer with a solid product spread who can offer home demo time. Buy from that dealer and build a relationship so that upgrades can be arranged by a person who understands your system and needs. A good company will assist in offering good trade ins on upgrades as your system matures.

Suitability, reliability and obtain-ability.

Well, fortunately I have never assembled a watch! But yes, I think there are definitely similarities. They both require precision and patience. 

Personally I would be very happy with something clean, utilitarian and of sufficiently durable construction. But when you look at the appointment of some of the incredible rooms these up scale products find themselves, I can fully appreciate why a luxurious appearance is desired.

Well, they need not be mutually exclusive but if added luxury interferes with performance, I would view it as a sell out on true state of the art. 

I am continuously on a musical diet. And the better the system is performing the more appetizing a broader range of music becomes. You could say that is our “true north”. I am always motivated to find the next level of sound quality and improving system performance. 

Most industries in the past few years have been affected by supply chain issues. Procuring the right parts for low volume, high quality products is become more of a challenge and unfortunately reduces efficiency, resulting in lost time. Prices too have risen sharply. Combine this with a strong demand and it all becomes much tougher.

I have a wide filed of interests but it really depends on what I can excel at doing. There are plenty of excellent products and anything I might present must give significant added value in performance terms.

There are many paths available to putting together to a great sounding system. But they all require effort. I hope good audio systems will bring people together on a musical and emotional level, promoting health and happiness. •

Klaudio writes: "The ($80,000.00) Magnezar turntable pushes technology to its limits with unprecedented design and features. The platter floats entirely on permanent magnets, so there are no mechanical thrust bearings"

• Magnetically levitated platter

• Ultra quiet direct drive motor

• Enhanced liquid stabilization and lighting

• Automatic spindle and peripheral clamping

• Dual tonearm support, including Klaudio tangential tonearm and laser pod

• Adjustable platter speed: 33, 45, & 78rpm

• Aluminum construction

• Wow and Flutter: 0.015% max.

• Speed Accuracy: ~0.01%

• Motor Torque: 5 Nm/sec

• Total Weight: 121lbs (55kg)

• Size: 16.3x22.6x11in (415x575x280mm)

• Platter Weight: 44lbs (20kg)

• Platter Size: 14.4x4.1in (365x105mm)

*Product is still in development and some specifications may be subject to change before launch. 

Previously, I have explained that there is a trade-off between static performance, which can be expressed by measurements, and dynamic performance, which is related to the time axis and difficult to express by measurements. We have also explained why the structure of the chassis affects the sound. This is another element of dynamic performance that can only be judged by listening.

So, to what extent should Static performance be improved? My answer to this is as follows.

As long as there are no problems when listening to music, it is OK.

The most extreme example is the residual noise of a phono equalizer. If the residual noise is lower than the scratch noise of a cartridge tracing a vinyl record, we judge that there is no problem, and everything else is done in pursuit of dynamic performance. In other words, in the end, we just listen and judge.

Finally, we also take measurements. This is to detect manufacturing errors when mass-producing at the factory. When we design, we dare not measure. I also have a feeling that I want to improve the catalog specifications as much as possible for sales purposes. That is why I don't dare to measure in order to prevent any strange bias in my judgment.

I, too, thought that an oversampling digital filter was absolutely necessary. 5 years ago, during the development of a DA converter. I was experimenting with different settings, and suddenly the sound was so much better. It wasn't until later that I looked at the waveform, and that's when I discovered that the waveform was stair-stepping. It just so happened that I had the wrong setting and oversampling was turned off. If I had seen the waveform first, I would have corrected it immediately and would not have heard the NOS sound. And SOULNOTE would never have done NOS. Thanks to listening to the sound without measuring, NOS was born.

A sound source is a vinyl record, CD, or file source. SOULNOTE respects them as much as possible. SOULNOTE is committed to respecting the work of art to the fullest, and we aim to bring out the best in each and every one of them without altering them.

In the development of audio equipment, the question is: "How does SOULNOTE create its sound? I don't make a sound! I answer. This is because we believe that audio equipment should not create sound. That is why all sound sources are inherently wonderful. But only if you can get all the information recorded in the sound source! The reason for this is that

Conventional designs that emphasize Static performance will result in a boring sound with no sense of freshness as it is. There is no doubt in my experience. As I wrote before, I have been convinced of this since I was a student. So it is usually necessary to improve that boring sound later by changing components and so on. This is the true nature of sound construction. However, if you prioritize dynamic performance and design while listening to music, there is no need for sound construction. All you need to do is to carefully remove bottlenecks. Then, the balance will be finally adjusted at a high level, and a wonderful sound will be achieved. Imagine a river that has been dammed up in several places. If you continue to remove the weirs little by little, the river will finally open up to its full potential, and the original flow of the river will be restored. This is the only work that SOULNOTE does.

By focusing on static performance, the time axis is ignored, and the sound that has lost its freshness cannot be regained, no matter how much you work on the sound later. You can't get back the time that you lost. There is no seasoning that can freshen up sushi that has lost its freshness.

Audio equipment should be tableware.

In the culinary analogy, the sound source is the food, and the audio equipment should be the tableware used to enjoy the food. The dishes should not have holes in them or be coated with sugar. I think of sound construction as putting sugar or sauce on the dishes. Such tableware chooses the music and the speakers.

In the process of product development, I always listen to music while selecting components, circuits, and structures. I have said this many times before. Finally, I would like to explain my approach to sound quality in detail.

Sound quality can be examined for any speaker, as long as it is above a certain level. Also, as long as the sound source is straightforward, I can evaluate any sound source from any era and any genre. However, sound sources whose time axis has been destroyed by digital processing are excluded.

You don't know the original sound of the sound source, so why should you be able to examine it?" Don't you think? To that question, I answer with this. No, even the engineer who finished the sound source may not know the true sound of that source. The reason is that SOULNOTE is not used for playback."

The reason why we do not select sound sources or speakers for sound quality studies is that it is not a balanced approach. Balancing is the usual way to achieve a good sound by matching the sound to the speakers and the sound source.

I do not take a balanced approach. I only remove obstacles that rob the sound of its freshness or add a habit to it. So the evaluation is "Is it there or not? For example, a three-dimensional echo, a sensation that cuts through space and jumps into your heart, a pleasant feeling that makes you want to keep listening to it forever. We judge whether or not these things are present. For example, you can tell just by the feeling of the air just before the music starts. This kind of feeling cannot be created later with audio equipment. It is definitely present in the original sound source. That is the "soul in the sound source" that has never been extracted before.

This is not a skill that is unique to me. Anyone present can judge it. If we are faithful to the time axis, the difference in sound is obvious to everyone's ears. That is why my development time is very short. Because it is really easy.

All music is a work of art, a legacy of humanity. And even the souls of musicians who are no longer with us are indeed recorded in their masters. If there is no audio device to revive the soul, it will be lost forever. That must be avoided at all costs. To do so, we need to free ourselves from the curse of Fourier.

I am developing a device to revive the soul. And I feel happy to be in an environment where I can do that. But I still have more to do. Of course, I have not forgotten my promise to Mr. Nakazawa. 

The final check-up of the Sadurni Acoustics Staccato Black Limited Edition horn speaker system.  

Nagra writes: "Recorded under Epic Records at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles with a $750,000 budget, “Thriller”, originally released on November 30, 1982, quickly became a cultural phenomenon that revolutionized the music industry."

"The album seamlessly blended pop, rock, R&B, and funk, appealing to a wide range of listeners." It was the sixth studio album by Michael Jackson, following the immense success of his previous solo efforts, including “Off the Wall.” “Thriller” went over all expectations, setting unprecedented records.

It spent an impressive non-consecutive 37 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, producing a remarkable seven Top 10 hits. Songs like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller” set Michael Jackson on track to his King of Pop title.

With 32 million of copies sold worldwide by the end of 1983 Thriller became the best-selling album of all time, and was ratified by Guinness World Records on February 7, 1984. The same year Thriller won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards at the 1984 Grammys, including Album of the Year, while “Beat It” won Record of the Year.

Thriller is still as of today the best-selling album of all time, with sales of 70 million copies worldwide.

Beyond its musical achievements, “Thriller” revolutionized the music industry in multiple ways. The album’s production quality, innovative music videos, and Michael Jackson’s performances set new standards for creativity. The 14-minute “Thriller” music video, directed by John Landis, showed Michael Jackson’s visionary approach, and became an iconic cultural phenomenon, forever changing the landscape of music videos.

The influence of “Thriller” extends far beyond its commercial success. Its impact on fashion, dance, and popular culture is immeasurable. Michael Jackson’s dedication to his craft, his passion for storytelling, and his pursuit of excellence made “Thriller” a defining moment in his career and a timeless masterpiece.

Here is the 14 minutes Thriller music video from 1982

 

The MoFi One-Step 40th Anniversary Edition of “Thriller” provides a unique opportunity to revisit the album that continues to captivate audiences across generations. Listening to tracks like “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Human Nature,” and “P.Y.T.” on vinyl takes us back to a time when music was moving people. The warmth and richness of the analog sound adds a layer of nostalgia, close to the magic of the original release.

P.S. It is this album that sparked, in part, revelations about MoFi’s One Step process and marketing claims. For those interested or unaware, an Internet search will reveal details about the controversy, including the recent class action settlement.

Thanks to our partner Qobuz, (re)discover this album on streaming, in high resolution here.

Thanks to them, you can get a free 3 months trial here.

Qobuz is a high-resolution music streaming and download service. Pioneer of high quality sound since 2007, the French platform offers a unique and exclusive music experience. Qobuz gives music lovers and audiophiles access to an unparalleled wealth of content: a rich and eclectic catalog of more than 80 million tracks available in the best sound quality (Hi-Res and CD) and original editorial content written by a team of experts, passionate about music.

Qobuz is also the only company in the world to offer streaming and download music in high resolution. 

Featuring our Active Noise Cancellation 2 technology, it actively eliminates noise across all frequency ranges across live, neutral and earth. Plus the SupaQuasar active power cable is truly geometrically balanced, a first in the world of power cables.

Using iFi’s unique Ground Zero design technology, the SupaQuasar active power cable creates a central core that is free of any magnetic fields.

The non-twisted central ground wire is surrounded by the live and the neutral conductors as a geometrically-balanced pair double helix which protects the ground wire from any magnetic field. No induction voltage is created in the ground wire and therefore system ground noise is vastly reduced.

Balanced.

Each individual power line has concurrent shielding, so both internal and external RFI noises are minimised.

Low inductance, low capacitance and constant impedance are achieved for the entire cable by the use of the double helix power lines. Constant impedance is achieved regardless of whether the cable is bent or angled, thanks to the fully symmetric and balanced geometric design.

The cable is insulated using a polymer matrix, which is comprised of a high-performing thermoplastic that is moisture-resistant and is RoHS compliant.

Continuing the true balanced theme, the cable uses air-dielectric delineation to give the best separation possible between the two balanced pairs of live & neutral conductors.

iFi uses the purest copper core to ensure excellent conductivity and our plugs are gold-plated with copper connectors to guarantee the best possible connection.

Finally, the SupaQuasar active power cable is finished in an impact resistant polymer casing for long-lasting durability

Most power-conditioning products engage passive noise reduction through a selection of filters and regulators. While this can be effective, it has inherent disadvantages. Passive noise reduction systems are effective at the top end of the frequency spectrum but often less so at lower frequencies. In addition, passive systems need large capacitors to be truly effective, which make the best such products bulky and expensive.

iFi’s active system uses inverse noise current to cancel out the noise in the mains signal. Noise in the mains supply occurs at different frequencies, depending on the cause. Active Noise Cancellation II technology enables a power-conditioning device that is highly effective at reducing noise consistently across the entire frequency spectrum yet sufficiently compact and lightweight to position within the mains cable itself.

Our Ground Zero design ensures the grounding conductor within the cable is unaffected by residual magnetism and unwanted induced voltage.

The constant impedance design helps to maintain the purity of the mains electricity flowing into each piece of equipment in an audio system or an AV set-up.

This is a true balanced power cable.

Using true geometrically balanced pairs means that the magnetic fields caused by the live and neutral conductors cancel each other out perfectly. This is a key component in the Ground Zero design.

Double circular helix power line design with air-dielectric delineators.

This twisted configuration further aids RFI/EMI rejection.

The cable design incorporates concurrent shielding for individual power lines and therefore creates a cable offering constant impedance, that is superbly insulated from EMI/RFI and feeds your audio or AV system with clean electricity for improved sound and performance.

Recent RDacoustic installation for a private client featuring Evolution full-range speakers, RD-DAC, and RD-Emi Neutralizer, partnered with Muarah MU2 phono preamplifier, Project 12 turntable with Ortofon Forenza cartridge, Lumin U2 streamer, Primaluna amplifier, and RD silver cables. 

The pre-production unit has just landed at Mono & Stereo, with the full write-up coming up in due time, just to hint, I'm savouring every aspect of this engineering masterpiece that comes with unapologetic presence, unreserved dynamism, and ultra transparency, which holds you in the very heart of the music.

Stay tuned for more... 

The Riviera Audio Labs room at the Lisboa Hi-Fi High-End Audio Show 2023, arranged by their partner Ajasom. With Nagra, Kronos Audio, Blumenhofer, etc.  

A few photos from our friend Tuấn Lương Tiết's audiophile visit at Mr. Phong for the installation of Gryphon APEX in the high-end system with ZenSati cables, TechDAS, EMT phono, etc. 

"In addition to utilizing MQA, we make use of various high-quality and immersive audio formats, such as Dolby Atmos, to provide our subscribers with a premium listening experience and more artists the opportunity to share their music exactly as it is intended to sound.

Currently, HiRes FLAC is available to HiFi Plus subscribers who are a part of our Early Access Program. We look forward to launching this audio format to all HiFi Plus subscribers later this summer. Stay tuned for updates!" 

"Everything you touch is gold" by Ramar Berlin. Used daily to utter satisfaction by yours truly. 

TIDAL for BUGATTI Royale and MC-1; an ultra-high-end audio system in a matching, cost-no-object, pitch-black proprietary piano finish.