| [ Audio Video Center ] |
On the 1st and 2nd of october, 1999 Audio Video Center/Style Sound, an spanish high-end importer settled in Barcelona offered, to its customers and audiophiles in general, an audition of high-end products. The equipment we could enjoy, brougth to us by Mr. Enric Domenech, owner of Audio Video Center/Style Sound was the following:
First take a look to objective facts:
-Forsell Air Reference CD Transport
This is one of the products you could find in "Stereophile's list of recommended products" listed in the Class A section. It looks like a sandwiches machine but it is a non-compromise transport. The transports uses a vaccum pump that acts on the CD in order to fix it properly and to avoid any movement during reproduction. Any component in this CD is top-quality.
-Digital-to-digital converter dCS Elgar
This is a digital-to-digital converter that resamples the stored data on a standard CD (16 bit, 44,1Khz) to a higher resolution. So it is called an upsampler. The Elgar gets all the information read by the cd transport and upsamples this information to a maximum of 24 bit, 192 Khz (with also all the intermediate frequencies and bit rates available: 48,88,96,176 khz and 16,20,24 bit). In our session we "only" could use 24bit,176 Khz so we couldn't check the diferences between this and any other combination of frequencies and bit rates. But according to articles in hi-fi magazines this could be a good way to forget about DVD-Audio disc or SACD discs. But we must wait until the price of this unit will be affordable for average customers.
-Digital-to-analog converter dCS Purcell
This is a DAC quite similar to the ones already available. Well, it is the partner of the Elgar. Without the Purcell all the work made by the Elgar is nothing. The Purcell gets all the information upsampled by the Elgar and converts it to analogic signals that the amplifier, or in this case the Nagra preamplier, could read. This means that the Purcell could read the same frecuencies and bit rates that the ones generated by the Elgar. In our sessions it received data at 176 Khz/24 bit from the Elgar and it sent it to the Nagra.
-Nagra PL-P valve Preamplifier
Nagra is a swiss manufacturer specialized in high-end and professional audio products. Their recorders are worlwide acclaimed and a basic tool for any audio professional. The PL-P looks like one of this recorders. It shares the same external aspect with the same buttons, potentiometers, selectors and vumeters. The PL-P is a phono (MM/MC) and line preamp working in class A and battery powered. Two double triodes are used in phono section, ECC81 and ECC83, and six double triodes for the line level section, 2 ECC81 and 4 ECC83. There are four inputs available, one for the phono and 3 line level. If you need more information you could visit Nagra web site.
-Nagra VPA monoblock valve power amplifier
These are monophonic power amplifiers. They use 845 tubes working in triode mode and push-pull configuration. They deliver 50 watts on 4/8/16 ohms. They use toroidal transformers designed specially by Nagra and high-quality components. Each unit has a vumeter that allows the control of the working conditions of the valves. The amplifiers are designed to work in vertical position so valves are very visible at the top of the case. If you need more information you could visit Nagra web site.
-Avalon Eidolon Loudspeakers
This is the last model introduced by Avalon Acoustics. It is a three way model with a 25,4 mm ceramic tweeter, an 8,8 cm mid cone and a 28 cm nomex-kevlar woofer. The impedance is 4 ohms and the frequency response is between 26 Hz and 34 Khz. The amplification power recommended for these speakers is between 50 and 500 watts.L
To connect the Nagra's to the Eidolon, Kimber cable was used. I don't know the model of this cable but its aspect was astonishing. The people at Audio Vudeo Center/Style Sound said that the price of all the cables used with the combo were 4.000.000 de pta ($25.000).
Now the subjective opinion:
Audio Vidreo Center/Style Sound have been working with high-end audio for many years. Always trying to bring to us the best hi-fi equipment available. This auditon was under the same rule. Do you wonder about the sound of the combo? Well... it sounded ok. Yes I know that this is a subjective opinion, but I have warned you. All the components were first class (absolutely) but I think that the mix of components was bad. Other persons who also listened to the combo agree with me in this point. I think that the power ouput of the Nagra VPA was not enough to drive efficiently the Eidolon. These speakers needs USA muscle amplification to give their best.
We tried basically female vocal tracks and some classical. All the recordings were excellent (Chesky, Three blind Mice,etc). We listen to Diana Krall last work (a record I listen very frequently) and the sound was not as good as we would wait from the quality of the components. There was something wrong. I asked to listen to one of my CD's, a reediton on Verve 24 bits from a 1956 Bing Crosby's recording session and it sounded worst than with my equipment. The person in charge of the audition was always controlling the output level of the Nagras. This would confirm what I'm saying. There was something wrong in that combo. So, if I have to spend this amount of money in a hi-fi equipment I will choose another combination.