Wilson Audio Alexia

Wilson Audio Alexia

State of the art loudspeakers

Wilson Audio has been an audio industry protagonist the last 3 decades having presentented some of the worlds most expensive loudspeakers, having state of the art design and implementation with many technological and design breakthroughs. These characteristics of Dave Wilson's loudspeakers company have established Wilson Audio in the global audio market providing to many audiophiles and professionals an ultimate solution in music reproduction. The most popular innovations and design points of Wilson Audio are the special cabinet materials that have been developed through years of R&D known as materials 'X' or 'M', being very expensive, and propagation delay system, being combined with descrete cabinet design and flexibility in terms of speaker to room-listening spot set up. With nothing left in luck or second priority Wilson's designs give the sense that everything is researched and developed to establish high performance that takes advantage to the limit the characteristics of each part on any loudspeaker. From cabinet and drivers to bidding posts.

The last couple of years Wilson renewed and refreshed many models presenting the new Watt/Puppy Sasha system, Sophia, Alexandria XLF, Maxx3 and Alexia which is a totally new design placed 4th from top Alexandria XLF model under the refreshed third version of Maxx. Over the Sasha W/P best seller system offers technology brought from the flagship XLF model.

The Alexia model was resently presented in the Greece's audio dealer of Wilson, Orpheus Audio and taking advantage of the chance I arranged an audition for the new ambitious design. Having heard a lot about this new design I can say that I was really anxious. 

I visited the audio dealer and when I entered the audio room I came across two big elegant design loudspeakers that had flawless an perfect looks. With 1.35 meters high it comes with reach equipment. One 10inch and one 8inch  woofers make the low frequencies cabinet. One 7inch mid range unit in the mid cabinet section and one 1 inch tweeter specially developed from Wilson that uses material dome to match the high quality paper mid unit. The cabinet is made by 'X' material and the baffle is made by 'S' material. Don't ask me of their synthesis as this is  a company classified recipe believed to be something like hypoxic retina or whatever.

Before I start the audition the people of Orpheus Audio dealer devoted some time to me, to show me the book that comes with Alexia and has information on set up and  some boards that have all the the infos, numbers, angles and distances to adjust the cabinets and propagation delay system to match perfectly the drivers axis to the listening spot. Then I was informed that Alexia speakers were correctly set up and I was showed around the loudspeakers to witness myself the adjustments on the speaker. Then the man (Andrew) who made me the presentation showed me were was the right sweet spot and insisted until I was in the right place. 

Before I start with the comments section I would also like to describe the whole system that accompanied the elegant Alexias.

Alexia were driven by a Burmester 909 MK5 power amplifier driven by Burmester 088 pre-amplifier. The sources were Burmester's 089 CD player and Burmester 100 phono pre amp which was fed by a Clearaudio Da Vinci MC Cartridge that was on a Clearaudio Innovation turntable with Clearaudio Universal arm. Cables were Odin from Nordost. As see I was in front of a system costing more than 200.000 euros being a nice opportunity to evaluate properly the Alexia Loudspeakers.

Audition started and the first impression was surprise! I 've auditioned many times in the past Wilson models and specifically Maxx2 (many times) and Sophia.  So I was, let's say, a bit ready for the result, but it proved quite the opposite. The openness of Alexia across the whole spectrum if you listen and think carefully SHOCKS ! And I'm not exaggerating!  Any detail printed on the aluminium CD surface is heard. Even digital errors and artefacts. Surely a role in this claims also the rest of the system but in any case the loudspeakers have the role of the electrical to kinetic/sound pressure transformation and if this part of the system is incapable of doing this job perfect, then the mission is not well accomplished. And here comes the Alexia. Total cabinet audio absence, as there are no audible colourings or contributions in the final result. You have the feeling that the speaker drivers are free to do there job and express their talented characteristics in a way that even the most difficult recordings with multi vocal performings are reproduced with natural ease! Piece of cake for the Alexia! Dynamic ease and uncompressed playback with really big bodies make you feel goose bumps even if you listen to a song for the first time. The amount of detail and transparency that these speakers are capable to deliver with the characteristics I mentioned earlier compose e performance that really brings to the edge playback. I could really feel all the time that the medium was reproduced to the edge  and was poor in front of the capabilities of the system. I didn't have the chance to listen to high resolution formats such as 24/192 recordings to listen were these speakers can reach. It is a bit hard to describe the level of high performance of Alexia. Each recording was presented as it was with its spacious characteristics and atmosphere being a part of it and not being heard as an ability of the system reproduction. Forget convenient loudspeaker playback. We are taking for an audition experience that makes get up from the couch and say 'what the heck'!!! If you like to have a speaker to 'say' things as they are you an audition to your life with Alexia. If you like 'your earl grey tea with sugar and milk' look somewhere else! This is a pure recipe that has no boundaries. I think is useless to spent my time and thus yours in describing tonal performance to mids, highs and lows... This is a homogeneous  sound transducer with no audible driver crossing points, cabinet contributions or colourings to make you feel nice after a hard day at work. Their mission is to play music and give you exactly what is printed on the medium no matter if it comes from CD or Vinyl or whatever else. As for the auditions I made it was clear that the analogue set up was a clear winner with more than obvious differences. 

I have the impression and feeling that Alexia will become on of those cutting edge products that stay in time.

Made for people who seek for the pure.

Wilson Audio Alexia specifications:

Enclosure Type Woofer: (Rear Ported) X-Material

Enclosure Type Midrange: (Rear Vented) X-Material/S-material baffle

Enclosure Type Tweeter: (Sealed) X-Material

Woofers: 8 inches (20.32 cm) 

10 inches (25.4 cm)

Midrange: 7 inches (17.78 cm)

Tweeter: 1 inch, Dome (2.54 cm)

Sensitivity: 90 dB @ 1W @ 1m @ 1k

Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms / minimum 2 ohms @ 80 Hz

Minimum Amplifier Power: 20 Watts per channel

Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 32 kHz +/- 3 dB

Overall Dimensions: Height: 53 1/4 inches (135.29 cm) w/spikes

Width: 15 1/4 inches (38.74 cm)

Depth: 21 1/8 inches (53.70 cm) 

Approx. System Weight Per Channel: 256 lbs (116.12 kg)

Black Pearls Audio

 Black Pearls Audio

Birth 100 integrated amplifier

 

Black Pearls Audio is a new Greek audio company  and Birth 100 is it's first product. An intagrated amplifier capable of delivering 70wpc/8oh given by a highly capable design of high grade audio parts.

Features

• 70W_rms @ 8Ω, 110W_rms @ 4Ω
• 90KΩ input resistance
• Slew rate 14.9V/us
• Zero local and global feedback
• Separate toroidal transformers for the pre-amplifier and power stage for each channel (4 in total)
• Class-A single-ended pre-amplifier stage
• Audio grade power MOSFETs
• Complementary power stage deeply biased for class-A operation
• CE compliant (LVD 2006/95/EC & EMC 2004/108/EC) 

http://www.blackpearlsaudio.com/index.php/en/products-en/9-integrated-amplifier

TLA Athena preamplifier Overview

TLA

(True Life Audio)

Athena preamplifier Overview

Audio Tubes:	2 x 6H30 sovtek
Rectifier tube:	EZ 81
Five Line Level Inputs:	4 unbalanced RCA and 1 balanced
Record Output:	Unbalanced RCA jacks, unbuffered
2 Main Outputs:	1 unbalanced RCA and 1 balanced
Gain:	12dB
Input Impedance:	100 kOhm
Frequency Response:	flat from 8 Hz - 180 KHz
S/N Ratio:	typically 94 dB
Input Impedance:	100kOhm
Output Impedance:	48 Ohms
RF Remote Control:	optional
Power Consumption:	60 Watts
Dimensions:	W=42cm, L=37cm, H=15cm
Shipping Weight:	25 kg

Mytek Digital Stereo192 DSD DAC

Mytek Digital  Stereo192 DSD DAC

Many words have been  spoken and written about this device creating big noise around it. The last couple of years D/A Converter have claimed a strong position in the audio market among the audio friends, being indeed of the most popular products being produced, in the new age of computers claiming the role of Hi-end audio sources. But first lets speak some words about Mytek.  Mytek is an American audio company being specialized in digital audio interfaces in professional level. Its high quality products have won a place in many professional mastering studios in the United States pushing aside many established audio firms and taking their place!  Its professional personality is also strongly present in the looks, mentality, sound and architecture of its home audiophile products, which were presented the last couple of years. So, Mytek went home audiophile also to continue its success, among audiophiles. 

The nationality of the device is clear from the moment you look the device. High build quality with minimal looks, stating its professional origin. Well equipped with inputs and outputs, making it able to support a wide range of connectivity option allowing us, to fully take advantage of the device and technology capabilities. It also comes with a firewire input which proves to be the best connection method in order to listen to music from our personal computer.  With 192/24 bitrate support, DSD bitsream support, excellent internal clock and upsampling, the device promises flexibility and an excellent investment in terms of format options support.  High grade audio parts compose a high quality circuit board with attention also to the pre amp stage making clear that Mytek is serious all around the implementation of its products.

Lately I had the chance of auditioning Mytek thanks to a friend of mine who owns it. After a communication we had, we arranged a meeting in my place with the popular Mytek digital D/A Converter.  This happened a Saturday evening. Mytek was in my place and with it came also a Macbook equipped with a special firewire cable, with Audirvana software installed to manage and play digital audio files. My friend also brought a lot of DSD material plus high resolution flac and wav files, plus my own digital library with flac and wav files.

Listening sessions started after carefully installing the device in my audio system, using my cd player source as transport to check the device’s behavior-capabilities as a DAC of red book standards. Mytek was set to upsample and reclock the incoming digital signal of the cd player using the coaxial spdif input. The first thing I noticed from the first seconds is the 3D capabilities of the converter and the excellent imaging of the musicians. Holographic imaging across the tree dimensions of stereo image, with rich information of recording space-room. Each recording had 100% its own character with no interventions concerning its character. Tonally the converter was neutral but not clinical at all leaving the music to breath without removing or adding anything in the original signal. High level analysis presenting all the information being stored in the 12cm aluminum discs or cd’s.  Across the whole session of the auditioning through the cd player I had the clear sense that I was listening the character of the my digital source, it’s sonic personality, better said, making me wonder for the high level capabilities of Mytek. It was surprising to me think that I have in front of me a converter that can even reproduce the characteristics of sonic identity of the transport, thinking before that it’s something impossible maybe….  But after this came the computer audio listening sessions… And then, came the real surprise. Something like ‘ladies and gentlemen please fasten your seatbelts; we are ready for take of’.  First song was the kings version of ‘fever’ (Elvis Presley). Holographic presentation of Presley’s voice and instruments wit realistic dynamics. The instruments and music were transparent enhancing the analysis and richness of detail.  Tonally the device was again natural but music flow was more constant and more cohesive.  I would never suggest this device to someone who is not a fun of neutrality. The professional mentality of this devices is defined by a reproduction that never adds or removes anything from the recording and brings on surface anything, from detail, to digital reading errors or artifacts. So, medium quality recordings will be exposed. Not in excess but in way that Mytek shows you the real fact. But in good recordings you just forget yourself in music.  As for High resolution playback and DSD format the converter shows its teeth! It really is a high skilled representator of the new digital age. As for the price? For my opinion is at least modest!

If you want to invest in a serious digital to audio converter without spending a fortune Mytek Digital 192/24 is simply, solution!  If you are interest in investing on a source that respects itself and music, carrying out the mission of reproducing the music respectively in terms of tonality and recording characteristics Mytek is of the best choices out there. If you like extra sauce, salt or pepper, look somewhere else.

Only for purists!

YPSILON ELECTRONICS

ΎΨΙΛΟΝ

ELECTRONICS

Ypsilon Electronics is a Greek,  globally established ultra high end company of state of the art audio masterpieces. You might find my words exciding but a close encounter with the devices, created by mr. Baklavas, the man behind the company, is a live proof of my words. 

A close look of any of the machines of the Greek manufacturer is enough to realize the high quality design and assembly of this machines. High level of musical reproduction in any price level has made a lot of High End loudspeaker designers to use Ypsilon Electronics as Reference machines for tuning. Also many reviewers around the world have chosen Ypsilon Electronics as Reference Machines.

Now to the point. I was invited a Saturday evening from a friend of mine to audition his Ypsilon system. Stunning looks of his components suprised me. His system was consisted of SET 100 Ultimate Monoblock power amplifiers, PST - 100 mono pre-amplifier version (dual chassis one for each channel) with built in dac module and CDT -100 CD Transport. In a few words, top of the Ypsilon line components. The loudspeakers were the bulky GKF Exclusive flagship heavily modified.

I could describe the system's sound only in a few words....! Amazing drive capabilities, uncompressed  dynamics, realistic speed, lifelike sizes, and ultimate transparency! 

The blend of deep knowledge and passion define the implemetation of state of the art components that are worthly representors and performers of music!

I think is a waste of time to describe of sonic behaviour of these machines. Give them an audition! You ought it in yourself!

Electro Harmonix 6CA7 Tube

Electro Harmonix 6CA7

The 6CA7 tube is a beaming tetrode tube and commonly said is the American version of the classic EL34 tube. 6CA7's are also called EL34  fat bottle. They can replace usually any EL34 pentode because they have very similar electric characteristics. In my tube amplifiers power section are Electro Harmonix tubes from which I was not that excited in highs and lows as much as in excellent mids, of this tube. So I started searching for a tube with an extended frequency range, dynamics and energy. So once I came across the Electro Harmonix 6CA7 tubes for which I read all this characteristics I wanted. I made e search in ebay and I found a nice offer of a matched quad. I ordered them and in a week and a half time they arrived nicely packed.

Next move was a communication with Luxman international to ask them if my Luxman SQ-38U is compatible with this tube type. The answer was positive  and then I asked them what I should do for the fixed bias of my amplifier and I got no answer. So I had to take some advice from a tube expert and I chose somebody who knows a lot. Tsakiridis Brothers owners and  designers of Tsakirides Devices Company of tube products. They told me to just install them and run them. And this is what I did. 

I turned on the amplifier waited for the start up delay relays of tube warm up and when the amp was ready I started some listening.

First impression was mixed. Great Dynamics I never could thing that my amp was capable of. Low frequency extension with excellent tonal of low end, performance, with body and fine lows articulation! Extended higs that were very transparent also with great tonal performance. But mids were transistor like sounding. This was my first objection. Mids no were a bit less musical an harmonics had a feeling of quick attenuation in time, plus swallower depth of soundstage but with larger width and height..  An hour later these characteristics gave their place to better behaviour. So after some discussions with tube friends I was advised to give an amount of 50 hours at least before making my mind and this is what I did again.

And they were right.  Mid frequencies became more refined and transparent. Voices became more realistic and harmonics were rich creating a charming result. Great musicality with fine tonality across the whole spectrum. Great energy and dynamics creating the impression of a power solid state amplifier but with musicality and transparency. Excellent soundstage especially in depth creating  a fine instrument positioning in depth. Excellent focusing of each musician in soundstage regardless of  volume levels. Ok mids were not as musical as a great  EL34 can do it, but more musical than a 6550 or KT88. Charming voices and instrument reproduction with transparency and lot of energy, providing any time an excellent dynamic behaviour.

Highly recommended if you want something extra from your EL34 amplifier!

Harmonic Audio Labs SE 100

Harmonic Audio Labs SE 100

Integrated Amplifier

Harmonic Audio Labs is a new established audio firm founded in Greece by a talented man called Kostas Kourkounis. He has been around audio for many years and he is passionate with his subject. He is characterised by his love for music and his vision is to design audio machines that serve this purpose. Musi Reprodudction.

He has made lot of designs for friends and he became famous around the Greek audio circles for his skills. So he went proffesional and now his designing and manufacturing products.

One of his best designs is an parallel single ended solid state intagrated amplifier which is designed and manufactured with no cost limits.

It is capable of delivering 50watts per channel in Class A by parallel  MosFets. It has 16 (PSU's) one for each stage and the pre apmplifier and power amplifier stages are seperate. 

I've done some auditions of this huge amplifier and the first contact was shocking indeed! 

If you listen to this baby you will not believe its rated output is true! The driving capabilities and ease creates a sense of owe when thinking it gives 50 watts per channel at 8 ohms!

The characteristics of Class A are present in huge doses creating a huge soundstage full of micro and macro information as if the amplifier is digging in every detail. Dynamics are instant and they do not appear any sense of compression at all. Music is expressed in the finest way with rich harmonics and excellent attenuetion versus time creating a natural sound feeling. It is indeed a piece of art in terms of music and sound reproduction and it is clearly a result of  a great R&D of  K. Kouskounis based on his beliefs about music reproduction.

The Harmonic Audio Labs SE 100 is a great representative of the solid state single ended designes that difines its category presenting many characteristics found in tube amplifiers combined with the advantages of MosFet technology.

Musicality, Transparency, Drive and Dynamics given in huge amounts that come with Harmonics and esoteric music reproduction that delivers the feeling of each music act recorded on any medium.

State of The Art!