Product Reviews

Isoacoustics Gaia Isolation Feet Introduction Of all the interfaces in an audio system, the final interface is regarded by many as the most important one, the one between the loudspeaker and the room. Unfortunately, it is also the interface that comes with the most information, exaggeration, mistruths, tales and fables. This interface comes with misunderstandings some of which have persisted for years. In the 1970s and 80s, one of the basic rules for the loudspeaker/room interface was established and has remained unchallenged for years, the use of spikes on loudspeakers or their stands. It is unclear who originated the idea but certainly, Linn and Naim were vociferous supporters of the use of spikes on loudspeakers. The thinking was simple and very logical. In a loudspeaker, you have a rigid box to which is attached a loudspeaker unit. The loudspeaker works by receiving an electrical signal from your amp and feeds it into the speaker unit. The speaker unit moves a loudspeaker cone in and out that compresses and rarefies the air to produce wonderful sound. In the 1970s and 80s, most loudspeakers were either just plonked on the floor or were put on castors and were therefore mechanically free to move. So, when the loudspeaker cone moved in and out the speaker was free to move in opposition to the cone thereby ‘smearing’ the signal. A good way to prevent this was to fit spikes onto the speaker box thereby coupling the loudspeaker to a big solid floor. As the floor was immobile, the speaker box would be immobile and the speaker cones could move in and out without the loudspeaker moving. It worked. Loudspeakers sounded more focused, the bass was cleaner and the sound was livelier. Mission accomplished. It was so easy and obvious to hear that fairly soon every loudspeaker was fitted with spikes. If a company did not follow this trend their speaker sales were hit. Alternatives were looked down on. But there were disadvantages. The spikes stopped the speaker from moving but did so by coupling the loudspeaker to the floor. With wooden floors that was not good news as the floor joined in with bass notes. And these bass notes were transmitted around the house/studio. Despite that serious challenges to this ethos were few and far between. A potentially ideal solution is one where the fore/aft motion of the speaker is strongly resisted and the coupling of the speaker to the floor is lossy so that the transmission of sound (mainly bass notes) to the floor is minimised. Max Townshend saw a potential solution that would decouple the loudspeaker from the floor and strongly resist fore/aft movement of the speaker box. He did this with some clever engineering by putting the loudspeaker on a platform that was decoupled from the floor by using springs. He carefully tuned the springs and their actions to prevent bass notes travelling through to the floor and also made the speaker resist fore/aft ‘movement’. It worked. Problem was it was expensive, especially if the speakers were heavy, and the platform was not the most pretty of accessories. The WAF was low(ish). Since then Townshend has tuned the platform so it is much smaller and dare I say it ‘smarter’. They are still expensive but many people have had positive results. Others have tried using soft links between the speakers and the spikes and the speakers and the stands with varying degrees of success. You do get gains but unfortunately, there are losses unless there is some very complex and smart engineering, such as those from Magico. But that solution comes at a price. Separate from Home Audio, Pro Audio companies were also working on ways to overcome these problems. Isoacoustics work in the Pro Audio arena and make a wide range of respected isolation products including isolation platforms for guitar amplifiers in studios. Their isolation products are used by many studios and they provide a lot of technical data, information and measurements to support what they do. They also make isolation feet for Home Audio. The subject of this review. Gaia II Feet And it is their Speaker Isolation feet, the Gaia, that I had at George Towers over the last few weeks. They make four different types of feet the Gaia I, II and III and the Gaia Titan Series. They are made for different speaker weights. I asked for the Gaia II feet, which support speaker weights up to 54 Kg. Although if you are getting close to 54Kg it may be better to use the larger Gaias. It is more than I needed for my Audionote Es with their heavy stands. If you intend to use the speakers on your luxury pile carpet then you will need the additional carpet spikes. I did. If you have a wooden floor there is no need. And let’s dispel the obvious, these feet are not only very well engineered but they look really, well, cool. The tops are rose gold colour with the rest of the foot shiny stainless steel. They are complex pieces of engineering and to explain them I will simplify how they work, apologies to any engineers. They resist motion in the fore/aft direction thereby providing a solid surface for the loudspeaker to work against. But they do not resist motion in the left/right direction. Therefore, it is vital to set the feet up correctly. More on that later. The actual foot has multiple layers of materials that absorb the sound energy and converts it to heat, reducing the coupling of the bass to the floor. Each foot comes with M6, M8, M10 and ¼” bolts that connect the Gaia foot to your loudspeaker/stand. They have two locking nuts, one to lock the bolt to the Isoacoustic foot and the other to lock to the bolt to the stand. It is vital to ensure they are correctly orientated. To help, the word Isoacoustic is written on each foot and you must orientate the foot so the writing faces you or is 180 degrees away from you. And to help you know which feet and bolts are needed and for working with non-standard bolts there is a handy calculator at https://calculator.isoacoustics.com/. There is a nice video on their web page that describes how it is done and it is fairly straightforward. The trick is to get everything at the right height, orientation and level. Measurements So how well does it work? As this is a pro audio company there is a white paper and I provide a link below. Isoacoustic took a speaker into an anechoic chamber and carried out a series of measurements. The first was a straightforward frequency response measurement. The frequency response of the speaker was measured with spiked stands as well as with Gaia feet. They were the same. The Gaia does not alter the frequency response. The next measurement was more complex but it measured what sound was going into the floor through a spiked stand and then with Gaia feet on the speaker. The spikes, as you may expect, sent a reasonable amount of bass into the floor. The Gaia sent much less bass into the floor. The final measurement was done with a speaker on elastic bungee cords and repeated the above measurements. The isolation provided by elastic bungee cords was very similar to the Gaia's feet. All the measurement details and the resultant graphs are in the link below. So, here is measurable proof that these feet reduce noise going into the floor from the loudspeakers. Sound Quality But what difference does it make to the sound? Well, there is an audible difference that is easy to hear. And then I encountered a psychological issue. We have all become used to hearing big bass coming from our spiked loudspeakers. The bass from the speakers is augmented by the bass coming from the floor. So much so that my first reaction was, what has happened to the bass? It has reduced significantly. This can’t be right. But as I listened more and more, I started to hear the bass was still there but it was now clean, more tonally dense and faster. With the Gaia feet, you hear better bass information. But it does not stop there. Because there is less bass joining in (out of time?), the mid and top-end improves. It is also much cleaner. It is easier to hear all the words being sung in a song. You can more easily hear the words sung in an Opera even though the words are in Italian. The words of Bruce Springsteen make more sense as they are easier to understand. More of the emotion in the voice is heard without the floor joining in Is the difference enormous/earth-shattering…..no but it is musically significant and it can make the difference between something that sounds good and something that really communicates the singer’s emotions. I started with Hans Zimmer who likes mixing big bold orchestral music with more modern synthetic effects that add real weight and power to music. The Batman theme starts with synthetic bass-heavy effects to announce that there are powerful forces at work but there is a dark character to them. Initially, the bass did not sound as ‘heavy’ but as the music progressed there was far more information and detail present. This added to the effect of power, drive and allowed the ‘dark’ theme to develop through a 3D rendition of the orchestra. The theme from His Dark Materials is much lighter. Here the changes were more in the 3D presentation of the music and the high frequencies. The soundstage was much larger and extended further back. It was easier to hear what the Chord Electronics Qutest DAC provides to the music. Even on Happy Together by the Turtles, the music was better separated and the different timing in the drums was easier to hear. This is an old and not brilliant recording but the voices were easy to hear including the backing voices. Yes, it is a happy jolly pop song and sounded it. Not a great recording but great music. But Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man (Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra) really showed the improvements. The opening timpani strikes were powerful and very clear. It was easier to hear the different notes on the timpani and where they were played on the drum. This worked so well that I had to play the ELP version with the additional bass playing which is how I first heard this music. Keeping with the drum theme it was over to Opium by Dead Can Dance and the various drums and bass with lots of reverb were clearly heard and the individual elements were kept apart especially when the number of instruments got high. In conclusion, these feet are very well-engineered, look pretty and stylish when installed and they work well. Isoacoustics are at: https://isoacoustics.com/ The measurements and explanation are here: https://isoacoustics.com/isoacoustics-speaker-isolation-technology/ Specifications and Prices The Gaia III works with speakers up to 32Kg, the Gaia II up to 54 Kg and the Gaia I up to 100 Kg. The Titan Series I, II, and IIIs support speakers from 145 Kg to 280 Kg. As well as the standard packs of 4 feet, single feet are now available at a reduced cost, this means owners of speakers using 3 spikes don’t have to pay for 2 feet they won’t use! These are priced – GAIA III - £59, GAIA II - £89, GAIA I - £169. Gaia III costs £199 for a set of 4, Gaia II costs £299 a set of 4 and Gaia I cost £599 a set of 4. Carpet spikes are £50 for 4, shown above.

Here is Martin V's (Mr Underhill) review of the SBooster and Zero Zero LPSUs for the Chord Electronics Qutest. These items are his personal property and he is aware of Chord Electronic's views on add-on LPSUs. Over the last few years my system has undergone some radical changes, in part due to some pesky felines and in part due to my 'friend' George. There were aspects of my system that dissatisfied me so I went on a DAC hunting exercise, which resulted in my buying a Border Patrol DAC with which I was very satisfied until my 'friend' brought over his Audio Note DAC 2.1. I shortly thereafter I sold the BP DAC and became the owner of an AN 2.1, somewhat upgraded. A few weeks ago I had what proved to be a wallet-threatening conversation with my ‘friend’ about the Chord Qutest. Now I had always had an itch to try the Chord M-Scaler, and to cut a long story short I sold my EAR868PL, had a negotiation with my dealer, Signals – excellent chaps, and bought the Qutest & M-Scaler with the usual legal protections. Two days later the Qutest arrived. My initial thoughts on the Qutest were very positive, but from the Head-fi threads, which go on and onnnnnnn, I knew that most people advocated trying a good quality LPSU, and I happened to have two to hand; prices and specs are at the end of this review. I have found that good digital audio requires the removal of noise, which has a number of sources. In particular, I have had good results from: Improving DC with Linear Power Supplies; Removing poor power supplies, linear or switch mode; Giving my equipment a common route to ground; Use of LT3045s to increase PSRR and reduce noise; and Having a dedicated electrical ring for my HiFi equipment. PSRR is Power Supply Rejection Ratio, and LT3045 raise this significantly, as well as dropping RMS Noise. I bought the small cards and fitted them inside project boxes: Here are my music file USB sticks powered by the ZeroZone LPSU via a brace of LT3045 housed in the plastic boxes. In judging digital audio there are two areas to which I pay particular attention: Bass. This I find quickly tells you whether a change is just different or better; and Detail. The issue here is that noise can act like spice, heightening the detail and making some music sound better. Generally, I find this is noise that reduces relaxation, that is mine! With ALLLL that said I won’t repeat George’s review, with which I heartily concur. The Qutest required a 5v power supply. Readily available I had: 1. A Zero Zone R-Core 8v 6A LPSU; and 2. An SBooster Mk I, 5-6v 3A LPSU. These I pitted head to head using: Prestige II server, files on 4x512GB USB. Both powered by LPSU. Minimserver. Meridian 210 Townshend Allegri Naim 300DR Avondale PXO Naim SBL Zero Zone R-Core 8v 6A LPSU 8V R-Core low noise LPSU I fed the output DC into two 7V LT3045 in parallel, one 2A and the other 1A; three 5V 1A LT3045 Chord Qutest. For these initial tests, I place the Qutest on some loudspeaker pucks with some absorbent rubber beneath, something rather more bespoke is now in place. One thing that did concern me was the positioning of the LPSU which I put on the floor. The only usable output in a non-Merdian system using my Meridian 210 is SPDIF and not BNC. I use a very pure silver ribbon cable which I connected to the Qutest BNC 1 using a BNC adapter. Sound Quality I initially started my listening using the incisive filter. I was immediately struck by the increased sound field. Not just left to right but by the depth, this was something new …and with SBLs. With highly produced music, rock et al, the overall size of the sound field was generally of the same order as the Audio Note, however with classical music in a natural acoustic it was as though the music was no longer tied to the speakers. Familiar music had new detail, this is something I had previously heard with the Schitt Yggdrasil, but with that box I ultimately felt I was at a musical autopsy, here the detail was part of a cogent whole. SBooster Internals I arranged the SBooster so that it was running at 5.5v into the three 5v 1A LT3045; Chord Qutest. Sound Quality 2 This was even better. The positives remained, the sound was even more relaxed and so was I. The sound field was VERY large and powerful. Comparing the Qutest (QT) to my upgraded Audio Note 2.1 (AN), this is NOT at the 2.1 reference level as the PSU is not valve rectified, but is a definite step up on a standard 2.1. Sting, Mercury Falling, I Hung My Head - NAS There is some complex percussion in the track. On the AN I always felt that the music was almost tripping over itself, that the percussionists were struggling. Not so with the QT. The sound field is more open and the noise floor is lower, so that not only is more detail revealed but is placed in a wider, deeper and more airy space. Led Zepplin, Mothership, Immigrant Song - NAS The comments about the QT detail resolution and sound field are consistent. The one place where the AN can perhaps compete is in the slight added weight it brings to vocals, which could also be described as thickening, or 2nd order harmonics? Leonard Cohen, You Want it Darker, You Want it Darker - Qobuz Great track, but through the QT it became something breathtaking with the male backing singers rendered wonderfully. ELP, Pictures at an Exhibition - Qobuz Not the best recorded live session. Through the AN this was OK, through the QT my attention was held. Dead Can Dance, Toward the Within, Rakim - Qobuz This is a superb live album. It is very good through the AN. It is even better through the QT. Lorne Balfe, Musical Anthology of His Dark Materials, His Dark Materials - Qobuz This is a highly-produced piece of music with added distortion. I thought the AN’s more concentrated sound field might work in this music’s favour but the QT doesn’t lack any weight or drama. QT wins again. Where I feel the AN can shade things is by being kinder to less well-produced music & I feel with the slight mid-range weight that aids vocals. However, the QT is a cleaner window, while NOT being brutally honest. It adds to this through the size, precision and power of its sound field. But WAIT, There is More I read this: https://blog.artsexcellence.nl/sbooster-botw-eco-mkii-review/ I felt I HAD to have a listen and so ordered an SBooster Ultra Mk II, to be frank my thinking was that my LT3045s would be doing everything that the Ultra would bring to the table; I was wrong. The SBooster Ultra MkII is an add-on box that linked onto the end of my SBooster 5v MkI; and what an excellent uptick in performance it gave. The result is a more relaxed, more dynamic and even more detailed sound stage. But WAIT, There is EVEN More Let me tell you about the M-Scaler ........Stop that (ed). Conclusion I should mention that in some applications I have been as happy with the ZeroZone as with the SBooster, but with the Chord Qutest I would pick the SBooster; and adding the SBooster + Ultra to the Chord Qutest takes an excellent DAC and significantly boosts its performance. A value for money SHOULD do.

One of the great benefits of listening to and reviewing audio is you get to hear a wide range of equipment. To be honest an awful lot of it is very competent. Occasionally you will come across some audio that is very good and stands out from the crowd. And more rarely you will come across some audio that hits the spot, appeals and sounds like real music. And very rarely there are the real gems, which also turn out to be reasonably priced. What our US colleagues call a game-changer. And if you could not guess this review is about a game-changer. But first some back story. Many years ago, a few people whose ears I trust told me about what I call big valve Single Ended Triodes. Big valve (tube) SETs use 845, 211 or 805 triodes and they are as you can guess big. These audiophiles said big valve SETs amps had the magic of 300Bs but with real power and dynamics and have powerful bass. I said to myself, I must get to hear one. Then there I was looking through the Classifieds of the Wam (recommended) and there it was, a lovely Mastersound 845 Compact integrated amplifier. It was reasonably priced so I bought it. I got it home and connected it into my reference system and what a sound. This amp had nearly all of the magic of 300Bs but with a more dynamic sound and deep bass. No, the bass did not match the tightness of the SS amp I had (Krell 600s) but it had that real flow you get with good valves. However, due to other audiophile itches, the Mastersound was eventually sold but its sound haunted me. And then…… A good audio friend, Kevin Fiske, called me and said he was going to buy a new Big Valve SET from Audionote. After a lot of time I got his excited call, the new Tomei was here and now ‘burnt in’. He thought I might enjoy it. What an understatement. It was the best amplifier I had ever heard (not having heard an Ongaku in a domestic environment). It had all the 300B magic, deep tight powerful bass, brilliant 3D imaging and a huge amount of real musical detail. It was also big, heavy, hot and somewhat costly. Currently about £40K. Ouch. My interest was rekindled. Audionote makes a less expensive 211 amplifier which was copper wired rather than the Tomei’s mixture of copper/silver. It looked the part. But…I spoke to the nice guys at Audionote. Do you get used ones often? Not really. How much……..faint…….. Currently about £20K. Dash it. Interest fades. There are a few Chinese variants but I was nervous. What makes big valve SETs amps sound good is the design of the circuit, some expensive bits like the transformers, a big power supply and other expensive components. I got the chance to hear a set(?) of Consonance 211s when Kevin was reviewing them. I liked their sound and they were more reasonably priced at about £7K unless you buy them direct from China. Not keen on that risk. Tempt, tempt, I could hear them saying. After a few months, I responded to a thread saying I was still interested in 211 amps but the costs were putting me off. Simonp/j of the Wam asked me if I had tried a Transcription Audio Progression 211 amplifier? Nope, not only that but I had never even heard of the company. But I would investigate. The Progression Audio web page was informative but a bit sparse and had some nice pictures of great-looking amplifiers. A visit to Simon Robinson, the man behind Progression Audio, was arranged and off to sunny Cambridgeshire I went. Simon R is an affable guy who has been making/designing 211 and GM70 amps for years. He has worked in major electronics companies mainly on very high-voltage circuits. However, his heart and soul were in making big valve SETs and in particular 211 amplifiers. He has since acquired a huge amount of experience in constructing these amplifiers and has tried all the variants of 211 amplifier design. He now knows what is important and it is the output transformers, the power supply, especially huge oil-filled capacitors and a simple circuit with point-to-point wiring. The first thing that strikes you about his amps is they are heavy. When I say heavy, I mean HEAVY. The output transformers are 10Kg each and are made in Russia. His power amplifier weighs in at a very healthy 50Kg. The power supply is a humongous single block with huge capacitors made for big lasers in the US. Simon liked them so much that he bought the world’s supply of them. The Progression amplifier comes in many variants of wooden case but the dark wood with a lovely copper top looks very seductive especially with the glowing 211 valves. Of course, the plain boxes are less expensive and he had a varnished plywood encased power amplifier available. So, after a visit to his workshop where all the magic happens, it was into his main room for a good listen. Oh my. Although we could not use his dCS CD system (ill CD transport) there was no doubt this was a great example of a 211 amplifier. After a few hours of listening, I asked the dreaded question. Can I listen to this amplifier at home? Sure. Half an hour later we loaded up the car and my Type R’s suspension sagged from the mass of the amp and off home I go. When I got home, I had a problem, how do I get the amp out of the car? I can’t lift 50-odd Kg out of the car especially from a difficult lifting position. No, I can’t, no and I won’t do it. A quick call to my audio buddy, Bryan, (Bry-fi on the Wam) yea sure I’ll come around tomorrow with Alex, his lad (well a grown man actually). Yes, I contained myself, just. Anyway, Bryan and Alex turned up and before I could say thanks, they had it out of the car on its stand, on top of my Pass Labs XA30.8 power amplifier (Oh, the ignominy!!!). I had wired up the rest of the system, which was my AN CD4T, AN DAC 4.1x, AN M6 preamp, the Transcription amp and the AN Es. I connected the power amp and we sat down and let it warm up. After about 10-15 mins I put on a track to test that I had connected the channels correctly, got the balance right and nothing was amiss. All was good and correct. Bryan said they could only stay for one track. After 10 mins we put on a track of music and wow. There was the magic of SET 300Bs where each instrument, voice, effect was gently spotlit and it was easy to hear its contribution to the musical whole. It was a well-integrated sound. There was also a huge amount of musical detail. Unlike other amps, this detail was not highlighted or pushed at you due to various emphases of certain frequencies. Then there was the bass. It was tremendously deep, powerful and very tight. Tune playing was excellent. The soundstage was huge and became enormous as the amp warmed up, provided it was recorded in the music. I played another track and then asked what the guys thought. Alex noticed it getting warmer and the soundstage was opening up. There were comments about it not sounding like valve bass, so on goes the usual bass test track from James Blake, Limit to Your Love. After the beginning of the track in comes the bass with some very deep synth tones in the mid-20Hz range. After that track finished, I asked the guys what they thought. Alex said the voices and instruments sounded very different from what he had previously heard as he knew the track well. He said he was hearing more music than before. The bass was tight and pressurised the room. I then played an organ track by Guillou using the Tonhalle, Zürich organ. This track has deep bass that is more felt than heard. After about 10-12 tracks the guys had to leave. The amp worked really, really well in my system. A cracker and dare I say it, this amp could be a game-changer. Steady on though, what can be initially impressive can be less so on longer listening. Time for some serious listening. The next day was free so a mammoth session was on the cards. I let the amp warm up for an hour or so and then played my playlist of test tracks. I started with big cinematic orchestral music including Hans Zimmer who includes studio effects to add drama and impact to his orchestral music. And what drama. Playing the theme tune to Batman, Why So Serious, the music starts quietly and then builds up in tension until it explodes into the room at 1:38 with some serious effects. And again at 2:30 with a crash, a bang and with real power. When these effects are added to the music it gives real tension to the theme. At 3:30 there is some deep synth bass that pressurised the room. This was serious (sorry?). Not heard it like this before and only from 18w of valve power!! OK onto something still slightly artificial but involving real instruments, the theme tune Medley from Game of Thrones by 2Cellos. The close miking captured the string tone of the cellos and the 211 amp played their real string tone. No thin sounds here. This track captured the midrange of the cellos and their power. The bass was powerful and full and the cymbals had great top-end sparkle with natural attack and decay. An amp’s ability to play warm bass and sparkling highs is what I call tonal dynamic range. These amps had it in spades but it is something which other amps have difficulty playing. The music builds throughout the track in intensity and ends leaving you tense; waiting for what comes next….the program. What a start. Something completely different. Ember by WhoMadeWho. Modern electronica with a big powerful driving bass, light vocals and a driving synth. There was real power here and in the middle of the track, the synth bass plays a prominent part which with weak bass or bass without the necessary clarity can make the track sound slow and lethargic. There was none of that here. On to Robert Plant and the boyz of Led Zeppelin. Dazed and Confused from their first album, which established what the band could do. The sheer power of Bonham’s drumming, Robert Plant unleashing the power in his voice and Jimmy Page’s great guitar playing give the song a powerful blues feel. There is some great interplay between John Paul Jones and Bonham at 2:20 that slows the track down and then starts to build it up until 03:30 when Bonham drives the track forward with Page adding a great guitar solo. At 05:00 Bonham drives the sound forward with some powerful drumming. I know the recording was not the best but there was some real raw power in the band in the early days. Yes, but I had been playing tracks that showed off the big valve's power what about its subtlety? Joan Baez’s album Whistle Down the Wind is a nicely recorded album with some fine singing. Joan’s singing is sublime with some great vocal intonation. What always previously seemed a little twee had some real emotion in it. And then on to Rhiannon Giddens and Birmingham Sunday (no, not Brummie). This has a nicely recorded piano and organ that blend well as she sings a song with a gentle sway. It sounds nice and pretty but it is about the bombing and murder of four women of colour with 22 others injured in a Baptist church in Birmingham USA. The song was written by Richard Farina and was originally sung by him and his sister-in-law Joan Baez. What a powerful rendition of the song. If you aren’t moved by this track check your pulse. Onto more jolly stuff. A test. I was present at a Mike Valentine recording at St Martins in the Fields where some rousing Beethoven 5th Piano Concerto was recorded. I played a track from this recording and it gave me the nearest I have been to being back in the church. And to keep with that theme, I then played a track from another Mike Valentine recording from Temple Church a few weeks ago featuring Justin Pearson on cello and Katherine Rockhill on piano. The instruments were very realistic and the acoustics of the church were superbly caught. Another back-to-the-scene recording as I was also there standing about a dozen feet from the microphones. This amp does realism. Of course, I played a ton of music and whether it was live Black Sabbath, live Eagles, electronica of Eno, Emmerson, Lake and Palmer or some William Tell Overture this system was singing and I agree with a comment from Bryfiero, these amps work well with my Audionote system. I then forgot about reviewing the amps and just enjoyed my ‘new’ music collection. Before I get too carried away there is better. I suspect the Audionote Jinro/Tomei are more refined but they are also more expensive. In summary, these amps give you a huge chunk of the 211 experience. They are big, heavy and hot but that comes with 211 territory. And the sad news? Simon is thinking of retiring soon and will stop making these great amps. So, if you are after a great 211 amp, buy now or live in penance. Me, yep I bought this one. And the best bit…..you can get one for £2200 to £6500!!!! Depending on the finish and whether you want a valve or solid-state rectifier or super components inside. Yes, they are not cheap but if you want a good 211 then you need big heavy components (expensive). I recommend this amplifier as a game-changer. Addendum: Can it get better? Yes. I have taken advice and ordered a set of Psvane 211 Acme valves from China. They will be here in a few days. And the word is they are a big improvement. Can’t wait? Well, I have asked Simon p/j to write about his experience with his 211 amp and the different 211s he has tried. Over to Simon p/j. To be Continued soon.

Have you tried the full-fat version? Not sure what you mean. You gave a good review to the Klipsch Forte IIIs and I was wondering if you had tried the full-fat version of Klipsch speakers? No what do you mean by full-fat? Well, the Forte IIIs have a reflex-loaded bass but the Klipschorn and La Scala IIs have horn-loaded bass. The Full-fat version. I am with you now. Last year I reviewed the Klipsch Forte III horn-loaded speakers https://hifiwigwam.com/forum/topic/130768-klipsch-forte-iii/ and they surprised me with their sheer liveness and realism. After that review, I had the e-mail exchange summarised above. Henley audio who are the UK importers of Klipsch were in the honeymoon period with Klipsch and were starting to distribute the line to their dealers. They obviously wanted to get the brand well known in the UK for its high value and great sound quality. This was led with their consumer-focused audio speakers. Selling the more audiophile Heritage range was always only going to appeal to a smaller market. Now that the range is established Henley started to bring in the larger speakers in the range. And by chance, the La Scala speaker (with horn-loaded bass) had been recently updated to become the new Klipsch La Scala AL5. Klipsch Audio has been making speakers since 1949 and Paul W Klipsch started speaker manufacture in Hope Arkansas with the now infamous Klipschorn. This was a speaker used to fill large US stadia. Later on, Paul Klipsch designed a smaller and more consumer-friendly version. It was introduced in 1963 and the La Scala was born. And what an entrance. It became a favourite of many US stadia as it provides a really big and powerful sound. And it made a really big impact with audiophiles. A copy of the original design drawing of the La Scala is shown. Often referred to as the “mini Klipschorn”, the La Scala is a three-way horn-loaded speaker with a 25mm tweeter, a 50mm mid-range driver and a 381mm woofer, the same as the flagship Klipschorn. The latest version of the La Scala the AL5 yields greater acoustic power than its predecessors. It has 1” thick cabinetry throughout and it is split into two sections for effective decoupling of the high- and low-frequency transmission systems. The mid/high enclosure features a newly-designed, high-efficiency K-771 tweeter, with a light-weight polyimide diaphragm, mated to Klipsch’s 90° X 40° Tractrix horn with a copper-clad aluminium voice coil. This lightweight diaphragm assembly and high strength magnet structure create the tweeter’s high 105dB sensitivity. Alongside this is a K-55-X 2” mid-range compression driver with phenolic diaphragm mated to a large exponential horn. The low-end enclosure has a large 380mm (15”) woofer behind a two-fold horn, inspired by the Klipschorn three-fold design. The bass response reaches 45Hz with minimal distortion. When mated with the mid/high enclosure, Klipsch claims the speaker has an effortless ability to reproduce live sound. The cabinetry is finished in book-matched wood veneers, so the top and bottom cabinets and the left/right speakers are a truly matched set. The mid/high section is supplied with a new magnetic grille, featuring a metal-grille finished with the new ‘La Scala’ script logo. On the rear of the mid/high enclosure is a new aluminium input panel, capable of handling high-gauge cables. Internally, recognised high-end hi-fi cabling is used throughout from Audioquest using their Type 4 cable with Star-Quad Geometry internal wiring featuring carbon-loaded insulation, nitrogen injected PE and solid long-grain copper conductors. As the speakers use a folded horn most of the bass comes from the front of the cabinet making placement in the room easy and I was told they are not that fussy which given their weight makes life easier. These speakers are not mini-monitors (mild understatement!) and although a reasonable size for horn-loaded bass speakers using a 380mm driver they are still large for the average UK living room. They are 102cms (40”) x 62 cms (24”) x 64 cms (25”). And that gave me a problem. Although I have a 9mx 7m room I share the ‘speaker wall’ with a big TV, the audio equipment rack and a fireplace in the corner. I could not fit the La Scala in the room without a major re-organisation of the room. Not popular. But I wanted to hear the speakers. So, for the first time in these reviews, I went to the company’s listening room. I persuaded Henley Audio to let me hear them in their spacious audio listening room in Didcot. And very generous they were to. Also, I was told that connecting the top to the bottom box was really a three-man affair, with two to hold the top box and a third to connect the spade ended cables. Not easy for one person. So, armed with a ton of music and a bit of time I sauntered over to Henley Audio to spend a day listening to the system featuring these speakers. And thanks to Simon and James at Henley for entertaining me and giving me their time. The system featured for Vinyl a Pro-Ject RPM 10 Carbon TT, an Ortofon Cadenza Bronze and a Musical Fidelity M6 phono stage. For CD a Unison Research Unico CD Due and for streaming a Roon Nucleus with the Unison Research Unico CD Due (functioning as a DAC). The amplifier was a lovely Unison Research Sinfonia with Chord cabling. I asked for a reasonably powerful valve amplifier even though the speakers are 105 dB efficient for 1 watt. I have found even efficient speakers need a bit of headroom and power to control the bass. On goes the first album track from a Mike Valentine direct cut recording of Clare Teal and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra playing Its Too Darn Hot. This is a really dynamic track where the band let rip near then end of the track and are accompanied by some powerful and dynamic drumming. WOW. This is a very real-sounding track and does not hold back any of the dynamics and when the band lets go you could feel as well as hear the power of the playing. The drum kit had real raw power and the snare drums were real sounding with a tremendous impact on the track. When the cymbals are hit, they come over as a big powerful metallic musical instrument. I initially was listening for any shouty, aggressive, bright or over the top sounds. I gave up after a few minutes and just enjoyed the music. It sounded like I was present at the recording. This is different from what I have heard before from other loudspeakers. Yes, I have heard really big loudspeakers go loud but the La Scala AL5s had great speed as well as the dynamics. This was going to be real fun. Something different, Guy Garvey with Courting the Squall on vinyl. This is a reasonably well-recorded modern album. It is not as heavily produced as his Elbow recordings and a lot of tracks are just him with a few musical instruments. The album has a slightly dark sound and this system showed that to great effect. But the realism of his close-miked voice with every detail of the singing coming across was eerily captured. The separation of the few instruments recorded was easy to hear and the music came over with a huge enormous sound stage. The soundstage was not ultra-precise but I think that is an artefact of some speakers. A lot of these tracks are musically simple and very catchy. I found myself all but humming the tunes. Everything was so easy to hear and musical. OK over to CD and Applewood Road. This a simple recording from Gearbox Music featuring Amber Ruth, Emily Baker and Amy Speace and some of Nashville’s finest session players. It was recorded live with a single microphone. The three different and distinctive voices were picked out as was the different amounts of emotion in each of their voices. The bass really announced its presence at the start of the Applewood Road track. A track that allowed the La Scala to show its delicate and detailed side, which of course, as we have been told in the past, horn speakers are not good at…Not these horn speakers. And on Rebecca Pigeon’s album, her clear and waif-like voice came over with clarity and detail. She has a beautiful voice The only track that I can stand on Chesky’s Demo Disc Volume 2 is Tear It Up by Billy Burnette, a danceable roots rock track. It was all but impossible not to get up and dance. The music goes at a blistering pace and all the instruments meld into one fun band but it still allows you to hear every musical contribution. Superb. OK let’s leave the audiophile stuff behind…..no…. how about the Vincent Belanger album from Audionote where he plays some beautiful Cello? On a horn system, really? It came across with real attack and power and room pressurisation with a beautiful tone. OK now let’s leave audiophile music behind. How about Robert and the boys of Led Zeppelin. Heartbreaker from Led Zeppelin 2? Oh yes. This track rocked with a powerful driving beat from John Paul Jones and Bonzo. And boy what a voice Percy had in those days. This was meat and potatoes (as our US colleagues would say) for these speakers. Yes, it rocked and without any hint of compression and even though the audio room was large it went very loud and still sounded powerful at the far end of the room that was 40’ from the speakers. These speakers give you a large sound that is completely divorced from the speakers. And even better, playing Hell Freezes Over by the Eagles, recreated a superb live and ‘at the concert’ sound that fooled you into believing you were present. It was easy to hear the individual musicians but when they played together, to drive a song along, that integrated musical event came across really well. The bass from these speakers was incredibly powerful and unlike a lot of reflex speakers, they play the bass notes with equal emphasis. I sometimes hear reflex speakers accentuate some bass notes, so a run on bass can have certain notes emphasised. Not here. So, are there any issues? Yes, the low bass. The speakers do not go that low in the bass. They cut-off at 45-50Hz in typical rooms. You can’t have deep bass and great efficiency so the La Scala goes for high efficiency. When I played my bass test track of James Blake’s Limit to Your Love the low 20 Hz’s notes were missing. But the bass power and speed made up for that issue and you could always add a sub-bass unit. The La Scala AL5’s cost £12K which is a bit of a hike from the previous La Scala 2 (£9K) but these speakers are different and improved from the 2s and represent high value for money given the cost of other company’s horn-loaded speakers. So summarising, the Klipsch La Scala XL5 is one of the best speakers I have heard in recreating a live, musical event and they capture the dynamics and power of recorded music. If you like live rock/pop/classical musical concerts, get them. They are one of the least coloured horn speakers I have heard. Yes, there are better horn-loaded speakers but you will be into the £25K territory and then there is always the Klipschorn. They actually do not look that big due to the superb veneer and craftsmanship from the people who build them by hand in Hope, Arkansas. If you like a monitor type of sound (with a thin reedy sound) or ultra-low bass notes they may not be for you. You could always get a bass sub and Klipsch make some good sub units. These full-fat horn speakers are Recommended. Now, where is my tape measure, are you sure they won’t fit?? Specifications Frequency Response (+/- 4 dB): 51Hz – 20kHz Sensitivity: 105dB @ 2.83V / 1m Power Handling: 100W / 400W Maximum SPL: 121dB Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms compatible Crossover Frequency: HF: 4500Hz MF: 450Hz Tweeter: K-771 1" (2.54cm) Light-Weight Polyimide Diaphragm Compression Driver Mated to a 90° x 40° Tractrix Horn High-Frequency Horn: Tractrix Midrange: K-55-X 2" (5.08cm) Phenolic Diaphragm Compression Driver Mid-Frequency Horn: Exponential Woofer: K-33-E 15” (38.1cm) Fibre-Composite Cone with a Folded Horn Enclosure Material: Birch Plywood and MDF Enclosure Type: Fully horn-loaded Dimensions (H x W x D): 40" (101.6cm), 24 1/4” (61.59 cm), 25 5/16” (64.29 cm) Weight: 201lbs (91kg) Finishes: Natural Cherry, Satin Black Ash, American Walnut Grille Cloth: Silver Metallic