A visit to Mr Zanden’s new home
It has been almost 3 years since I last visited Mr Zanden together with Roman. With the kind invitation by Mr Zanden, I went to visit his new home which is conveniently located nearby his old place and among the busiest places in HK island. Mr Dynamic also came along with me which I believe is the first time for him to experience the Cessaro Beta system driven by a full suite of Zanden electronics.
Nowadays, as an audiophile (and sometimes called Hifi playboy by my dearest comrade VoyR), we are always overhyped by technological advancements and under-appreciating the time and skills one has to put to maximise the gears in our possession. Mr Zanden told me he has not changed his components for the last 6 years and yet his musical enjoyment is ever heightened by his continuous achievements in overcoming the room acoustics, speaker positioning and fine tuning on the gears that he has already been acquainted for years.
Mr Zanden’s new home, on my eye measurement, is no bigger than his previous place housing the mega Beta system which is solely a testament of his connoisseurship in ‘making in work again’. Bass horn is about 6-7 feet away from the listening position providing literally no runway for the bass wave to traverse properly. Mr Zanden told me many who visited his place proclaimed that it is as though listening with a gigantic headphone. Such mirage is undeniably there when our mind integrates subconsciously both visually and sonically on what it receives.
Eyes closed, we listened from the all time favourite opera arias Havanera to the Spanish music La Folia, from Cantonese pop star Michael Kwan to Szeryng’s Beethoven concertos. Both myself and Mr Dynamic were amazed on how the Beta system disappeared miraculously and reflections from all sides of the room much mitigated by the meticulously positioned resonators/absorbers literally everywhere from balcony to the kitchen and into all other rooms. The spirit and passion towards perfection earn my salute to this respectful connoisseur!
Whilst one would debate on the insufficient development of bass dispersion structure, the overall balance is right on the ‘sweet spot’ that arguably many wouldn’t have achieved with a much bigger breathing space. Soundstage is deep and wide while images are right on size and scale without being strangled by the reflection from the back wall which is less than 2 feet from our ears. In Mr Dynamic’s place, with the same distance from the back wall, the soundstage is often disrupted by such reflection from the wall.
We listened to Decca Rossini Overture conducted by Gamba twice as the ending climax at a rather high sound pressure. The system does not give me any nagging feeling that this too much that my own body and the room cannot bear. Indeed it is so easy penetrating thru my ears into my soul putting me like sitting in the front row of the concert hall!
Mr Zanden, risking your condemn, on your behalf, I would like to invite more to come to listen to your system. This is not just a simple listening session, it is a live demonstration on how Mr Zanden has transpired his knowledge and listening skill to build such highly performing system with the perfect balance of doses and mixes on everything! I lot for me to take away after this!
Marvel
Nowadays, as an audiophile (and sometimes called Hifi playboy by my dearest comrade VoyR), we are always overhyped by technological advancements and under-appreciating the time and skills one has to put to maximise the gears in our possession. Mr Zanden told me he has not changed his components for the last 6 years and yet his musical enjoyment is ever heightened by his continuous achievements in overcoming the room acoustics, speaker positioning and fine tuning on the gears that he has already been acquainted for years.
Mr Zanden’s new home, on my eye measurement, is no bigger than his previous place housing the mega Beta system which is solely a testament of his connoisseurship in ‘making in work again’. Bass horn is about 6-7 feet away from the listening position providing literally no runway for the bass wave to traverse properly. Mr Zanden told me many who visited his place proclaimed that it is as though listening with a gigantic headphone. Such mirage is undeniably there when our mind integrates subconsciously both visually and sonically on what it receives.
Eyes closed, we listened from the all time favourite opera arias Havanera to the Spanish music La Folia, from Cantonese pop star Michael Kwan to Szeryng’s Beethoven concertos. Both myself and Mr Dynamic were amazed on how the Beta system disappeared miraculously and reflections from all sides of the room much mitigated by the meticulously positioned resonators/absorbers literally everywhere from balcony to the kitchen and into all other rooms. The spirit and passion towards perfection earn my salute to this respectful connoisseur!
Whilst one would debate on the insufficient development of bass dispersion structure, the overall balance is right on the ‘sweet spot’ that arguably many wouldn’t have achieved with a much bigger breathing space. Soundstage is deep and wide while images are right on size and scale without being strangled by the reflection from the back wall which is less than 2 feet from our ears. In Mr Dynamic’s place, with the same distance from the back wall, the soundstage is often disrupted by such reflection from the wall.
We listened to Decca Rossini Overture conducted by Gamba twice as the ending climax at a rather high sound pressure. The system does not give me any nagging feeling that this too much that my own body and the room cannot bear. Indeed it is so easy penetrating thru my ears into my soul putting me like sitting in the front row of the concert hall!
Mr Zanden, risking your condemn, on your behalf, I would like to invite more to come to listen to your system. This is not just a simple listening session, it is a live demonstration on how Mr Zanden has transpired his knowledge and listening skill to build such highly performing system with the perfect balance of doses and mixes on everything! I lot for me to take away after this!
Marvel
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Grab your password please. Talk here directly.
有幸到Mr Zanden 處家訪，獲益良多，在這短嘅距離聽一對龐大嘅Horn 喇叭，一點壓迫感都沒有，聲音直接，合上眼，人聲、樂器嘅結像同比例恰到好處，聽Rossini overture 時，房間能夠承受音壓之大，令我嘆為觀止，睇得出Mr Zanden 對唱盤同房間調教嘅功力，參考級嘅系統！
仲要好多謝Mrs Zanden一早準備好嘅朱古力慕絲蛋糕，超好味。Mr Zanden 好多謝你嘅款待。
Learner
http://www.hiendtower.com/?uid=265
Once again, my salute to Mr. Zanden and Yamada San for making the Zanden suite so harmoniously performing! Obviously Ralph as well for making the special Beta system for Mr. Zanden.
Marvel