To further extend the vinyl experience of this studio, we have added the Durand Tosca tonearm pairing with Top Wing Seiryu青龍 cartridge. Obviously the Argento FMR phono ground wiring becomes a necessity rather than a luxury.
Eric Encore by Engstrom of Sweden belongs to the category of “Super Amplifier” striking tremendous emotional impact on all souls including mega super star and celebrities. This is Lars Engstrom’s ultimate masterpiece to the service of music. Salute to Lars and Timo. Purity of tone, transient resolution, excellent control at high SPL, and the ability to recreate the resolution of AURA defining the atmosphere that exists but can’t be quantified. Only a few pair of amplifiers could achieve all of the above - Eric Encore is one of the rarities.
The arrival of Eric Encore the AE Central Studio has drawn a new wave of visitors in the past few days. Not only does it aesthetically form a perfect match with the Goebel Marquis and DaVinci Gabriel, it also turns a new page in the overall system performance by delivering, at much ease, more flourishing finesse and liveliness to the music. I am utterly thrilled how Eric Encore has ‘game changed’ the system and so did many fellow comrades in this group who paid a visit in the past few days.
Eric from Engstrom has been in my home system for years as it matches perfectly with my musical liking, perhaps acquired taste, neat, tidy, lively, elegant, structured, transparent, clam are all the words that I can think of to describe the pair of 70W class A power amp. Eric Encore is a ‘super’ manifestation of all the aforementioned plus an extra grasp on control and driving capability and an incredibly lowered noise floor! I recall around Christmas time last year, I was discussing with PT on the roadmap for the Central studio and how to circumvent an otherwise overdamped Marquis, I believe I have found a perfect solution now!
Marvel bro, only you guys still have so much stamina to drive Hi End Audio forward with such strong momentum, as though there was no fucking COVID at all.
In preparation for a joint event with Audiotechnique in the coming weekends, I have set up the Engstrom Monica full balanced preamp to mate with the monoblocks. The ‘resurrection’ of the Lars amplification in a suite has set a new level of relaxed intimacy and rhythmic dexterity where excitement only comes when the original music intention demands it! Lars Eric, when driving the Goebel Divin Marquis delivers music which is unforced, engaging as well as expressive. Once again, I am convinced on ‘the whole is greater than the sum of all the parts’ by using a suite of Lars amp. I recall I did have the same feeling some years back when I first paired Lars Type2 power amp with Monica. This time, the pleasant surprise springboard a few folds!
Last Saturday, I took part the Hi-Fi show that jointly organised by AUDIOTECHNIQUE and Audio Exotics. This was the first HiFi show I attended since the Covid-19 in HK. I was welcomed by KK in charge of the show. This was my first time to this studio. I could see a very professional set up, even including the sitting arrangment. KK had to make sure every details were perfect.
This show mainly demonstrated the Wadax Atlantis Reference DAC and the Atlantis Transport, followed by the the Da Vinci Gabriel turntable set, Synaestec Igniculus phono preamp, the powerful Engstrom Eric mono power amp, and the Goebel Divin Marquis speakers. KK played some selected pieces of music from LP. He made comparisons of same pieces of music from CD. He also introduced the background of each selected LP/CD so that we had better understanding of them. I totally agree with KK. If we have more background information of the music, you will have more enjoyment when you listen to the music from such high end products. But I would say they are pieces of Art by the engineers just like an artist of their pieces of Art. I could listen every details of each LP and CD through the pieces of Art in the studio. After listening to many different kinds of music and KK's professional and sincere introduction nearly 3 hours, I was sure each person will get a fruitful weekend if you been there. I must say thanks to KK once again for his professional and sincere explanation in the show.
I completed 2 rounds of audition sessions in the past fortnight intertwined with private auditions. Obviously, the spotlight is Wadax Reference DAC reviewed recently in Absolute Sound and Audiotechnique. As I often highlight to audiophiles, C Ron cannot play so well without the remaining 10 in Juventus. There are unsung heroes behind the scene which contribute tremendously to the overall performance of the system:
1. JMF 35th Anniversary Luxury Edition power distributor 302. It supports the power of the entire system. I am using 9 out of the 10 sockets it provides. Amongst the 10 sockets, there are 6 individual electric filters operating in bi-directional mode. It delivers an adoring dark background with clear ambience surrounding the images within the soundstage. I could comprehend vibrant texture alongside voluminous body. In my opinion, mellowness is often a ‘weak spot’ for power filters which yields a “prison cell darkness” background. The new version of 302 has paid much more attention on the mechanical vibration. The new chassis is well built for certainty, but I am surprised by the robustness of the sockets too. They are much more meticulously built to stronghold the power connectors, plugging in and out every socket requires much physical effort arguably taking away some joy from me in swapping cables around!
2. Ikigai (Kangai and Kangai S series) cables. Ikigai means a form or direction of better life in Japanese but it is brand from the Netherlands. It resonates deep in my heart because as a music lover, finding a good tool would set us to the right direction in pursuing a truer form of musical playback. Few months back, Kangai jumper cables sneaked quietly into AE Central contributing much openness and easiness to the overall playback. It formed an even more playful pair with the main speaker cable than the jumper of the same brand. Music becomes less hefty and more alive. Since then, I have taken up more Kangai cables such as the interconnect from the phono to preamp, and a power cable on the preamp and an Ethernet cable too. The most recent change was to employ 2 x Kangai S power cable for the left and right channels of the Wadax Reference DAC. Compared to the Vertere HBS, Kangai S power cable has shed a slightest film of luster to the tonal picture bringing distinct but not shimmering highlight to each individual object. By the same token, the Kangai interconnect conveys a much more vivid rendering of the tension and momentum of each piano strokes engaging me deeper in my beloved piano sonata.
3. Lars Monica preamp. This is a preamp I once loves so much when I was using Lars Type 2 300B power amp. I have to confess many more excitements on new born super preamps came afterward diverted my attention away from it. Only until recently, I reconnected it to partner with Engstrom Eric power amp. It does its job faithfully as a conductor of the entire system orchestrating everything. It is a robust bridge between the source and power amp with a wider headroom on input sensitivity and output gain dove tailing perfectly with Eric. If there is a Monica ‘Encore’ version, it will be on the next flight to Sweden. It is now by all measures, a very outstanding preamp in its outright. Knowing the difference between Eric Encore and Eric, the extent of improvement set a very high expectation if ever there is an ‘Encore’ version for Monica in the pipeline. The sufficient headrooms in and out gives a lot more space for dynamic to express freely.
They are perpetual core members of a dream team in AE Central.
Comments
Eric from Engstrom has been in my home system for years as it matches perfectly with my musical liking, perhaps acquired taste, neat, tidy, lively, elegant, structured, transparent, clam are all the words that I can think of to describe the pair of 70W class A power amp. Eric Encore is a ‘super’ manifestation of all the aforementioned plus an extra grasp on control and driving capability and an incredibly lowered noise floor! I recall around Christmas time last year, I was discussing with PT on the roadmap for the Central studio and how to circumvent an otherwise overdamped Marquis, I believe I have found a perfect solution now!
昨天(大年初四)適逢Marvel在中環音響室進行系統調教，可以靜靜地聆聽Engstrom「Eric」後級功放推動Gobel「Divin Marquis」+Arya「Airblade」 接近三個小時。由Wadax「Atlantis」 Transport/DAC 組合播放嘅管弦樂章到Da Vinci 「Gabriel」 唱盤+Thales「Statement」和Durand「Tosca」 唱臂組合播放不同類型嘅黑膠樂章，因加入了Eric， Divin Marquis低頻能量得到釋放。每首歌曲都突顯鬆容，但又不失質感，結合Airblade 從3,500hz的180度高音擴散，音樂內容更加真。在聆聽Maastrichts Salon Orkest – Serenata ( featuring Andre Rieu )，很驚訝雀鳥聲像真度和真實沒有分別。 Marvel短期還會加入Engstrom「Monica」 前級 ，期待 !!
Learner
In preparation for a joint event with Audiotechnique in the coming weekends, I have set up the Engstrom Monica full balanced preamp to mate with the monoblocks. The ‘resurrection’ of the Lars amplification in a suite has set a new level of relaxed intimacy and rhythmic dexterity where excitement only comes when the original music intention demands it! Lars Eric, when driving the Goebel Divin Marquis delivers music which is unforced, engaging as well as expressive. Once again, I am convinced on ‘the whole is greater than the sum of all the parts’ by using a suite of Lars amp. I recall I did have the same feeling some years back when I first paired Lars Type2 power amp with Monica. This time, the pleasant surprise springboard a few folds!
Last Saturday, I took part the Hi-Fi show that jointly organised by AUDIOTECHNIQUE and Audio Exotics. This was the first HiFi show I attended since the Covid-19 in HK. I was welcomed by KK in charge of the show. This was my first time to this studio. I could see a very professional set up, even including the sitting arrangment. KK had to make sure every details were perfect.
I could listen every details of each LP and CD through the pieces of Art in the studio. After listening to many different kinds of music and KK's professional and sincere introduction nearly 3 hours, I was sure each person will get a fruitful weekend if you been there. I must say thanks to KK once again for his professional and sincere explanation in the show.
1. JMF 35th Anniversary Luxury Edition power distributor 302. It supports the power of the entire system. I am using 9 out of the 10 sockets it provides. Amongst the 10 sockets, there are 6 individual electric filters operating in bi-directional mode. It delivers an adoring dark background with clear ambience surrounding the images within the soundstage. I could comprehend vibrant texture alongside voluminous body. In my opinion, mellowness is often a ‘weak spot’ for power filters which yields a “prison cell darkness” background. The new version of 302 has paid much more attention on the mechanical vibration. The new chassis is well built for certainty, but I am surprised by the robustness of the sockets too. They are much more meticulously built to stronghold the power connectors, plugging in and out every socket requires much physical effort arguably taking away some joy from me in swapping cables around!
2. Ikigai (Kangai and Kangai S series) cables. Ikigai means a form or direction of better life in Japanese but it is brand from the Netherlands. It resonates deep in my heart because as a music lover, finding a good tool would set us to the right direction in pursuing a truer form of musical playback. Few months back, Kangai jumper cables sneaked quietly into AE Central contributing much openness and easiness to the overall playback. It formed an even more playful pair with the main speaker cable than the jumper of the same brand. Music becomes less hefty and more alive. Since then, I have taken up more Kangai cables such as the interconnect from the phono to preamp, and a power cable on the preamp and an Ethernet cable too. The most recent change was to employ 2 x Kangai S power cable for the left and right channels of the Wadax Reference DAC. Compared to the Vertere HBS, Kangai S power cable has shed a slightest film of luster to the tonal picture bringing distinct but not shimmering highlight to each individual object. By the same token, the Kangai interconnect conveys a much more vivid rendering of the tension and momentum of each piano strokes engaging me deeper in my beloved piano sonata.
3. Lars Monica preamp. This is a preamp I once loves so much when I was using Lars Type 2 300B power amp. I have to confess many more excitements on new born super preamps came afterward diverted my attention away from it. Only until recently, I reconnected it to partner with Engstrom Eric power amp. It does its job faithfully as a conductor of the entire system orchestrating everything. It is a robust bridge between the source and power amp with a wider headroom on input sensitivity and output gain dove tailing perfectly with Eric. If there is a Monica ‘Encore’ version, it will be on the next flight to Sweden. It is now by all measures, a very outstanding preamp in its outright. Knowing the difference between Eric Encore and Eric, the extent of improvement set a very high expectation if ever there is an ‘Encore’ version for Monica in the pipeline. The sufficient headrooms in and out gives a lot more
space for dynamic to express freely.
They are perpetual core members of a dream team in AE Central.
Marvel
當然，我覺得現在的Marquis 尚有很大進步空間，有待kk 慢慢發掘。