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    edited January 2022
    4 straight issues of solid content almost without any product marketing, just pure vision and philosophy. Bravo!


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    edited January 2022

    深度剖析中島美加名曲— 「我曾經也想過一了百了」,如何可以重播到合格水平?By JLam

    科技一日千里,音響價格愈來愈高,但評核標準卻沒有與時並進,因此我們嘗試建立新的評核標準。我深度分析了現年三十八歲體重只有39kg的日本女歌手中島美嘉名曲「我曾經也想過一了百了」,並確立了如何以高級音響系統重播此曲達到合格水平的定義。

    這曲是日本First Take高音質錄制,在YouTube 累計收看次數達到440萬。歌曲只有一個鋼琴,一個低音提琴,和中島美加。這個Video的音頻可以在Tidal/Qobuz找到,而且是24 bit/96hz格式,完全等同於YouTube上的Video。https://youtu.be/AabAbM_Lmuo
    十個測驗位(以下時間是指YouTube First Take 的時間,Tidal/Qobuz的時間不同因為它不包括視頻頭35秒紀錄中島準備唱歌的動作):
    首先要知道這歌的「轉調」和其他歌曲有何不同。 我們以許志安的男人最痛作例比較。 一般轉調是以旋律轉變帶動,可參考這曲1分38秒,及3分06秒,是旋律改變帶動起歌曲chorus(副歌) 部份。相反,中島此曲轉調並沒有在旋律上有大幅改變,她卻是以控制能量發放而配合轉調之効。
    32秒-44秒: 鋼琴中高音的introduction solo要留意要播放到清脆而準確的第五octave,右手琴鍵要把主旋律彈得簡潔有力,就像一開始繪畫時所勾畫的線條。

    45秒-56秒:仍然是introduction solo同一段,鋼琴左手低了一個octave,低音琴弦有弦震。此段鋼琴獨奏為帶中島聲音進入曲而鋪路。 

    57秒 -1分22秒:中島歌聲開始,用了輕聲近mic的唱法。音響播放出來感覺要像中島在耳邊講故事一樣。
    1分48秒 - 2分18: 首先是一段近似讀白的唱法,有最少三個停頓位(尤如寫作的標點符號),背景要極度寧靜才能表達到寂靜的存在感,然後中島由2:07的聲音能量開始漸漸變強,帶入高潮副歌 。
    2分19秒 -2分46秒:轉調後,低音提琴加入了演奏。音響系統要播放出鋼琴指力及和弦,低音提琴的弦震能量,而歌聲配合起兩件樂器所發放的能量,感覺應該變得強烈而悲傷。音響系統在這段要播出鋼琴建立的背景畫面,低音提琴的低沉悲傷感,及歌聲表達的控訴感覺。 
    2分46秒-3分12秒:龬琴與低音提琴共奏。系統要完全控制好低音,要播出弦震之外,亦要播出鋼琴的速度。主角是低音提琴的旋律,所以提琴音箱的能量要明確地發放。最重要是3分12秒的solo結尾,低音提琴以極低的一個音作結,而且是輕力拉出,這裡只要系統低音控制力不足,最尾這個音就會變得非常暗,而且會錯判為「一弓拉到尾」,但其實琴手是拉弓漸退。 
    3分13秒-4分22秒: 再唱一次verse正歌,但今次要留意中島歌聲4分03秒開始變強。4分24-27秒時系統要播放得到中島一步離開mic時的fade out(漸退感)。

    5分41秒-6分22秒:唱到5分41秒時,那個突然的停頓,系統絕對要表現到全靜音無任何雜噪,兩秒過後就是人聲能量的大發放。 中島以J-Rock的曲風強勁演繹出歌曲內對人生無常的控訴。這裡系統必需要播出所有樂器及人聲的巨大能量而不雜亂,能量過多會做成雜噪,能量太少會失去激情變得有氣無力,畫面便會缺乏強烈鮮明對比度。 

    備注:她於2006-2010年患上了耳咽管開放症被迫停止事業多年:耳朵有悶塞感,講話可聽到回音,整個頭好像悶在一個空桶裡面,但聽別人說話的聲音,感覺距離卻很遙遠,安靜的時候甚至可明顯聽到自己呼吸的聲音。

    6分23秒: 此曲最後是由中島的震音完結,代表箸喜極而泣的感觸,因為她最後找到了生存的希望。所以震音一定要播得清楚,而且能量要漸漸由強變弱。

    6分25秒起(終章): 這段特色是鋼琴與用手指彈(不是用弓)的低音提琴合奏。 系統要播出兩者不同性質的動態與衝壓,因歌曲的拍子是鋼琴與低音提琴的手指彈奏結合,以一拍一拍地彈,每一下的力量都以彈跳的型式發放;當去到6分50秒低音提琴又變回拉奏,系統又要播回之前的弦震感/提琴音箱的能量,不能過少亦不能過大。 鋼琴與提琴是同一時間收停,而一停之下,那個寧靜是存在而且可以觸摸到的。如房間在2nd/3rd Octave (即40hz-80hz/80hz-160hz)有註波、功放不能把低音控制好、沒有解決地噪,用幾貴的線材也不能解決。

    若然你的系統可以過以上十關為之合格,因為這是一條音樂鏈,一個位影響下一個位,是一個總體音樂感概念。若然我們只應用傳統狹義標準去分析一般沒有明確定義的涵數如音場、音色、定位、和動態等,又或者只顧量度數據,上述和音樂有直接關係的卻完全不去理解,那麼測試的領域是非常狹窄,而且嚴重欠缺説服力。那麼又怎樣去評審高級音響器材高下?

    JLam

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    edited April 2023
    What is the shape of your sound?
    It was an honour to meet French/Luxembourg cellist, Mr Perrin Laurent, at Divin Lab for an in-depth discussion exploring collaboration concepts between Audio Exotics and classical music artists. He is currently the Assistant Principal Cello with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.  He studied with Georges Mallach in Luxembourg, Lluis Claret in Barcelona and Raphael Wallfisch in London where he won the Dorothy Adams String Quartet Competition.  In the French May Arts Fest in Hong Kong last year, Perrin collaborated with Chinese pianist Niu Niu on Gabriel Fauré’s Élégie, Après un rêve and Chinese folk tune Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon.  https://fb.watch/azQSvBXJNW/


    Raising the evaluation standard of the high end audio industry is my long term goal.  It is characterised by “rapid technological hardware improvement corresponds to ever rising prices against an obsoleted evaluation methodology that narrowly focuses on loosely defined parameters.” Without improving listening skills, there are no other ways to achieve the goal. 
    I always want to learn from professional musicians.  Divin Lab is Perrin’s first ever encounter with high end audio. Complete absence of audiophile concepts thus frees his mind from bias.  His judgment comes entirely from his professionalism as a recital cellist. After all, the real value of the system is meant for music appreciation.  If it does not play music, the value reduces to ashes regardless of what price had one paid.
    The first record for him was obviously a cello recording.  Without knowing what I was playing, he listened for a track for 5 minutes.  Then he paused with a dazzling eyes and said to me, “Chris, this sounds like my teacher.”  I replied, “Who is your teacher?”  Perrin said, “It should be my teacher’s teacher, Andre Navarra.  My teacher was George Mallach, who was the Principal cellist of the Luxembourg orchestra back then and a student of Andre Navarra.”  I was utterly shocked because I was in fact playing Navarra’s Camille Saint Sean’s Cello Sonata on the Da Vinci Gabriel turntable.  He carried on to listen more with his eyes closed.  When another track was finished playing, he said to me, “Chris I feel like he is playing in front of me, as his bowing technique is brilliant with endless legato in the slowest passages.  This is amazing.  I don’t know reproduced music on the vinyl could reach such realism.  I can see all his bow movement and feel his soul!”
    Indeed Navarra was part of the faculty at the Conservatoire de Paris for thirty years who developed a full literature on bowing techniques (*).  https://youtu.be/H08Icu0nbQI. He shaped a generation of leading cellists who have, in turn, passed on his cello techniques to hundreds of others. Mr Perrin Laurent who was listening in Divin Lab turned out to be the 3rd generation of Navarra’s student.  
    Perrin further explained to me, “I also worked with Daniil Shaffran in masterclass in Luxembourg in the 80s.  He would come to Germany and Luxembourg from Russia every year to teach masterclass.” This was another shock because I always reference quality of cello playback to Daniil Shaffran’s Arpeggione by Schubert, whose Amati cello size is slightly smaller than standard size but never lacks drive and power.  Perrin carried on, “Chris, while Navarra was my teacher’s teacher, Daniil Shaffran was my teacher. I have some of his very old records at home with his autograph.  I would really love to experience those here next time when we meet.  I want to feel his soul again.  His playing was always full of emotions.”


    Perrin’s curiosity on the system in Divin Lab was elevating minute by minute. He asked me what are the function of the strange teeth (Air Blade 180 degree dispersion tweeter) sitting on a tripod next to the gigantic speakers.  I did not go through any technical explanations and just switched them off.  He said, “Chris, the upper harmonics of Navarra’s cello was gone which is inconsistent with his bowing technique which allows for the most ergonomic use of both hands, wherein proper positions, allows the use of natural weight rather than gripping and shoving. Harmonics content should be very abundant arising from such techniques.”
    I introduced my small vinyl collection to Perrin.  He picked up a Four Seasons (Philips recording) played by Viktoria Mullova.  He pondered before asking me, “May I play this recording?  Mullova is my friend.  I know her performing style and techniques very well.”  I played the first track on the Da Vinci Gabriel turntable (Thales Statement Arm/Thales Extreme Exotics gold coil cartridge/Synaestec Igniculus phono).  After the first two tracks were ended, Perrin said to me, “This is exactly Mullova.  It is all about precision and a very clean tone.  For such music under Mullova, the appreciation perspective is on her skills more than musicality.  Again, I am amazed as though exactly the Viktoria that I know is here playing live in front of me.  My eyes are wide opened today.  I couldn’t believe it is so real to such extent.”
    In the next hour, Perrin began asking more questions on the system.  In particular, he was curious why there are two turntables in the same system.  Then I proposed playing the same music again on another turntable, Hartvig Statement (Thales Statement Arm with EMT 80th Anniversary cartridge feeding Zanden flagship Phono Jinpu).  As soon as the needle was dropped on Navarra’s cello recording, Perrin shook his head, and commented, “I don’t feel Navarra’s soul is here.  I know I am listening to a recording.”  He had the same comments on subsequent listening on Mullova’s Four Season.  
    He was obviously contemplating the question why do I need two turntables then. Without explanations, I asked Perrin to listen to Mahler 9 last movement by Otto Klemperer recorded in Kings Hall London.  His reaction was exactly similar to superstar Aaron Kwok who listened to Mahler 9 here in March 2021.  Perrin proclaimed, “Wow, Chris, not only I can see the whole orchestra, I could feel the power of it under the baton of Klemperer.  The scale of it resembles to a real one momentarily when I closed my eyes.  How is this possible?”  I replayed the same recording on the Da Vinci turntable. After 3 minutes, “Chris, I understand now why you need two turntables.  Over here, I couldn’t feel the power of the orchestra.  It is not a holistic perspective.  It focuses on clarity of instrumentation amongst subgroups.”
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    edited January 2022
    We moved on to listen to another symphonic score, Danse Macabre (DGG recording), which is one of the favourite pieces tested by audiophile.  He spotted some embarrassing mistakes of the orchestra repeated a few times - the double bass section failed to keep up with the tempo of the upper registers of the violin session.  We repeated playing these mistakes a few times because I and JLam wanted to learn how to spot them.  Without his guidance, we probably would describe it as “very good separation between the double bass and the violin”.   There was so much fun learning from him.


    Perrin described the Divin Lab was an immersive realism experience, which triggered him to share a very thoughtful conclusion with us.  He said, “As a teacher, I always encounter a problem where my students don’t know their own sound.  They keep practicing for precision.  Whenever I ask a student what is your sound, please describe to me.  They don’t know.  Even if I describe their own sound, they couldn’t comprehend.  In my opinion, it is natural for us to make mistakes because we are human beings.  If high end audio under your management could reproduce music to such exemplary realism, it will benefit to all students of music if they can hear their own performances here.  Even for us playing in a symphonic setting, we don’t have a holistic perspective of the orchestral sound.  If a music director or conductor could listen to their own recording here, it will be tremendously beneficial because what you have here could reveal the shape of the orchestra and deliver full spectrum of music energy.  I am sure they will be astonished.  If I may, I would like to develop this concept further.”     
    I am very grateful of Mr. Perrin Laurent sparing his time and taught us so much within 2 hours.  His thoughts are consistent with Aaron Kwok 郭富城 and Chinese Opera Grand Master Chu Hing Cheung 朱慶祥 particularly on achieving a cinematic perspective of music alongside musicality arising from energy radiation in an abundant and controlled manner.  That strengthens my confidence to walk further on this path.  I shall remain humble to learn from artists who spend their whole lives to perfect their arts. AE will drive this positive learning loop with more and more professionals for as long as we remain in business. 
    (*) A lasting record of his approach to cello technique exists in a set of instructional films where Navarra emphasises the importance of precise, yet relaxed, arm and hand movements. His agility and articulation are exemplary whilst the tone is tight, with a vibrato of great intensity but discreet width, creating a notable urgency. 

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    edited January 2022

    From Bow to Baton

    I am honoured to host Fan Ting 范丁 for an in-depth exchange on the art of violin sound reproduction at Divin Lab.  He is currently the music director and chief conductor of the Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra in Vietnam. He is the founding faculty of the Orchestral Technique Class at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and teaches at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Baptist University. He has also founded the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, which has since become one of the most recognised young people’s orchestras in Asia. He has also founded the Inheritage Philharmonic with the premiere in November 2020.  

    As a violinist, Fan was a long-standing member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and has acted as the Principal Second Violin, Assistant Concertmaster, and Acting Concertmaster in his 38-years career there. He has also toured Taiwan, Japan, Canada, Chicago, London, Cremona, and New York with different chamber groups he has founded, including the Tononi String Quartet, the New Art Quartet, and the Canzone Trio. With the Tononi String Quartet, he has also premiered music composed by Benjamin Britten and Leoš Janáček in China.  He received top education at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Julliard School, where he studied violin under Ivan Galamian, Joshua Brodsky, and Joseph Fuchs. He also studied conducting under Jorge Mester during his Julliard years.

    Perrin Laurent who visited Divin Lab last week brought Fan to experience the immersive realism of the system here. He believes the system could be a tool for students and professional musicians to better comprehend their own sound holistically.  As soon as they were seated, I started playing Nathan Milstein’s record on the Da Vinci Gabriel turntable (Thales Statement arm/Thales Extreme Exotics Gold cartridge/JMF Audio 7.3 phono stage).  He listened attentively with his eyes closed.  I could also see his fingers were moving up and down in tune with the music.  Fan said to JLam, “Milstein always hit the CENTRE of the pitch of every note.  This was what my teacher taught me.  There are so much details.  I can visualise the development of his staccato from start to finish.  The dexterity of his fingers is displayed vividly as though he is playing in front of me in the same room. I couldn’t hear such abundance of details even I am standing 3 feet away from the violinist.”

    Perrin said to Fan, “I told you so.  The experience here opened up my vision last week.  Today, I bring some cello recordings of Daniil Shaffran and Pablo Casal with me.  Let’s listen more to violin first.”  I moved on to play Henryk Szeryng.  Fan listened for 4 straight tracks immersing into the artisty of Henryk.  I asked Fan, “If there is anything wrong with the playback, please let me know.  I want to learn from you.  Without your music knowledge, I cannot improve the system further.” Fan said, “Chris, there is nothing wrong.  The music touches deeply into my soul.  My body feels the music.”

    Next I played Michael Rabin’s Zigeunerweisen on the Hartvig Statement turntable (Thales Statement arm/EMT 80th Anniversary cartridge) without explaining why.  This piece really moved Fan because Michael Rabin’s teacher was also his teacher - Ivan Galamian (the teacher of many seminal violinists including Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Heifetz and Erick Friedman etc.  Fan said, “I met Galamian when he was over 80 years old.  I was around 20.   He used to share the story of Michael Rabin who walked around to practice scale every day non-stop.  One time, he slipped on the floor with his body landed on his Stradivarius on loan from a prestigious foundation.  The violin was broken, and Rabin ran to his teacher for help.  Upon knowing the tragic news, Galamian told Rabin to kill himself!” Fan exclaimed, “This is the first time I could really comprehend the magic bow of Michael Rabin.  The intensity of his bowing techniques radiated so much energy thru his Guarneri Del Gesu. I feel like music under his bow lends wings to my mind.”

    I repeated Milstein and Szeryng recordings on the Hartvig Statement Turntable and his conclusion was as the same as Perrin’s opinion on cello.  For single classical instrument, they like the Da Vinci Gabriel turntable, whereas for symphony the choice is clearly the Hartvig Statement turntable (Thales Statement Arm/EMT 80th Anniversary Cartridge/Zanden JINPU Phono stage).

    We moved on to listen to Mahler Symphony Number 9 conducted by Otto Klemperer.  Fan listened to the whole 2nd movement.  His right hand was swinging as a conductor on the Chieftain Chair during the whole listening session.  Fan proclaimed, “Even in the podium of the conductor position I cannot isten to all instrumental groups as clear as this system.  As a conductor, what I care the most is balance.  The playback of Mahler Symphony 9 here reveals precisely the location of different instrumental groups, acoustic properties of Kings Hall London, harmony of the string section, power and agility of bass instruments, and communications amongst winds, strings, and percussions through Mahler’s contrapuntal concept narrated flamboyantly under the baton of Klemperer.”   

    Without any technical idea of a phono stage, I asked Fan and Perrin to decide for me which cutting machine should I choose for the Mahler Symphony 9 recording.  I wanted them to verify for me. According to Yamada’s research of Zanden Audio in Japan, the JINPU phono manual instructs to apply Columbia Curve/Ortofon cutting machine in reverse phase for this recording.  I played the first two minutes of the same track twice respectively by using Neumann and Ortofon.  Both of them said with certainty that the Ortofon cutting machine was the right one.  This is exactly what Yamada prescribed on the JINPU phono stage manual.  Fan said, “The right cutting machine allows me to see the shape of the orchestra as a conductor.”

    Before we parted for the Divin Lab session, Fan said to me, “It is a very special and unique experience for me as a conductor and a violinist to be here today as the listening experience is very real touching my soul deeply. I concur with Perrin’s perspective that your system under the right application would enhance better music education for both student and professional musicians.”  

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    https://eastweek.my-magazine.me/main/112441

    梁生,恭喜你。你是能代表到香港的行業典範。
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    edited April 2023

    無私分享、精彩絕倫、由衷折服

    我只是在中環AE買了數件音響附件(訂了還未到的JMF Audio PCD302 AC conditioner、WELLFLOAT Delta Extreme、Ikigai Kangai S power cable、以及AGS的MN-1)。整套音響,上至喇叭,下至線材,大都不是AE代理的。Chris從來沒有到過我家,也沒有我家的Floor Plan。但他只是憑一張我的系統照片,一段大約兩分鐘的錄音,然後逐步重設超低音各項涵數,便將我系統潛能發揮得淋漓盡致,對我來說是一個奇跡。

    星期六晚,他突然興之所至參考了我系統的超低音各涵數後(我是完全一概不懂的),並要求以手機錄了一段大提琴經WhatsApp傳送給他聆聽。然後他提議重設所有數值歸零。Time delay取消後,換來是能量的解放;繼而將high pass frequency由20hz提昇致40hz,原因是我和喇叭的距離只有1.7 meter,而40hz的wave length仍然超過8.5M,但比起20hz的17M,已大幅減少了註波。

    當然40hz的波長,我家最多只可負載到五分之一,即8.5M除以1.7M。他建議以40hz為基礎去體驗一段時間,然後再考慮調高與否,因為這個將會是有得有失的決定。例如他告之低音大提琴最低的音符大約是40hz,若再將high pass frequency推高致50hz,這些音符便會被埋沒。

    我按著他的每步指引(全部是WhatsApp,完全沒有在電話上交談過),逐漸體驗了整套音響脫胎換骨的歷程,聲音能量猶如籠中鳥重獲自由。無論深度、廣度、甚至是高度,所營造出來的都是有規模感的氣氛,能量填滿整個聆聽空間,但毫冇壓迫感。震撼五感的途中,突然有一下較低沉的大提琴弦震音穿透我身體。在皇帝位伸直雙腳便觸到喇叭的八十平方呎聆聽空間,竟然如此有力而線性的低音,實在是匪夷所思。我還可以看到一個人在家𥚃拉大提琴。一切的進步源自知識和經驗作為基礎,加上他的邏輯性思考能力,每一個決定都是有根據,不得不讓我拜服!



    器材有價,知識和經驗卻是無價。從前我和很多人聽到“御品”就想到格價高昂離地。自去年七月第一次親臨上環御品體驗,及後多次到訪中環御品 “學習”,使我徹底改觀。只有發掘器材的 “價值” ,才可領略到音樂𥚃多元與深層的意境。

    除了折服Chris無私分享的精彩技術,更要感謝中環御品KK的耐性教導。當初鼓起勇氣約到上環御品試聽乃是良緣(及後的中環AE一様重要),令我對硬件的匹配性、增益的互動關係、噪音管理、房間聲効的處理方法等概念有更深的了解。音樂是人類共通語言,不論國籍,只要是好音樂,儘管眾人器材皆不同,殊途同歸是必然。只要用心 “感受”,放開舊思維,對新概念持開放態度, “新標準”自然浮現,共勉之!

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    edited April 2023
    Mike,技術是他多年累積的經驗。有很多人也玩了二、三十年,但係是玩完一套,才玩第二套。可是梁生是同一時間玩三至四個系統,而且揚聲器全是不同設計,所以他不會是某一派的死硬派。他近年來和眾多出色的音樂人近距離學習,包括天皇郭富城、粵劇泰斗朱慶祥、元宇宙交響樂作曲家梁皓一、實力歌手陳柏宇、以及不同管弦樂團的小/大提琴家⋯⋯所以他對音樂的認知急促強化。他的文章再不會提音場、定位此類的標準。究竟我們是投資套系統聽音効,還是音樂呢?何謂「靜了很多,然後又再靜了很多,跟著又靜了更多?」這種言語的形容詞令圈外人對高級音響完全不理解,投資數百萬聽背景寧靜度?聽虛幻的音場高濶深,又或者是一件樂器和另一件樂器的距離感覺?

    梁生常說,今時今日的人好懶惰,連去聽也不會,只係完全相信網上片面之詞;你常常親生去體驗,所以震撼感極大,你數篇文章反映了你真誠感受。事實上,他管理的showroom所投放的心機及帶來的震撼,無人能及。試問有誰可以重播張國榮88演唱會達到上環的水平?數年前的水平也追不上,何況今天?你有冇去聽過Divin Lab重播Mahler 9又或者蕭氏第五交響曲的終章?我不懂古典音樂也只覺嘆為觀止,使我明白為何日本年青人近年最喜歡的古典音樂作曲家是馬勒。我認為多年來試來試去也是Mutter玩Carmen真的很悶。我最近去聽過一對數百萬元的喇叭,由多部7位數的功放服侍,結論係極度失望,原因係根本不知道什麼才是好,身邊的人不知,自己不肯走出固有利益圈,讚美來自器材價格。

    Mike,我樂閱更多你的文章。


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    This is very true. The quality of work is tremendous here.  This is a multicultural approach to high end audio, unique in the world. 
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