The Absolute Sound High-End Audio Buyer’s Guide 2018audience-av.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2018...
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The Absolute Sound High-End Audio Buyer’s Guide 2018 Audience Au24 SE powerChord LP, $1030; MP, $1175; Full power, $2250 (5’) The new SE version of Audience’s already superb Au24 AC cords render an across-the-board sonic improvement. Based on the original design of multi-strand conductors and high-purity mono-crystal copper, the SE brings to the table new connectors with higher-quality metallurgy and lower-mass terminations. Moreover, Audience now offers the SE in three versions, low-powered integrated amplifiers, and high-power for power amplifiers. The lower-powered versions not only sound better on low-current consumption sources, they are less expensive. The Au24 SE in any configuration delivers a low noise floor, neutrality, and an almost preternatural sense of recorded space and ambience. Beyond that is a stronger micro aspect that hones in on images with incisive focus and seemingly effortless flow and immediacy. Last but not least, these cords are one of the most flexible available, very handy for angled runs. (TAS Issue Numbers 219, 245) Audience Ohno Interconnect $199/1m (+$82 per meter); speaker $209/1m (+20 per meter) Once you get past the initial shock of Ohno’s teeny profile, you’ll be as surprised as NG was at its imperturbable midrange tonal weight, which seems so contradictory to its skinny contours. Ohno cabling is quiet, quick, and extended with well-focused and dimensional imaging. Sure, there are plenty of heavyweight designs out there but none are going to kick sand in the Ohno’s face. A cable that will also integrate easily in any small room or desktop setup, and maybe, just maybe the best performance per dollar cable that NG’s heard in some time. (TAS Issue Number 264)
Transcript of The Absolute Sound High-End Audio Buyer’s Guide 2018audience-av.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2018...
TheAbsoluteSoundHigh-EndAudioBuyer’sGuide2018
AudienceAu24SEpowerChordLP,$1030;MP,$1175;Fullpower,$2250(5’)ThenewSEversionofAudience’salreadysuperbAu24ACcordsrenderanacross-the-boardsonicimprovement.Basedontheoriginaldesignofmulti-strandconductorsandhigh-puritymono-crystalcopper,theSEbringstothetablenewconnectorswithhigher-qualitymetallurgyandlower-massterminations.Moreover,AudiencenowofferstheSEinthreeversions,low-poweredintegratedamplifiers,andhigh-powerforpoweramplifiers.Thelower-poweredversionsnotonlysoundbetteronlow-currentconsumptionsources,theyarelessexpensive.TheAu24SEinanyconfigurationdeliversalownoisefloor,neutrality,andanalmostpreternaturalsenseofrecordedspaceandambience.Beyondthatisastrongermicroaspectthathonesinonimageswithincisivefocusandseeminglyeffortlessflowandimmediacy.Lastbutnotleast,thesecordsareoneofthemostflexibleavailable,veryhandyforangledruns.(TASIssueNumbers219,245)
AudienceOhnoInterconnect$199/1m(+$82permeter);speaker$209/1m(+20permeter)OnceyougetpasttheinitialshockofOhno’steenyprofile,you’llbeassurprisedasNGwasatitsimperturbablemidrangetonalweight,whichseemssocontradictorytoitsskinnycontours.Ohnocablingisquiet,quick,andextendedwithwell-focusedanddimensionalimaging.Sure,thereareplentyofheavyweightdesignsouttherebutnonearegoingtokicksandintheOhno’sface.Acablethatwillalsointegrateeasilyinanysmallroomordesktopsetup,andmaybe,justmaybethebestperformanceperdollarcablethatNG’sheardinsometime.(TASIssueNumber264)
AudienceAu24SEInterconnect$1290/1mpr.;$1895/1mpr.balancedAudiencecablesareeasytouseandeveneasiertolistento.Theseextremelyflexiblecablesofferasupple,refined,andweightysound.ThemostnotablevirtueofthespeakercablesisthattheyfollowtheaudioequivalentoftheHippocraticoath,whichistosaythattheydon’tdoanythingwrong.Thesearenotcablesthathaveevenatraceofetch.Norarethesaccharineorrolled-off.Rather,theyseemtoconductthesignalwithnofussormuss.Theyareaccurate,lithe,andtautwithoutanyhintoftizziness,whichistosaytheydon’tsacrificebodyattheexpenseofspeed.Attheirmodestpricepoint(byaudiophilestandards)theAudiencecablesaredifficulttosurpass.(TASIssueNumber249)
AudienceAu24SEPhono$1390/1mpr.Thisnewphonocablecanbeorderedinthreedifferentversions,witheachversionoptimizedforyourcartridge’simpedance.Afourthmodelismadeformoving-magnetcartridges.TheSEversionsportsnewultra-lowmassRCAconnectorswithtelluriumcoppermetallurgy.Theimprovementisdramatic;theAu24SEiscapableofvanishinglylownoiseandenticingtonalclarity.AnysenseofhazeisbanishedbytheAu24SEcable.Avividsenseofairinthetrebleroundsoutthevirtuesofthisoutstandingperformer.NotethatownersofthestandardAu24canupgradetoSEstatusfor$220perpair.(TASIssueNumber230)
AudienceAu24SEUSB$945(single-conductorversion,$895)Don’tlistentotheAu24SEUSBinyoursystemunlessyou’repreparedtoshelloutthelonggreen.TheAu24SEisexpensive,butworthit.Thefirstthingyou’llnoticeisthattheAu24SEhastwojacketedsetsofconductorsratherthanone.Onesetcarriesthesignal,andtheother,power.Frankly,there’snothingtofaultintheAu24SE.ManyUSBcables-aswitheverythingelseinaudio-forceyoutomaketradeoffs:thiscablehasbetterresolution,whileanothermayhavegreatersmoothnessandease.TheAudiencecableseeminglydoesitall;itisconvincinglysuperiorineverysoniccriterion.TheAu24SEispricedattheverytopendofthescale,butifyouwantano-compromiseUSBcable,looknofurther.(TASIssueNumber254)
AudienceAu24SXInterconnect$1800/1mRCApr.And$2400/1mbalancedpr.;speaker$3290/2.5mpr.Audience’slatestflagshipwireproducesaripemidrangeweightandsweetness,vividdynamiccontrasts,andaprofoundsensitivitytodelicatevolumegradations.Ultimately,itpossessesabrilliancethatcastlightinthedeepestcornersofthesoundstageandrestoresairandlifttoharmonics.Aparticularstrengthofallthesecablesistheoftenhard-to-achieveblendoftransient,thetactile,andthereverberant.TheAu24SXstruckafluidandnaturalbalanceofease,articulation,andimmersiveness.Superb.Flexibleandeasytohandle,too.(TASIssueNumber269)
AudienceTheONE$995TheOne,asyoumightinferfromitsname,isasinglefull-rangedrivershoehornedintoasmallbox.Thedriveritselfisthesameunit,theA3S,thatAudienceusesinitsflagship$72,00016+16speaker.(Audienceisuniqueinthisregard;nootherspeakermanufactureremploysthesamedriverinallitsspeakersfromthesmallesttothelargest.)AccordingtoAudience,theA3Shasexceptionallyflatresponse,claimedtobewithin+/-3dBfrom40Hzto22kHz.Bethatasitmay,properlysetupTheOneisthebestdesktopspeakerreviewerStevenStonehasheard.Ifyouarelookingforanexceptionalsmall-footprintmonitor,TheOneisaMust-audition.(TASIssueNumber236)
Audience1+1V2+$2345Don’tletthe1+1V2+’snearlyidenticalappearancetothe1+1foolyou;thisnewlyupgradedversionisabigleapoveritsalreadysuperlativepredecessor.TheV2+employsasignificantlyredesignedversionofAudience’sfull-rangedriver,top-levelAu24SXinternalwiring,retunedpassiveradiators,andcustomtelluriumsolderlessbindingposts.Theresultismoreresolutionanddetail(particularlyinthetreble),superiortransparency,widerdynamicexpression,andgreatermidrangepurity.The1+1V2+’smidrangeclarity,justoneofthevirtuesofacrossover-lesssingle-driverspeaker,isonparwiththatofmanyspeakerscostingtwentytimestheV2+’sprice.Thestateoftheartfordesktoplistening,andaterrificchoiceasamainspeakerinsmallerrooms.(TASIssueNumber273)
AudienceaR2p/aR12/aR12-TS/aR6-TSS$695/$4995/$8995/$6000TheaR2p,Audience’scompact,dual-outletpowerconditionerandisolationdeviceisbasedonthemassive12-outletversionsofwhichAudienceisrightlyproud.UsedwithaCDplayer,itsenhancementofsoundstaging,dimensionality,anddepthcanbeprofound.Withdemandinghigh-currentdevicessuchasamplifiers,transientsseemedalittlesoft.Anauditionisrecommended.FurtheruptheAudiencefoodchainarethe12-outletheavy-hitters.TheaR12wasfoundtobeanextremelyeffectiveconditioner,capableofdeliveringsignificantimprovementsinbassdefinitionanddepth,overallresolution,andsoundstagedepth.Itsbuild-qualityisnothingshortofexemplary.AtthetopofthehillisthenewTSSlinewithTefloncapacitors.(TASIssueNumbers162,179,186,235)
AudienceadeptResponseaR12-TSSOX$12,845(withAu24SEpowerChord)ToGregWeaver’sear,Audience’snewaR12-TSSOXpowerconditionerrepresentsasubstantialimprovementoveritspredecessors,somuchsothatitwouldbefairtosaythatitbordersonanorderofmagnitudeadvance.Thisisaworld-classdevice,deservingyourfullattention.Giveonealisten–perhapsthe6-or12-socketvariety–butbepreparedtobuyit.IfyouareanythinglikeGW,thereisnochanceitwillcomeoutofyoursystemonceitisinplace!(TASIssueNumber266)
