The stuff of which dreams are made

☛ Raidho, Aavik, Audio Note system

How might you go about building a state-of-the-art,

no-compromise high-end audio system if you were

handed a near-unlimited budget, say something in

the region of one million dollars?

You could try mixing and matching brands, an ap-

proach which has its merits because you’d then be

able to fine-tune the system to your listening prefer-

ences.

But as many audio fans will attest, there are many

pitfalls that lie in wait – for example, will your selected

amplifier be a good match for your chosen speakers?

Should you buy a warm-sounding front end to tame a

forward, bright-sounding amplifier? What about

speaker cables, power cords and interconnects?

Sceptics may express doubt at paying top dollar

for wires and cables but experts insist they do make a

difference; moreover if you’ve already sunk in thou-

sands on the hardware, why scrimp on the cables that

link everything together and conduct the music sig-

nals?

For those who find mixing and matching daunting

– after all, the world of high-end audio can be a confus-

ing jungle – there’s always the single-brand solution, a

good example of which is this week’s feature which is

largely centred around equipment made by Den-

mark’s high-end loudspeaker manufacturer Raidho

Acoustics.

The system uses two front ends, one for CD and

the other for vinyl playback. For CDs, there’s the Au-

dio Note CD Transport 5 and digital-to-analogue con-

verter that cost S$72,430 + S$131,550 respectively,

linked by an Ansuz digital cable that costs S$19,550.

For record-playing services, there’s the Dohman

Helix turntable with 12-inch Schroeder tonearm for

S$74,390.

At the heart of the system sits an Aavik preamplifier

at S$55,855 with its matching monoblock power ampli-

fiers at S$74,475 each. Aavik is a relatively new com-

pany associated with Raidho but has already made a

name for itself for its state-of-the-art amplifiers.

Last but by no means least, the system is rounded

off with Raidho’s D5.1 louspeakers which cost

S$338,120. Speaker cables are by Raidho/Aavik’s asso-

ciated firm Ansuz, namely the top-of-the-line DTC

model priced at S$49,650. Interconnects and power

cords are also from Ansuz at S$31,000 each.

Do the math and if you opt for both CD and vinyl

playback, the above equipment, power cords and

cables would set you back by a cool million (using only

four Ansuz power cords and give or take a few thou-

sand).

And how does the system sound? At such a strato-

spheric price, it has to sound terrific – and it does. It is

detailed, neutral, musical and jaw-droppingly good. Be-

cause the amplifiers, speakers and cables are made by

related companies, there is a rare synergy that may not

necessarily exist when different brands are employed.

This is undoubtedly a dream, statement system that is

well worth a listen if you’re in the neighbourhood.

Available for audition at Hifi.com.sg, #03-35, The Adelphi, 1 Coleman Street

☛ Dream Theater: The Astonishing

American band Dream Theater (DT) sit right at the pinnacle of the progressive rock tree, a position they’ve occupied for almost three decades now. The As-tonishing is the band’s thirteenth stu-dio effort and by far their most ambi-tious – a double album that is set in a dystopian future and follows the Ravenskill Rebel Militia in their efforts to defy the Great Northern Empire of the Americas using the magical power of music.

If that sounds like a concept album, then that’s what it is – critics might sneer at the pretension that underlies such a grandiose attempt at telling a complete narrative over 34 tracks that clock in at over two hours but it’s actu-ally par for the course in the world of prog-rock. Think for instance of Rush’s 2112, Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Queenscryche’s Operation: Mindcrime and you get the idea.

The Astonishing was inspired by contemporary fantasy and science fic-tion franchises such as Game of Thrones and Star Wars, as well as gui-tarist John Petrucci’s observations on the ubiquity of robots and automation in modern-day society. The music var-ies from slow ballads to the high-speed metal for which DT are fam-ous, and although critics have re-ceived the album positively, some fans have mixed feelings.

There is a segment that is disap-pointed that DT could even consider mellow, “soppy” love songs but by the same token, there are those that “get it”, namely the band’s attempt at pro-ducing the ultimate concept album.

The truth, however, is that in a mu-sical world where bands appear and disappear at the drop of a hat and where musical tastes can shift overnight, to find one that has lasted 30 years by playing largely one genre of music and which has the courage to stick to its guns by writing a wholly un-conventional album is nothing short of astonishing.

By R Sivanithy

MU

SIC TO MY EA

RS

Raidho’s statement system has a rare synergy, while prog-rock band Dream Theater dishes out an Astonishing album

3 2THE BUSINESS TIMES / WEEKEND / JULY 1-2, 2017

L I F E & C U L T U R E