And so it was, a few of us descended on ST's bungalow on a Saturday afternoon. After the introduction, we were promptly led up a few flights of stairs into his listening room. ST appreciates the finer things in life, he told us that in addition to excellent sound quality, he also wanted his hifi system and his hifi room to look good, as after a long hard day, when he comes into the room to wind down and relax, he wants to enjoy not just glorious music but also beautiful sight, as such the equipment and the room deco must be pleasant too. Well, after my time in ST's listening room, I am certain he has achieved what he wanted on both counts - hifi and eye-fi.
I'll let this series of photos do the talking:
The system view.
Due to the number of equipment in the system, ST has positioned them in two layers. The front layer, which you can see in this shot, consists of the frontends and pre-amp. The second layer behind, hidden from view, consists of the monoblocks and power conditioner.
The room was designed and constructed by Centre Circle Audio. It has a nice and warm ambiance. It is acoustically treated with wood panels and Auralex's acoustic treatment material, both nicely incorporated into the design itself. In the photo above, the wood panel behind the loudspeakers with its uneven surface acts as a nice acoustic diffuser. Auralex bass traps are installed at the corners, together with Auralex sound absorbing foams at the sides of the loudspeakers (the burgundy coloured material).
A wood panel acting as diffuser is installed on the ceiling. If you look closer, you'd notice that each square in the panel has different depth, following the quadratic residue sequence approach used in many sound diffuser products.
Due to the number of equipment in the system, ST has positioned them in two layers. The front layer, which you can see in this shot, consists of the frontends and pre-amp. The second layer behind, hidden from view, consists of the monoblocks and power conditioner.
The room was designed and constructed by Centre Circle Audio. It has a nice and warm ambiance. It is acoustically treated with wood panels and Auralex's acoustic treatment material, both nicely incorporated into the design itself. In the photo above, the wood panel behind the loudspeakers with its uneven surface acts as a nice acoustic diffuser. Auralex bass traps are installed at the corners, together with Auralex sound absorbing foams at the sides of the loudspeakers (the burgundy coloured material).
A wood panel acting as diffuser is installed on the ceiling. If you look closer, you'd notice that each square in the panel has different depth, following the quadratic residue sequence approach used in many sound diffuser products.
The digital frontend is a Simaudio MOON Andromeda top loading CD player with separate power supply (not shown)
The analog frontend is a Clearaudio Innovation turntable...
...with a Clearaudio Universal tonearm and a Transfiguration Orpheus MC cartridge...
...and Simaudio MOON 310LP Phono Amp & 320S Power Supply
The pre-amp is the 2-piece Simaudio MOON 850P, the top dog in Simaudio's line-up
The monoblocks are the best that Simaudio offers - the MOON 880M, which give out 800w per channel into 8ohm, double into 4ohm.Doing powerline conditioning and protection duty is a Shunyata Triton, seen above at the centre of the shot, flanked by the 2 monoblocks.
At the end of the chain is the majestic Magico Q5, 176kg/387lbs of aluminium chassis and more
To match his top notch equipment, ST does not skimp on cables. He uses mainly JPS Aluminata. Seen here are the Aluminata powercord, interconnect and speaker cable which go in and out of the Simaudio MOON 880M monoblock.Other than JPS Aluminata, there are a couple of Shunyata powercords, the Python Helix and Anaconda Helix, which you can spot in the monoblock-powerline conditioner photo before (the ones with green and red plugs)
The JPS Aluminata speaker cable that goes into the Magico Q5
ST also uses hifi accessories to fine tune the sound. Here we see the Harmonix Tuning Spike Base under the Magico Q5. In fact, ST is so big with Harmonix Tuning Spike Base that he has 12 sets in his system, installed under almost every piece of his equipment
ASI's resonators are used to tweak the acoustic property of the room. This one is placed at the top corners of the room
More resonators from ASI. These are installed at the centre of the front wall
The more eagle-eyed among you would notice that ST prefers to stick to the same brands for his equipment - almost all his electronics are from Simaudio, and almost all his cables are from JPS. He told us that he preferred such an approach because he could be confident that there would be no mismatch issue with equipment coming from the same brand. I cannot fault such a philosophy, it will indeed take away much guesswork when putting together a system.
After just a short listening, I loved the tonal beauty of this system already, which I recognized as a beguiling quality common to the Magico line. I heard the same beautiful tonal colour from other Magico models, such as the V2 and V3, in the local dealer's showroom too. Just that the Magico Q5 in this system conveyed this quality more clearly and more prominently than the dealer's system. The system also sounded dynamic, fast and detailed. Both ends of the frequency spectrum were very extended. Bass featured prominently in the mix, it brought much exceitement to the listening experience though it could be just a bit overwhelming at times. The overall sound was not the thin and analytical kind, instead it had excellent body, a nice bloom and sounding simply musical. The sound was also non-fatiguing for long hours of listening.
Listening to this system is a joy. ST, thank you for your hospitality, we had a truly memorable weekend.
8 comments:
美酒加好音响，人生几何！
Odeosleuth,
Thanks for sharing the magical Magico Q5 , one of my favorite speakers too, having heard the M5 three years back. I have three things that I hope you can elaborate further
1. For an high end speakers - I wonder if the speakers need the harmonic feet rather than the original spikes. I am tempted to used the Stillpoints Ultra too, I know Michael Fremmer of Sterophile like it with the MBL 101E mk2. Does it really improve certain sonics and lose out other sonics? as the manufacturer mention that they already calculated this area of " vibration or resonance" if any or " tuning" Magico Q5's pedigree is top end, hence manufactured and design with utmost level of details, so did Alan Wolf suggest this ?
2. The backdrop design by Center Circle is for aesthetics or sonic in mind or both ? If Yes what is the concept of such equal square boxes?
3. I am looking at Racks to improve my sonics, i wonder if you can share the owner experience on his Rack/platform journey and what rack is those?
Hi KC
Thanks for your queries.
I can't appropriately answer your first question, I have not heard the Q5 with and without the Harmonix spike base. Just to make sure I did not convey the wrong picture in my post, I'd like to clarify that the Q5 still stands with its original spikes, the Harmonix spike base goes under the spike to prevent it from marking the beautiful wooden floor. What tuning effect the Harmonix Spike base has though I can't tell because I did not do comparison.
On CCA's design for the front wall, it is for both aesthetic and sonic reason. I don't think there is a mathematical background to the squares except that since the front wall is no longer flat, sound reflection will be broken up / diffused to an extent. CCA now also offers a new design for the front wall which is even more 'uneven', if you go to my recent posting on pathos amps, you can see it in one of the photos.
ST custom made his own racks. The surface is tempered glass and the pillars are machined from stainless steel, if I remember correctly. He also told us that he was in the midst of investigating some commercially available Hifi racks as a possible upgrade option.
I hope ST will come in to share more information with you especially in those areas where I can't adequately answer. :-)
Odeosleuth
Your elaboration was helpful. I understand now more and I think I will know what to do next on the spikes, rack and front wall based on my limitation in my set up.
High end HiFI is all about pushing boundaries
Thanks
ST's system is one of those few high end systems that crosses the line between eye-fi vs hi-fi with great balancing act, because it scores well on both counts.
It's one of those high end system that trully lives up to it's price vs performance ratio. Usually the more expensive the system, the harder it is to justify on the audio performance front, due to the point of deminishing factor coming in to play at this exotic level.
To these ears, ST has done very well out of his investment, with high audio ROI(Return On Investment) performance.
Next, we hope to re-visit the Pride Of Malaysia system(which we featured previuosly in our home visit), which was recently crowned one of THE best sounding system in Asia!
Naturally, much of that system has changed too!
ST's system is one of those few high end systems that crosses the line between eye-fi vs hi-fi with great balancing act, because it scores well on both counts.
It's one of those high end system that trully lives up to it's price vs performance ratio. Usually the more expensive the system, the harder it is to justify on the audio performance front, due to the point of deminishing factor coming in to play at this exotic level.
To these ears, ST has done very well out of his investment, with high audio ROI(Return On Investment) performance.
Next, we hope to re-visit the Pride Of Malaysia system(which we featured previuosly in our home visit), which was recently crowned one of THE best sounding system in Asia!
Naturally, much of that system has changed too!
ST sent me a couple of SMSes:
'I have read the comments and question that KC posted, ....the Harmonix Tuning Feet were in place before my upgrades. They were in place when my system consist of Simaudio P8 preamp/W8 Power Amp n Amati Annv.. My obsession with Harmonix started when Alvin Tan from Prefect Hifi brought a few sets of Harmonix to my hse. It's just a case of now you hear it, now you don't (placing them on the Amati n then removing them). And improvement when the Amati was sitted on the Harmonix, it just blew me away, all I can say is, it's some sort of Vodoo I think?? Cannot compute on the science behind it (same goes with Frank Tchang VOODOO ASI...some sort of magic ..warning do not demo if your pockets are not deep enough). That's when it all begin, and 12 sets since. Alvin was smiling all the way.
Regarding the rack, wanted something nice looking so I designed the rack myself, have my subcon fabricate them according to my spec.You are right to have said that glass surface sound hard, it indeed sounded hard without the Harmonix, but as you guys listen to the Q5 sing, it never sound hard or flat did it? I knew glass will sound hard and flat but solid stainless steel with green tempered glass just look too good, I knew deep inside I will find some sort of damping devices to counter the hardness of glass surface and the Harmonix was God send when they are placed with my equipment on my glass surface rack, it sounded amazing. I place the Harmonix one set at a time, adding to my equipment a day or 2 at a time. 1st i tried the Harmonix on my Andromeda, put it on, listen, took it off ,listen..a case of now you hear now you don't. A day or 2 later try them on my Pre Amp n a couple of days later on other equipments and the sonic difference it made just amaze me. When all the equipments are sitted on Harmonix ,I was Sold. Alvin was smiling all the way because i was the only one crazy enough to have bought 12 sets then.
Regarding the "backdrop" behind the Q5, when Nelson showed me the design b4 work begin, the diffuser was the funny looking WHITE color MiniFusor Sound Diffusor,did not think it will blend in with the deco n it look awful, imagine am sitted looking straight at the funny shape white color diffusor. I rejected it. I suggested that he design the diffusor like the Auralex WavePrism (Bamboo sound diffusors) that's how it turn out as it is.
To me, music touches my very soul, at different times the sweet magic and the haunting lyrics, they make me cry. Music makes me so alive, it makes me want to dance, it gives me joy, it humbles me, it makes me human...and at times it just touches you like no other....Magical... We are blessed Tan, to be able to appreciate the magic of Music.
I was in my room since 8pm today n it's one of those nites that i was touched by magic, listening to Neil Diamond's "Dreams". Goodnite mate. Cheers...'
ST
I am moved by your enthusiasm for music. I hope others who read your message will be equally affected too.
Yes, we are indeed blessed by the magic of music.
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