Connected 23 doc

CONNECTEDto Music & Movies

Issue No.23 Winter 2012/13

New Productsfrom page 8

TheMusicalityIssueWhat is it? Why is it important?How to listensee page 12

Plusnews - show report - reviews - competition and much more

Mail Order Direct • 60 Day Cable Home Trial • Cable Upgrade Scheme • Free Delivery (orders over £100 within UK Mainland)

Buy online at www.russandrews.comCall UK Orderline 01539 797300International Tel +44 (0)1539 797300

Exclusive UK distributor

Stop listening to your Hi-Fi and start listening to your music

Russ Andrews products are designed to bring youcloser to your music. With Musicality Built In™, they letthe music shine through, not your Hi-Fi system.

Contents

Regulars

Editorial 3

Russ’s First Words 4

News & Product Information 5

Daltons Deliberations 16

Customer Letters 22

Competition 26

Features

The Importance of Musicality 12

Competition Winner 21

ProductsNew Products 8

Recent Reviews 17

3Issue 23 Winter 2012/13 CONNECTED MAGAZINE

© Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2012. E & OE.Any views expressed are those of the writer and donot necessarily reflect the views of the company.

Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK.

Editorial

John Armer, [email protected]

■

Those of you who saw the latestRuss Andrews catalogue that wesent in September may havenoticed a new ‘Russ AndrewsExclusive’ product logo that wehave been adding to our own-brand cables and accessories. Thenew logo announces that ourproducts have ‘Musicality Built In’.

The new logo came aboutfollowing a conversation with Russabout the way he developsproducts. For him, the musicalquality is the most importantaspect of a Hi-Fisystem and anyproduct he developsto enhance the soundquality must, crucially,improve the musicalenjoyment. That’swhy we developedthe logo’s straplineMusicality Built Inbecause all ourproducts enhancethe musical qualitiesof your recordings as well as thesound quality improvements wetalk about – like a more naturalmidrange, better bass and so on.

But what is musicality?A dictionary I had to hand gives the definition as ‘the quality ofbeing musical’ and gives anexample in use: she sings withunfailing musicality. But how do we know if a musician, or arecording of a musician, or a Hi-Fisystem reproducing a recording has musicality?

In his book Sound Solutions, Russdefines musicality as ‘the rhythmand timing that puts emotionalmeaning into the music’. He goeson to say that musicians have it, orthey don’t – and that Hi-Fi systems(both hardware and cables) cantake the musicality out of themusic by destroying the rhythmand timing. Russ expands on this inhis feature on page 12.

So musicality is what our hobby –Hi-Fi – is all about. It’s aboutreproducing sound as accurately as

possible and keepingthe emotionalmeaning of a song or apiece of music intact.We talk aboutmusicality in the pagesof Connected and inthe catalogue but itstruck us that noteverybody knows whatmusicality is. It’srelatively easy to talkabout the more

tangible aspects of sound quality –bass, midrange, treble – but theintangible emotional aspects, lessso. Yet, whether we’re designing orchoosing new products, ordescribing them in the catalogueor on the website or over thephone to you, it’s at the forefrontof our minds. So we thought thatwe’d take musicality as the themerunning through this issue of themagazine to give you some moreinsight into what we think is themost important aspect to musicreproduction.

“ we thought that we’d take musicality as

the theme runningthrough this issue of the magazine to give

you some more insightinto what we think is the most important

aspect to musicreproduction”

Welcome

4 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 23 Winter 2012/13

Russ’s First WordsIn early November on a visitto Kimber Kable in Utahwith Craig Sawyers, RayKimber took us to theSunday morning broadcastfrom the MormonTabernacle to hear theworld-famous choir.It was their Veteran’s Daybroadcast – our RemembranceSunday. It had been snowing hardall night and morning so weparked in the underground carpark beneath the conferencecentre. A well-dressed, official-looking guy joined us in the liftup to ground level. On exiting thelift he noticed we were unsure ofwhich way to go and offered help.He said he was going to thebroadcast too and would we liketo follow him by the undergroundroute to the Tabernacle.

As we walked, he asked who wewere and, when we explained ourprofessional interest in sound andour love of music, he offered to letus into the Control Room during

the rehearsal and then get usseats near the choir. It transpiredthat he was Ed Payne, theProducer of the regular Sundaymorning broadcasts and themusic recordings.

Being in the Control Room was, ofcourse, a great privilege and afascinating experience. The

programme of music and speechwas as deeply moving as ourRemembrance Day Service at theCenotaph. To hear that greatChoir from fifteen feet away wasan experience we shall all neverforget. Talk about being in theright place at the right time!

The world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Utah.

A new IsoMike CDPart of my recent trip to the USinvolved a visit to the RockyMountain Audio Fest. One of thetreats at the show was theperformance of a very talentedyoung pianist - Fan-Ya Lin.

Lin’s performances at the showwere sponsored by Kimber Kable,

who have also recorded her withtheir IsoMike recording system.The resulting disc is well worth alisten and is available now. Thedisc is both CD and SACD.

Track ListingJS Bach: Toccata in C minor, BWV911LV Beethoven: Sonata Op. 57 “Appassionata”F Chopin: Nocturne Op 48, No. 2; Etude Op. 25, No. 6; Ballade No.4 Op. 52, in F minorL Liebermann: Gargoyles, Op.29 Code: 7018

Price: £19.95

News & Product Information


News & product information

Want to know more?Contact us on 01539 797300

ebay shop extendedSome of you will already be familiar with our eBayshop; it’s a great place to pick up the odd bargainand some unique offers. For example, we’ve beenselling a limited number of our surplus CDsthrough eBay recently. Up until now, this has beensomething we have regarded as separate fromthe rest of our offerings, being simply an outletstore for a limited number of items.

We’ve been thinking about this though, anddecided that there’s no reason why we shouldn’textend the shop as another way to access more ofour stock. With this in mind, we’ve decided to adda selection of items from the Bargain Corner toour eBay shop. You’ll still be able to buy fromBargain Corner by ringing us direct, as has alwaysbeen the case, but you can now buy them out ofnormal office hours via eBay. It’s also handy if youlike to pay by PayPal too, as this an additionaloption on our eBay transactions.www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Russ-Andrews-Accessories-Ltd

MC200 gets morestorageMeridian’s excellentMedia Core 200 DigitalMedia System has nowbeen upgraded to 1TBof storage and a newaudio board has beenadded. This meansthat now you canstore up to 2000 CDalbums in pristinelossless quality andalso benefit from evenbetter audioperformance.

The Media Core 200 is one of the simplest ways togo digital with your music collection. Buy it fromus and we’ll upload the first 300 CDs in youralbum collection for free*, saving you up to£180. Then simply add an iPad as a controller andaway you go. You’ll have access to all your musiccollection at the touch of a finger with what manyregard as the best interface in the market.

Media Core 200 can be used either via Meridian’sSpeaker Link technology to a pair of DSPloudspeakers or connected via its analogueoutputs to your existing amplifier. Either way, you’llbe sure of high quality playback and, with all yourmusic to hand, there’ll be no more time wastedwhilst looking for something to play!

Meridian Media Core 200 Code 4536 £2000

NOW with1TB

* Our CD ripping service normally costs 60p/disc. A chargeis made for collection and subsequent re-delivery.


News & Product Information

We’ve found that there has been some confusionover the additional earth points on our sockets andblocks so here’s a quick guide to what it’s all about.

Hi-Fi and Home Cinema equipment casework helps toshield equipment circuits from Radio FrequencyInterference. We’ve found, however, that if you caneffectively drain the resultant ‘casework RF energy’ youcan enjoy even better sound and picture quality fromyour system, with areas such as bass performance andsoundstage three dimensionality showing the mostimprovements.

How do I do this?This is where the additional earth terminal on our mainssockets and SilencerBlocks / PowerBlocks comes in.

Simply connect thecasework of yourequipment to one of theseearthing points with cable.It’s easy to do – simplyslacken off one of thecasework screws, positionthe cable behind it(removing any paint ifnecessary to give a secureconnection) and tighten the screw down again.

Attach the other end to thebinding post on our sockets ormains extensions.

Earth wire is available for this, or for the very best performance, use our Technical Ground Weave cable which is a special low inductance,low impedance cable made with Kimber wire.

If you have several pieces of equipment you’ll find itmuch easier to use our Technical Grounding Block whichallows the connection of up to eight pieces of equipmentand incorporates a filter networkto ensure RF energy is properlygrounded. Once your equipmentcasework is connected to theouter green binding posts,attach the central yellowterminal to the earthing pointon your socket or mainsextension.

You can even supplement yourexisting mains earthing and bring additionalimprovements by fitting your own earth rod.

Bury the rod into the ground outside and connect it with a length of our Technical Ground weave to thecentral binding post on our Technical Grounding Block.Connecting the earth rod to the Technical GroundingBlock in this way ensures that RF energy is properlygrounded.

SAFETY NOTICEAn earth rod should supplement your existing mains wiring, not replaceit. To comply with the latest electrical regulations, the earth rod must beconnected to our Technical Grounding Block which means that the rodgrounds RF energy but isolates it from mains voltages in the event of afault. You must not connect the earth rod directly to the earthing pointon our sockets and mains extensions.

RA Quick Guide

Earthing casework

Earth terminal

Technical GroundingBlock £240

Earth Wire - £1.15p/m

Technical Ground Weave - £9p/m

There is a whole section on earthing in Russ’s bookSound Solutions, available from us for £9.95

Our Facebook page is gradually gaining momentum. It’s a great way ofkeeping in touch and having your say about ... well, anything you want really,so long as it’s related to audio/visual topics. And if you go along and ‘Like’ usnow, you’ll be in with a chance of winning a great prize. Once we hit the350 mark, all those who have ‘Liked’ us will be put into a hat and one will berandomly picked out to win a £50 Russ Andrews Voucher. So head over toour Facebook page www.facebook.com/russandrews.accessories and getclicking now!

‘Like’ us and you could win a £50 voucher!


National Audio Show2012 Report Simon Dalton reports on our attendance at therecent show.

It was our third year at the show this time and one or twochanges could be seen. First of all, we vacated our usualspot downstairs for the Chapel room on the first floor. Thisenabled us to conveniently split the room into two,allowing us to introduce our second change: Russ’sDemonstration.

This time Russ wanted to challenge the assumption thatcables and infrastructure are a secondary considerationwhen putting together a Hi-Fi system. So we formed theDem around a 1990s vintage Arcam amp and CD playeralong with a pair of Focal Chorus V 706 loudspeakers –decent kit but something you could easily put togethersecond hand for around £500.

He took us through three stages of upgrade in the dem;starting from the basic system using the type of cablesthat come included with the kit, he first addressed theproblem of the CD player overloading the amp, a commonproblem quickly and effectively remedied with the use of apair of in-line attenuators. That produced the first majorimprovement.

Next, the free cables were replaced with some of ourintroductory products and, again, there was a significantimprovement in sound quality – a level at which you mayexpect from upgrading the components a level or two!

Finally, Russ moved on to some cables from towards thetop of the range, valued around £20,000. The results werestaggering and just went to show the true capability ofthis humble, and inexpensive, little system. And I’dchallenge anyone to show me another system of this totalvalue that sounded better. In fact, I’d say it gave systemscosting well over five times as much a good run for their money!

It was an interesting demonstration on a number of levels,but not least because it showed that your own existing kitis probably far, far better than you think. Connect it withthe right cables and you may never want to upgrade yourequipment ever again...

A quick thanks to all of you who came to see us at theshow. Every year we get to see both regular attendees andnew faces alike, and it’s very humbling to hear your praisefor what we do. Thanks again and see you all next year.

Russ conducting one of his dems

The system: a ‘90s Arcam amp and CD player and Focal speakers

A young enthusiast enters ourcompetition

Cables in use in the dem

Our display in the shop

New Products

CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 23 Winter 2012/138

Super Burn-in is a unique Advanced Cable Enhancementtreatment process instigated by Kimber Kable anddeveloped by Ben Duncan. The project has taken severalhundred thousand dollars to realise, but has now beenperfected, extensively tested and is ready for launch!

The new Super Burn-In is a new type of cableenhancement that can be applied to all your RussAndrews and Kimber mains cables, interconnects andspeaker cables. Every cable we’ve tested it on achieved alevel of performance upgrade that you simply cannotachieve by any other means - and the benefits are just asaudible on mains cables as they are on interconnectsand speaker cables.

About the processSuper Burn-In can be applied to any of your Kimber orRuss Andrews cables. Even if you have a cable that hasbeen run in for many years, our tests have shown thatthere is a huge performance upgrade to be gained fromthis unique, and exclusive, process.

Super Burn-In is achieved via a custom-designed andbuilt machine that treats the cable to a specific ‘recipe’that we have developed. Super Burn-In can only beapplied to Kimber and Russ Andrews cables, and as theprocess is applied ‘in-house’, we aim to process cables in2-3 days.

“some recordings are in a simply vastsoundstage… I can now hear right into themusic. I didn’t think I could get my system tosound better than it was, but it is! On somerecordings, it’s just like having the band give a private recital, just for me.”R. Burn, Gateshead

“The overall effect is of the music beingmore real, easier to follow, more natural,more engaging and having more presence.Forget the usual Hi-Fi analogy of “lifting aveil”, this has blasted through a barrier.”G Pettigrew, Surrey

“The sound was lively, fast and rhythmical.The treble was sweeter and enhanced too.The changes are very obvious with theKS-1036 cables and to a very remarkabledegree on the other cables too – thank youfor the excellent work!” Dr G Raphael, Sunderland

New productsSuper Burn-in Service

How to order on NEW cablesBy phone When you order your newcable, simply request Super Burn-In.The treatment may add 1-2 days tothe delivery time, but we will let youknow at the time you place your order.Online Buy your new cables and add‘Super Burn-In’ as an additional product[Tip: search for Super Burn-In in thesearch box of the website or type in theproduct code 8320].

How to order on yourEXISTING Kimber or Russ Andrews cablesContact us to place an order for SuperBurn-In and to tell us when you aregoing to send in your cables so we canbook them in. If you need us toarrange collection, then we can dothat too for a small additional charge.We aim to treat your cables anddeliver them back to you within 2-3days of receiving them.

PricingWe charge a flat rate forSuper Burn-In, and thecharge covers a single mainscable, a pair of analogueinterconnects, a pair ofspeaker cables, or a digitalinterconnect. Cables can beany length.Code: 8320Price: £100


New Products

14 daytrialHumax YouView

1TB Upgraded Set top box Code: 8608 £599 2 year guarantee (Hard disc 1 year)

Tuner inputcapacitor upgraded

Fitted with ClarityMains filter.

IEC socket allows you tofit your choice of mainscable (get-you-connectedmains lead included)

Big Cone Feet (included loose)can be fitted to the unit.

Silencer components fitted to the IEC input.

HDMI outputcomponentsupgraded

Digital audiooutput componentsupgraded

Power supply capacitorsupgraded.

SCART outputcomponents upgraded

Not a Sky user? Enjoy better sound and pictures with YouView.Even if you don’t subscribe to Sky, you can still enjoy better sound and pictures with our upgraded YouView box. The new YouView set-top boxes allow you to watch and record standard and high-definition FreeView TV (the boxes have 1TB of storage, enough for recording about 250 hours of HD programmes), but they also allow you to easily access most of the popular catch-up TV services – including BBC’s iPlayer, ITV player, 4oD and Demand 5.

Sky Box: even morestorage, same price!The Amstrad Sky box that we offer with RussAndrews upgrades now comes with a larger 2TBinternal hard disk – suitable for storing about 1180hours of standard definition or 350 hours of high definitionprogrammes. We carry out an extensive Russ Andrewsupgrade to the power supply, HDMI output, coax andoptical digital audio outputs and stereo analogue outputs.The extra storage means that this new box is even bettervalue for money: in our view, it’s the best way to get thevery best sound and picture quality from Sky TV.

Upgraded Amstrad DRX895 2TB Sky Box Code: 8600 £611 2 year guarantee (Hard disc 1 year)

Upgrade to existing DRX895 Sky BoxPrice does not include box. Code: 8600 £399

"you won't get a better picturefrom your satellite dish"

What Hi-Fi, May 2011

NEWmodelwith larger hard diskSame Price!

Russ Andrews Upgraded set-top boxes

Humax YouView Standard (no Russ Andrews upgrades)1TB Set top box Code: 8608 £2992 year guarantee (Hard disc 1 year)

14 daytrial

The Humax YouView boxes are fine-performing set-top boxes but,as with the Sky boxes, we’ve upgraded key components in the powersupply and in the HDMI and audio outputs to make them performeven better. Under test in our system, images were clearer andcleaner, and smoother in motion; sound was better too, with deeper,cleaner bass, a more natural midrange and sweeter top end. We thinkthe upgraded YouView box is the best way to enjoy FreeView TV –with the added bonus of allowing you to catch up on TV too!


New Products

Meridian’s new Media Source200 is compact component thatoffers a way to add an additionalzone to your Meridian DigitalMedia system (Sooloos). Youwould use it, for example, inconjunction with an existingMeridian Media Core 200 (see page 5)or Control 10 or 15, and connect it toa system to play music in a differentroom. Music can be controlled andplayed independently from otherMeridian digital media componentsvia the free iPhone or iPad app,meaning that you can play differentmusic (or the same, if you wish) intwo rooms.

Media Source 200 can be connectedto Meridian DSP loudspeakers withSpeakerLink cables. It also offers a

dual audiooutput socket - anoptical digital output to connect to aDAC or processor, and an analogueoutput to connect to a conventionalamplifier.

When connected via SpeakerLink toMeridian DSP loudspeakers, MediaSource 200 is self-powered; in otherinstances the included separatepower supply is used. Media Source200 must be connected via a wiredEthernet connection (see MeridianEthernet cable above) to your mainMeridian component via your router.

Meridian Media Source 200Code: 4652 £499

Media Source 200

Network and SpeakerLink cables

power socketAudio Outputs (3.5mmanalogue/optical S/PDIF jack)

SpeakerLinkEthernet RJ45outputDigital Media Network

Ethernet RJ45 connection

Meridian Audio has introduced anew type of SpeakerLink cable thatdoubles as a particularly effectivenetwork cable.

What is SpeakerLink?SpeakerLink is an audio andcommunication interface betweenMeridian products. Meridian useethernet cable for this link, and ifyou use Meridian productsconnected by a conventionalethernet cable, it’s a worthwhileupgrade in performance to replacethe cable with this one.

An effective network cableSince Meridian’s new SpeakerLinkcable is based around a Category 7(CAT 7) cable which has beenselected by them for its superior

shielding, it also makes a veryeffective network cable. It isparticularly suited to an audiosystem that comprises a networkmusic player connected to Network Attached Storage (NAS),for example.

Meridian’s SpeakerLink cable isavailable terminated by us in thefollowing lengths:

New from

Each cable is hand-terminatedby us with high quality plugsand each cable is individuallytested before despatch.

Meridian SpeakerLink cableCode: 6401

0.5m £391.0m £442.0m £543.0m £644.0m £745.0m £84Each additional metre £10

Four twisted pairsof stranded copper(stranded copperhelps withflexibility)

Each twisted pair is individuallyshielded with foil for superiorrejection of interference. All four pairs are then covered in atinned copper braid and toughouter insulation jacket.

Total cablediameter 5mm


New ProductsNew Products

Sunglasses for LEDs!LightDims offer an ingenious way of reducing the output from annoyingly-bright LEDs by up to 80%!100 labels of varying sizes per sheet.

LIGHTDIMS per sheet, Silver or Black

Code: 5028 £4.00

BlueLounge MiniDock is a chargingaccessory that uses your existing Apple USB poweradaptor. It plugs directly into the wall socket andmeans you can charge your iPhone or iPod with nounsightly tangle of cables. Not suitable for use with devices with Lightning connector.

BlueLounge MiniDockCode: 4407 £17.99

Clean your LPsOur new manual record cleaning kit is perfect for keeping your LPs in tip-top condition and sounding at their best.Kit consists of 1 litre ReVive record cleaning fluid, 2 Mobile Fidelity cleaning

brushes (one for applying ReVive, one for rinsing) and 0.9 litres of Mobile

Fidelity PURE Record Rinse. Full instructions included.

MANUAL CLEANING KIT Code: 5079 £64.85

Available separately:

REVIVE RECORD CLEANING FLUID 1l Code 5067 £16.00

RECORD CLEANING BRUSH Code 5075 £16.95

REPLACEMENT BRUSH PADS pack of two Code 5076 £6.00

PURE RECORD RINSE 0.9l Code 5077 £19.95

M2 TECH HIFACE 2Code: 4708 £140

14 daytrial

hiFace 2 USB audio converterhiFace 2 is an elegant, compact and excellent-soundingUSB interface that you use to connect your PC or Mac toa DAC. The hiFace offers a cost-effective way ofoutputting music files of up to 24bit/192kHz resolution –such as those available from Linn records – digitally viaan RCA or BNC socket to a DAC that can accept them.

14 daytrial

Need a right angle plug on an existing 3.5mm stereocable? It’s easy to convert an existing straight plugwith this push-on right-angle adaptor.3.5MM RIGHT ANGLE ADAPTORCode: 1867 £5.00

The popular Polaris cartridge protractor is accurateand very simple to use, but the new Geo-Disccartridge alignment tool offers a more sophisticatedway of adjusting your turntable’s cartridge with avisual 3D system to aid accurate alignment.GEO-DISC CARTRIDGE ALIGNMENT TOOLCode: 5078 £44.95

The Importance of Musicality


What should we belistening for in a Hi-Fisystem? Not just the soundquality, Russ suggests, butthe musical quality...

The idea that we should judge thesound quality of a Hi-Fi system byplaying music through it seems tobe blindingly obvious. It is, after all,a system that exists for theenjoyment of the high qualityreproduction of music. Leavingcertain technical and measurableperformance parameters aside, thepurpose of a Hi-Fi system is for thesubjective and aesthetic enjoymentof music to a high standard ofsound quality. The use of ‘testpieces’ to put a system ‘through itspaces’ is traditional. How does thesystem handle a full orchestra,piano, human voice, guitar anddrums, etc? We’ve all done it. I usedto do it. A very long time ago now,but I did it. And very unhelpful Ifound it!

Judging the soundJudging the sound of a system (orcomponent) by listening to thesound of the music played throughit was simply too confusing. Everysystem and component soundeddifferent. How can you tell whichone is more faithful to the originalsound? Knowing what a piano, forexample, sounds like live only helpsso far, because every recording of apiano sounds different.

At first, I thought my problem wasmy own listening ability, but Idiscounted that answer when Irealised that I could easily makeaccurate judgements of real livesounds. I could recall the sound ofevery concert hall and listeningspace I had heard, rank theirqualities and hold consistentpreferences about which I mostenjoyed listening to music in andwhich I avoided. I could do thesame with musical instruments. Iknew the difference between aconcert grand piano and a pubjoanna, a piece of Boosey andHawkes brass from a tin trumpetand Frank Sinatra from my Dadsinging ‘My Way’. This is not some‘Golden Ear’ talent; we can, and do,all do it easily.

I was left wondering why theseuniversal abilities seemed to desertme when judging Hi-Ficomponents. The strong possibilityoccurred to me that they were alltin trumpets and pub joannas andnot worthy of serious consideration.Or, as a Hi-Fi magazine editor oncetold me “It’s all crap”. The existenceof many fine and well-madecomponents gave the lie to thisidea but it wasn’t until the LinnLP12 came along and with it theconcept of rhythm and timing thata shimmer of light and hope for asolution dawned.

By listening first to rhythm andtiming I realised that it wasn’t thesound of the music I should beconcentrating on; it was the music


itself, the inner meaning, theemotional message.

The idea that the music existsindependently of the sound of themusic seems like a contradictionbut just consider that a composercommunicates his musical ideas toa performer / musician by writing itdown in musical notation onmanuscript paper to create a score.The musician then interprets thescore mentally before performingthe music by singingit or playing it on amusical instrument.The notation containsall the musicalmeaning andmessage on the page,just as these words onthis page convey mymeaning to thereader. They don’tneed to be read outloud to gain meaning.The words are madeup from standardletters to form known constructionsof specific meaning and form a language.

Music: An emotionallanguageMusic is a language of emotionalideas and, like spoken language,exists in many forms and dialects.Some are simple and others muchmore difficult to understand. I thinkmost people would say that theydon’t ‘understand’ classical music.Popular music is very accessible and

easily learned, whereas classicalmusic takes time and tuition tolearn and ‘decode’. You can alsoenjoy the sound of a type of musicwithout understanding the innermeanings just as you might enjoythe sound of a foreign languagewithout being able to speak it.

Just as a young child learns itsmother tongue without any formaltuition, we all learn to understandthe language of the music we grow

up with. New kinds ofmusic must belearned and so manypeople never learn toenjoy different kindsof music.So where is themeaning in themusical language? Isit in the notesthemselves, thecombinations ofnotes, the spacesbetween the notes,the stress on one

note – not another? Well, it’s partlyin all of these and much more.Specifically, it’s in the performanceof the work or song, the way themusician interprets it, puts togetherand delivers it to the listener. We canall tell jokes, but as Frank Carsonused to say “It’s the way I tell ‘em”that counts. He was saying that thereal humour (the message!) in thejoke was in the delivery. It’s thesame as an actor’s delivery of linesin a play and the musician’s deliveryof lines of notes (the musicality).

By listening first torhythm and timing I

realised that it wasn’tthe sound of themusic I should be

concentrating on; itwas the music itself,the inner meaning,

the emotionalmessage.


Now for the bombshell! A Hi-Fisystem and all the infrastructure(cables, stands etc) and componentsare capable of degrading thedelivery of the music. They all areable to degrade the musicality. Notby a little, but massively! Musicalityis not to do with sound but withperformance and emotionalmeaning. Have you ever listened toa piece of music and thought doesit make musical sense? Is it boring?Does the music excite me, does itinvolve me?

Using musicality, I had a way ofjudging systems and componentsthat was much more importantthan mere sound quality. It didn’trely on a consciousvalue judgement ofsound quality but on an instinctive,subconsciousreaction to theamount of emotionalreaction. The instantemotional reactionwas available forconscious analysisand assessment. And that is what Itaught myself to do.

To my surprise, I found this newlistening technique to be consistent,reliable and repeatable. That isbecause the emotional reaction isvery fast, almost instantaneous and‘known’. It doesn’t have to bethought about, doubted, confirmedand formally decided like theanalysis of sound quality that cantake hours of listening. In an A/Btest, I found that I could take aninstant ‘snap shot’ and know whenthe music was more (or less)musical than before. I could thenconsider what it was that was more(or less) musical. I could think aboutall those instantaneous clues we

pick up subconsciously that tell uswhat we are listening to. Is thesinger male or female? What social,ethnic and geographicalbackground are they from? How oldare they? What is their character? Ina live recording, we instantly get a‘feel’ for the acoustic and the size ofthe venue and audience. Is thepianist playing a Steinway orYamaha piano; is the instrument aclarinet or alto saxophone; is it atrumpet or flugelhorn? Are theretwo or three girls in the chorus or isit two girls and a man? The cluesare endless. They just have to bebrought up into the conscious mindand listened to.

Use the music to judge theperformanceOn its own, all thisextra insight is veryinteresting, but wheredoes it get us? Whatdo we do with it? Well,the great news is thatit turns out to be all

you need to listen to, to make theright choices. If we put together asystem of parts chosen on the samecriteria that we use when listeningto music, then the whole systembecomes greater than the sum ofthose parts because the musicalityis cumulative. The musical messagespeaks louder and louder. The reallyweird thing about it, though, is thatthe sound quality gets better andbetter too!

How can that happen? In myexperience, if you choosecomponents on sound qualityalone, the musicality gets worse and worse.

Musicality is not to do with

sound but withperformance

and emotionalmeaning.

Issue 23 Winter 2012/13 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 15

I heard a great example of this atthe recent Rocky Mountain AudioFest in Colorado. I stood in oneroom admiring the system,appreciating the smooth, cleandelivery, the lack of treble sting, thetight controlled bass etc, when Istarted to have a vague feeling thatI knew the music being played. Isaid to my wife “there’s somethingfamiliar about that”. Outside in thecorridor I stopped and finallyrecognised what it had been. It wasa track from Chet Baker Sings andPlays, one of my favourite jazzartists and probably the secondalbum I ever bought. Totallyrecognizable but not in that room!How could a Hi-Fisystem sound ‘good’and yet get the musicso totally wrong thatit became almostunrecognisable? In myview it exemplifiedwhat is wrong withthe whole Hi-Fiindustry, not justindividual systems.The hardware isdesigned on sound quality criteria,sold on sound quality, reviewed onsound quality, and bought on priceand reviewer ratings. Sure, they alltalk about the music, but onlyabout how it sounds, not howmusical it is.

The whole industry ignores the waythe ear/brain works at afundamental level and focussesonly on tonal qualities, frequencyrange and bass slam. For me, if a Hi-Fi system fails to convey themusical, emotional message, it isjust noise. I don’t care how good its‘sound quality’ is – it’s just highquality noise. If I want to listen tohigh quality noise I would choose

to listen to the exhaust note of aFerrari; there the emotionalmessage is the noise!

I have applied this listening methodsince the 1970s and so it has beenthe basis of all my work on mains,mains filters, Torlyte and theassessment of Kimber Kable when Ifirst listened to samples in 1985. Allthe products in our range areassessed and chosen on theirmusicality qualities. Productdevelopment is based onimproving the musicality; the abilityto let the musicality through. SinceRFI is so destructive of musicality,reducing mains RFI is the most

important step totake in our UpgradePath, and the reasonthat the Path forms avirtuous cycle andresults in Russ’s lawof IncreasingReturns.

How could a Hi-Fi system sound

‘good’ and yet get themusic so totally

wrong that it became almost

unrecognisable?

Recognising musicalityOn a recent trip to the Kimber Factory in Utah, I wasdemonstrating to Ray Kimber the musical improvementbrought by the SD-II™ Technology fitted to Selectinterconnects and speaker cables. He selected a CD andtrack and after only a couple of bars I heard a sharp intakeof breath and he stopped the disc. He said that it was one ofhis favourite singers and had heard that track a thousandtimes, but now he could understand the opening words andthe exact way the singer enunciated them so that at last hecould make real sense of the whole song. He didn’t need tolisten to another A/B. Job done!

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Dalton’s Deliberations

Engaging with musicI had an interesting conversationwith a customer last week. He’dcome in to see if we could helpwith a damaged speaker. He wasn’tin a rush as these were a spare pair thathe hadn’t been able to ‘let go’, despitethe regular protestations of his wife! Iwas interested to hear that he hadrecently been to visit the manufacturerof his replacement speakers and hadgot into conversation with one of thetop guys in the company.

Bearing in mind that this was a well-respected loudspeaker manufacturer, ina very honest moment themanufacturer admitted that in someways he gets as much pleasure out oflistening to his small portable as hedoes out of his main system. Why so?His answer was that he often got fartoo hung up on perfecting the soundof his main system that it got in theway of listening. He had no greatexpectations of the portable – in fact, itprobably sounded better thanexpected – so he just sat back andlistened to the music.

It’s an interesting observation and Iwonder how many of us can relate tothis tale? I know I certainly can. And itgot me to thinking about thedemonstration which Russ presentedat the National Audio Show inSeptember.

We had a small system set upconsisting of an integrated amp, CDplayer and speakers, all of which were anumber of years old and somethingyou could easily pick up today, secondhand, for around £500. With this simpleset-up we compared the performancewired with standard cables versus thesame system connected with ClassicPowerKords™, Timbre interconnects and4PR speaker cable, and finally wired

with some of our high-end cables – tothe value of around £20,000.

Needless to say, the cables made asubstantial difference to theperformance. But what was mostinteresting was how they did this. Thetrack Russ chose for the comparisonwas ‘Invisible’ from the album EricClapton - Unplugged. Lyrically, it relatesthe emotions of a man who feelsinsignificant, alone and unrecognised.Powerful stuff, but on the first play youdidn’t really care; there was just so littleengagement with the music. Swap tothe Russ Andrews/Kimber cables andsuddenly things change. No longer arewe detached, but we feel his pain, ashis voice tails off at the end of the line“no one knows me”…

When was the last time youcame out of a concert and

raved about how sweet thetreble was? No. What you are likely to talk about is

how the music moved you,how you felt.

What is being experienced here is notHi-Fi, but emotional communicationthrough music. And it’s a significantdifference. One woman in the audiencemade a very telling comment; “I didn’tknow he (Clapton) could sing so well”.Another gentleman noted how theguitars didn’t just sound better, theysounded as if they were being playedbetter! It’s musicality that’s beingexperienced here, the improvements inrhythm and timing that better cablesand infrastructure bring.

But I don’t want to turn this into anadvertisement for cables. My point isthat this is all about listening in adifferent way. We’re not talking in Hi-Fispeak here, no references to ‘sweet

treble’ or ‘a more articulate bass’. OK,they are there, but in a sense, they areirrelevant. What we’re really interestedin is how much the music engages us.Let’s face it, when was the last time youcame out of a concert and raved abouthow sweet the treble was? No. Whatyou are likely to talk about is how themusic moved you, how you felt. And we should expect the same sort ofresponse when listening to music at home.

I said I didn’t want this to just becomean advertisement for cables, but allowme one short diversion. From my ownexperience, I have found that investingin the cables has brought me far closerto this experience than years ofswapping hardware. But it’s a hardthing to get your head around.Listening to our little system with thehigh-end cables was breathtaking, andnot just because it communicated themusic so beautifully. It was alsobreathtaking as a £20,000 system. Hand on heart, I can honestly say that I listened to some systems at the showcosting over five times this amount, but they didn’t move me in the sameway that this one did. They did looknice though…

And there’s the rub. For many, the ideaof spending £20,000 on a systemwhere most of the investment is in thecables is anathema. It simply does notlook like a £20,000 system. I’m notgoing to stand on my high horse herebecause I’m as guilty as the next man.But in the final analysis, it’s all abouthow it sounds, not how it looks. Anduntil we really embrace this, we aregoing to get stuck in the endless cycleof upgrading to more expensivecomponents whilst sheepishlysneaking into another room to listen to the [email protected]

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Reviews

Issue 23 Winter 2012/13 CONNECTED MAGAZINE

17

ReviewsKeep up to date with new reviews in our news section at www.russandrews.com/news

Kimber 4PRThe July issue of Hi-Fi World magazine features a review of Kimber’s original woven speaker cable, 4PR. Listening to a Sam Cook album, the reviewer, Paul Rigby, was struck by the way 4PR provided “an admirable midrange performance with the piano, for example, offering a jaunty, energetic performance, while the reduction in distortion did provide enhanced detail within the drum section”.

Moving onto the more contemporary sound of Cripple Black Phoenix, “the reduced distortion helped to enhance the aggressive guitar display whilst the bass drum had more room for manoeuvre.”This characteristic lowering of distortion is something we often get feedback on, especially in relation to making systems more ‘listenable’, for instance when the top end is rather harsh and piercing. This is notso much a matter of the cable ‘tuning’ the sound but morea case of allowing the system to perform as it should do.

Interestingly, this is an aspect picked up by Paul when hesays that 4PR “provided a controlled, even sensible,performance that would be paired well with a systemsuffering from an unruly behaviour while bringing asense of decorum to the proceedings”. We agree, notwithstanding the fact that 4PR isequally at home in any system, regardless whether these issues present or not.

Overall, he concludes that 4PR is “an admirable performer that shows attention to ananti-distortive design. A cable to bring sanity to an unpredictable hi-fi chain.”

Kimber 4PR speaker cableVerdict:

Price: from £67Magazine: Hi-Fi WorldIssue: July 2012

Kimber 4TCThe November edition of Hi-Fi Choicemagazine awarded the full five stars and a ‘Recommended’ plaudit to 4TC.

Noting the importance of directionality in cables – a factor that Russ first established back in the 1970’s - Neville Roberts (reviewing) observed that “during extensive listening tests with these cables, I found the bass to be super-tight and punchy, with a smooth and easy top end, which was highly engaging and emotional”.

Listening to a choral piece by Bach, he noted how, rather than sounding like one homogenous “mush” the choir were “clearly heard as individuals”, something that is all too often missing in some systems.

He concludes his short review in emphatic style: “In my opinion, these cables are excellent value and offer super sound”.

Kimber 4PR speaker cableVerdict: Price: £184Magazine: Hi-Fi ChoiceIssue: Nov 2012

Nov ’12

Kimber USB Bus AgThe 'Choice Extras' section of the December issue of Hi-Fi Choicemagazine features a new review of the USB-Ag by Jason Kennedy.

Right from the off, things sound encouraging: "In my reference system, USB-Ag performed very well in terms of leading edge definition and timing,delivering a lot of detail - it made steel guitar strings sound extremely crisp,for example".

Noting its ability to deliver a "well scaled image", he continues with the praiseby adding that "there's plenty of depth on acoustic recordings and all thesparkle of live instruments".

Compared to the copper version there's better focus and timing too, meaningthat "it's easier to separate similar instrumentsand to appreciate what's going on at low levels".

Overall, he concludes that "this is a fine USBconnection that brings a high level of precisionand finesse to the computer audio at areasonable price".

Reviews

CONNECTED MAGAZINEIssue 23 Winter 2012/13

Kimber USB Bus AgVerdict:

Price: £86 for 0.5mMagazine: Hi-Fi ChoiceIssue: Dec 2012

18

Oct ’12

ReleeS®Issue number 366 of Hi-Fi Choice carried ashort review of ReleeS® anti-static and gaveit a 'Recommendation'.

"In my experience", writes Neville Roberts,reviewing, "it certainly liftedperformances to another level and madethe sound more effortless and easy tolisten to". Pretty impressive results for asimple product costing just £22.50!

He notes that ReleeS® is also characterised by its flexibility, as you can also treatyour cables with it too, simply by spraying it onto a cloth and wiping this overthe surface of the cable. "This will take away any static from the cable andhelp to prevent it building up again, thusreducing any negative effects arising from staticinterference"

In conclusion, he states that the product"effectively reduces negative effects from staticinterference - well worth the investment".

ReleeS® Verdict:Price: £22.50Magazine: Hi-Fi ChoiceIssue: Awards 2012

Awards ’12

Reviews

19CONNECTED MAGAZINEIssue 23 Winter 2012/13

X2 Block‘Choice Extras’ in Hi-Fi Choicemagazine features a number of shorter reviews every month, and in issue 366 our X2 block is featured.

As is often the case with these short pieces, most of the review is taken up with a description of the product but Neville Roberts, reviewing, does point out that the “overall fit and finish of this item was to Russ Andrews’ usual high standards” and it’s nice toreceive this recognition.

In terms of the performance of the X2 Block itself, he waspretty emphatic: “in my system this block worked veryeffectively, giving a smoother and more relaxed sound”and gave it 4.5 stars and a ‘Recommended’ tag.

X2 BlockVerdict:Price: £165Magazine: Hi-Fi ChoiceIssue: Awards 2012

Oct ’12

UltraSocketsJason Kennedy was very impressed with our new UltraSockets when he reviewed them for the August 2012 edition of Hi-Fi Choicemagazine.

Recognising the importance of this first link in the chain from the mains to your system, he notes that “there is a lot to be said for making this first and arguably most critical power connection the best one”.

Replacing his existing socket with the UltraSocket was a straightforward enough process, though he sensibly notes that if you have any doubts, get a qualified electrician to do the job. Once fitted, the improvements were clear and immediate: “instruments sound distinctly more realbecause the acoustic around them is much clearer and this allowsmore of the characteristic sound to get through”.

The other major improvement comes from better timing tothe music “that clearly benefits from the greater ease withwhich energy flows out of the grid”. The result of this interms of listening enjoyment is that “the music is clearlymore engaging, the rhythmic integrity that much moregelled so that the band appears to be a tighter unit”.

UltraSocketsVerdict:

Price: £79Magazine: Hi-Fi ChoiceIssue: August 2012

August ’12

Reviews

20 CONNECTED MAGAZINEIssue 23 Winter 2012/13

Torlyte®

PlatformHi-Fi Choice, October 2012 edition, and our Torlyte Platform receives a resounding thumbs up in their Minitest of four platforms.

Richard Black, reviewing, notes that the Torlyte Platform is really quite different from the other types of support in the review being of a very lightweight construction. “This gives it two rather useful properties” he says, “in an audio-support role; first, it has very good internal self-damping, meaning that resonances never get tobuild up a head of steam before they are summarily extinguished”

He continues: “Second, it has very poor ‘acoustic impedance matching’ to typicalsurfaces underneath it and typical equipment on top, which means that vibrationsare not readily passed upwards through it”.

Phew - complex stuff! So what does all this technical talk mean in terms of listeningperformance? Well, quite wide raging benefits really: “it’s very useful for bringing outdetail and improving general clarity and sparkle”.

He continues by adding that the platform seems to be even better performing withelectronic components including CD player, “againimproving the resolution of detail, but also quitemarkedly crystallising imaging and makingindividual lines within the music easier to follow”.

Overall, Richard concludes that the Torlyte Platform“seems to bring a touch of magic to anything placedon top of it”.

Torlyte® Platform Verdict:

Price: £184Magazine: Hi-Fi ChoiceIssue: Oct 2012

Oct ’12

Hi-Fi Critic AwardsHidden away in the January-March edition of Hi-Fi Critic magazine are their Awards for the lastreview year. These are not something they makea big song and dance about but are of quitesome significance, as Hi-Fi Critic is a journal wellrespected both inside and outside the industry.

Their panel of reviewers is made up of very well-established and respected Hi-Fi journalists whohave a very critical ear when it comes toassessing the value of products, so theirrecommendations are always of interest.

Our products feature extensively in the ‘Cables’category: for ‘Audio Excellence’ the SuperKordSignature SD-II™ wins an award; in the ‘BestBuy’ section there is the Kimber Timbre™ withMiniZaps™ interconnect; and ‘Recommended’are Crystal-24 and Kimber Select KS-3035speaker cables and the Kimber Silver Streakinterconnect.

Needless to say, we are extremely happy toreceive these plaudits for such a wide range of cables.

‘Audio Excellence’

‘Best Buy’

SuperKord Signature SD-II™

Kimber Timbre™ withMiniZaps™ interconnect

Russ AndrewsCrystal-24™speaker cable

Kimber Select KS-3035speaker cable

‘Recommended’Kimber Silver Streakinterconnect

‘Recommended’

‘Recommended’

The importance of venue acoustics for both live and recorded music.

Competition Winner

Given that more classical music

is heard through Hi-Fi than at

concerts it's very sad if people

come to know some of the

world's greatest music and

ensembles by recordings

technically up-to-date but

sonically disappointing.

When the Queen's Hall wasblitzed London lost a belovedconcert hall and a fine recordingvenue. Even on 78s you can tellhow good it was: try theToscanini recording ofBeethoven's 4th Symphony withthe BBC Symphony Orchestrafrom 1939. That winter hebroadcast Beethoven 4 fromstudio 8H in New York. Queen'sHall helps, 8H stifles. Finallyjustice to Beethoven and the NBCSymphony Orchestra was doneon Toscanini's 1951 LP, recordedwith the warmth and perspectivepossible in Carnegie Hall.

What of London's replacements

for the Queen's Hall?

The 1951 Royal Festival Hallcame out acoustically glaring yetso dry as to persuade thesoprano Isobel Baillie that shehad lost her voice; recordingsthere are mainly of 'live'occasions and undistinguished atbest. 2007's £111m refurbishmentdelivered mainly a debate overwhether there had been any

mitigation but, less bad orunimproved, after so muchexpenditure the hall won't bereplaced in the next 50 years, ifever.

'Live' or recorded, music in theBarbican Hall sounds dull andboxy. Listen to the CD ofMozart's piano concertos 25 and27 by Ashenazy with thePhilharmonia Orchestra. The(digital) sound is open, clear,warm and natural: where was itrecorded? Kingsway Hall inLondon which was levelled tomake way for a hotel; bang wentanother wonderful recordingstudio. Monteux' legendaryDecca sessions with the LSOcould never happen now.

A golden 15 years saw the BerlinPhilharmonic recording mostlyin the Jesus-Christus-Kirche.When he espoused thePhilharmonie for recordingaround 1974, the superiority ofKarajan's orchestral recordingsvanished overnight while,ironically, the orchestracontinued to grow still better. Hisfirst stereo DG session - Strauss''Ein Heldenleben' from 1959 -delivers the life and 'air' neverachieved in the Philharmonie: for40 years no engineering team ormedium has avoided conveyingthe impression that this buildingobstructs and muddles the

sound; I think Decca avoidedworking there.

Doubt me? - get 447907-2.Beethoven's 'Triple Concerto' wasrecorded in the Philharmonie butthe three overtures come fromthe Jesus-Christus-Kirche era: night and day.

All is not lost! Merton CollegeChapel, Oxford and King'sCollege Chapel, Cambridge stillstand. Batiz and the RPO-recorded Respighi's 'Pines ofRome' in St Barnabas', Tootingwhich helped to impart theappropriate punch, clarity andopulence as well as allowing asense of place. Hear the glow ofthe Amsterdam ConcertgebouwOrchestra in the Concertgebouwplaying Holst's 'Planets' and acouple of Pomp andCircumstance marches underMarriner. Handley's Wagnerfrom All Saints, Kilburn is prettyspecial, too; space precludes anexhaustive list.

There are still good buildingsand no lack of great technology:if we don't combine them wetraduce the musicians and sellthe listeners short.

Do you agree or disagree?Contact us [email protected]

The last competition we ran on www.russandrews.com asked you to write a short piece aboutsomething that you wanted to get off your chest. The winner, judged by Russ, was Mr Ian MacDonaldof Oxfordshire who wanted to let off steam about the sound of concert halls and recording venues:

21CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 23 Winter 2012/13

See page 26 for this issues’Competition and other winners

■

Want to share your experiences with our readers? Or simply wantadvice? Write to us! We’ll publish the best, funniest and mostinteresting in each issue of Connected. The writer of this issue’s Star Letter receives a Silencer, worth £52.00

Get in touch at: [email protected] or write to us at: Connected, Russ Andrews Accessories 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business ParkKendal, Cumbria, LA9 6NS, UK.

Silencer mains filter,worth £52.00

Your Letters

AbZorbing SoundI bought from your summer sale anAbZorber which has been added tomy array of mains filters. It showedan excellent improvementimmediately in the sound from myequipment. There was a muchcleaner sound with no ‘edge’ whichmade listening much more relaxed. I do have a computer wirelessnetwork set up in the house.

Following your further commentsabout the advantages of the MainsZapperator, I installed one of thesenext to each of the mains socketspowering my Quad ESL63 speakers.The resulting sound is remarkablyimproved - very clean withimproved bass and great musicality.I had originally intended to fit oneZapperator adjacent to the CDplayer, but decided to see whateffect this filter would have on theESLs. I am delighted with the resultand now also have a Zapperator bythe CD player and another next tothe computer.

The results arebetter than I hadexpected. In thepast I havefound that anymains relatedupgradewould have

marked improvement in the systemand this present one has provedexceptional.

Humphrey Platts, Lincs

ReVeel on Blu-ray Discs?I have a packet ofReVeel which is afew years old. Willthis formula worksafely on Blu-rayDiscs whichapparentlyhave adifferentcoating fromDVD?W Colborne,Edinburgh

Our tests have shown that ReVeel isabsolutely fine to use on Blu-ray discs.

Blu-ray discs use a hard-coattechnology which protects the surfacefrom scratches, but as far as I’maware the same MRA (mould releaseagent) used on CDs and DVDs, is usedduring the manufacturing processand customers certainly support thisby reporting better picture qualityafter treatment. PB

Getting the best from MP3sJust wanted to let you know what adistinct difference your ClarityMains had on my system. I havebeen upgrading the mains sourcebit by bit with my first purchasebeing a Reference PowerKord™after trying a YellO Power cablefrom a friend, which made a hugestep up and really improved thequality of the sound and opened upthe detail of the music. I thenincluded The Silencer in the sparesocket with the clear noticeablerelease of musical expression.

I had then run out of sockets! Iwanted to continue improving thecondition of the mains to see whatcould be revealed at the next stageof upgrade and upon your advice, Ibought a Clarity Mains along with aSuperCube so I could still use TheSilencer. What an upgrade! TheClarity Mains, Silencer andSuperCube combo was a revelation.The Clarity Mains was the missinglink that my system had been cryingout for, but I never even knew! Withthe previous upgrades, it‘s theperfect complement and I don’tknow how to explain somethingthat is not measured in normal ‘hifi’terms. It‘s not about sound quality,that can be a cold and sharpproduction of each instrument andvocal, this is more of an experience;

Mains Zapperator £90

ReVeel® £14.20box of 20 sachets


PowerBlock from £495

Letters

CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 23 Winter 2012/13 23

a relaxedperformanceof the artistand themusicians,without any‘rush’. It’s hardto explain, butthe result islistening to my age old musiccollection for the first time.

Who would have though all thiscould be said about a B&WZeppelin iPod Doc playing MP3s!

Thank you againJames Weston, Worcestershire

Experiences inupgrading myPowerBlock

You have just had myPowerBlock for theUltraSocket upgrade. It wasreturned to me five days ago.I was confident that there would bean improvement, having alreadyupgraded my SuperSocket wallsocket to UltraSocket (and sung itspraises as you and your readersknow well), but I am really quiteastonished by just how big animprovement you’ve achieved withthe PowerBlock upgrade. I havebeen meaning to write for a coupleof days but I have found it difficultto express the new listeningexperience adequately with therather limited vocabulary we allseem to use. More bass - yes: moredefinition and separation in the

soundstage - yes: wider soundstage- no, but it was wide already: deeper soundstage - YES, and it comes rightinto the room as well as going backfurther: more separation - YES, ifthere are four trumpets playing inunison for example you hear fourtrumpets, effortlessly.... Enough!Forget the “hi-fi magazine” stuff.This is a whole new experience. Thenoise floor has gone way lower andI’ve reached that Nirvana where youdon’t hear the system playingmusic, you just hear music, andplenty of it.

I’ve reached that Nirvanawhere you don’t hear thesystem playing music, you

just hear music, and plenty of it.

You can chase this detail, thatnuance, this or that instrument, thesweat dripping off the conductor’snose (I made that up), or you canjust listen, as you would to livemusic. Listening to LindaPartridge’s thoughtful choice on‘Private Passions’ yesterday I wascaptivated by the magicalintroduction to Das Rheingold, andthen some Philip Glass piano. But Idon’t like Wagner! and I find PhilipGlass boring. Not any more. Thenmy lovely old LP of the 1977 Grant’sWhisky Piping Competition in theballroom at Blair Atholl, with IainMacFadyen playing MacLeod ofColbeck’s Lament (the bestrecording of the piob mor that Iknow) - MAGIC, then my Japanese180 gramme re-issue of DukeEllington’s ‘Up Town’, with LouieBellson on the drums, and PaulGonzalves and Johnny Hodgessoloing, and Ellington’s uniquepiano sound - also MAGIC. Sorry togo on, but I am quite gob-smackedthat my system can sound sobrilliant.

Thank you so much for proving yetagain that the right attention to thepower supply/cabling/supports canproduce results that thousands ofpounds of equipment upgradesprobably wouldn’t, and certainlywouldn’t without improvements topower supply, etc. You have neverfailed me, but this simple upgradeproduces really startling results.

Bob Parsons, BerksBob upgraded his PowerBlock’s socketsto UltraSockets for £299

A question of support?

I presume the Torlyte base isdesigned for two pieces ofequipment.What is the maximumweight they can support as i havesome really heavy equipment.A Browning, by e-mail

Yes, a Torlyte Base is designed tosupport two pieces of equipment.The bottom shelf is reinforced with anextra ‘skin’ of wood, so it’s suitable forheavy power amps. As long as theweight of the equipment is evenlydistributed (if a piece of equipmenthas a heavy transformer, sometimesthese can be at one side or in acorner, making the weight unevenlydistributed), then it can hold around30kgs. The top shelf has the potentialto hold up to 20kgs, but if you’regoing for the tallest base unit, I’dreduce that to 15kgs for stability.PB

Clarity mains £115

Torlyte® Base Unit from £460


Which mains filter?

I have recently bought a new 6gang custom made mains block andI seek an effective plug-in typesurge/spike protector and also amains conditioner - ideally as asingle high performance item. Ihave looked at your websitehowever I am a little confused(sorry!)...

I have read a good review about theMains Zapperator however I don'tthink that has surge protection; I seeyou also have a SuperClamp Ultrabut that is possibly not aconditioner ? There is a Mini Purifier(with SuperClamp) which may sitsomewhere between the two Iguess - or maybe it is betterperformance-wise to purchaseseparately a Zapperator as well as aSuperClamp Ultra and plug theminto the mains block using twosockets rather than the one (as I hadplanned). The combined price ofthese two items roughly equates tothe Mini Purifier although you maytell me there is a compromisesomewhere... your expert advice ona way forward would be greatlyappreciated.

A. Bray, by e-mail

The mains has several problems thatyou should try and remove to get thebest performance from your kit. Itsuffers from:Mains Noise and RFISpikes and surges

The Mini Purifier is a very effectivemains filter that reduces mains noise.It’s also fitted with a SuperClamp toprotect from spikes and surges.

The SuperClamp Ultra is a little likethe SuperClamp that’s fitted in theMini Purifier but is more sophisticatedto give additional protection fromspikes and surges.

The Mains Zapperator is a specifictype of filter that targets the noisecreated by things such as wirelesscomputer networks.

So: the Mini Purifier is an all-rounddevice that filters and offers surgeprotection. I would fit this first.

Then, you can augment the effectwith better surgeprotection (theSuperClamp Ultra) andadditional mainsfiltering (the MainsZapperator). JA

Which speaker cable?I have an Audiolab amp, MordauntShort speaker and a sony CD player. Thespeaker cable is bi-wired QEDanniversary. Can I improve the soundwith new speaker cable? I have yourmains and other interconnects already.Cable length required would be about 8metres, non bi-wired.J Corts, by e-mail.

I’m sure you can improve the soundconsiderably with any of the cables fromour range. I’d recommend either the PR orVS range to start with, preferably the ‘8’versions. These would be better singlerather than bi-wired and used with a pairof jumper cables. The main differencebetween PR and VS is that VS usesKimber’s VariStrand technology, where theindividual conductors vary in size to give amore even frequency response: theysound better!

If it’s an 8m pair you need, I wouldrecommend moving things around andpurchasing a 4.5m pair first. The reasonfor this is that a 4.5m pair is a standard

length and therefore comes with our 60Day Home Trial, whereas an 8m pairwould be a custom length and would notbe included in the trial. Once you arehappy that the cables are right for you,send them back, we’ll make you the 8mpair and you just pay the difference. I’mvery confident that you will be impressedbut I think it’s good for you to be able to

test the cable in your own system to putyour own mind at ease! SD

Further upgrades to a Linnsystem – an updateReaders of Connected may recallreports from one of our regularcustomers with an active, high-endLinn system. Since her last letter waspublished in 2009, her system hasbeen upgraded with new amplifiers,SuperKord mains cables and Kimber Select interconnects andspeaker cables.

The full ‘Kimbering’ of the system (asdescribed in Connected issue 12)further emphasized a formerly-perceived inequality between myvarious amplifiers, so in January2010 the older Klimax Twin and twonewer Klimax Chakra Twins wereduly upgraded to six new KlimaxSolo amplifiers; the by-thenredundant CD12 removed from thesystem to allow more space. Thefinal newly-cryogenically treatedSignature PowerKords (withadditions for the extra amplifiers)were installed alongside, thusculminating the so enlighteningcryo-treatment of all the cablingwithin the system – the cryo-treatment intensifying the impact of each cable’s particular characteristics to extraordinaryeffect.

Letters

Mini Purifier £151

Letters

Issue 23 Winter 2012/13 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 25

SuperKord Signature-SD II ™ £1335

Meanwhile, the cabling to theFreeview box and little-used TV hadbeen upgraded with cryo-treatedReference PowerKords and SilverStreak interconnects, and the firsttwo superb Linn Dynamik powersupplies had been installed to theLinn Klimax DS and Klimax Kontrolpreamp. As anticipated, this rapidsuccession of upgrades burning-inalmost simultaneously initiallycaused some wild fluctuations inperformance! As the systemresettled, the combination was arevelation: hugely enhanced clarity,separation, detail, projection; themusic so effortlessly vibrant andalive, with almost tangible realism.However, an absolutely superbly-textured bass graduallypredominated, and I began tosuspect this due to the superior KS-1111 interconnects (then the onlyKimber Select cables in the system)connecting the Aktiv Crossovers tolower bass Solo amplifiers withinthe Komri loudspeakers.

In summer 2010 a subsequentaspiration to upgrade the remainingcables to the Komris was realised,when Russ helped me install thelengthy and substantial KS-3033speaker cables, replacing the 8TCsfrom the Solo amplifiers to thesupertweeter, tweeter, midrangeand upper bass connections at theKomris. Their stupendous definitionalone immediately liftedperformance to an entirely newlevel, and, after adding KS-1121interconnects from DS to preampand preamp to crossovers, togetherwith a pair of KS-1030s from LP12 topreamp, I glanced at Russ – hisbeaming grin mirroring my ownsaid it all, this was very specialindeed! As the cables burned in Iquickly resolved to replace theremaining Silver Streaks, fromcrossovers to the eight Solo

amplifiers, with KS-1021interconnects – installing the last ofthese my ‘treat’ for Boxing Day 2010!Soon afterwards I installed aredefining Mains Zapperator –experimentation the key to its mosteffective location.

I glanced at Russ - his beaming grin mirroring my own said it all, this was

very special indeed!

Unfortunately, the Kimber Selectcables increasingly accentuated asuspected inequality between thenew Solo amplifiers and the olderpair. Confirmed with Linn asnormally imperceptible, I decided totest the impact of SuperKordmodification to the older pair’sSignature PowerKords, whileawaiting a full specification upgradecourtesy of Linn. The impact ofthese two SuperKords not only ledto the older Solos way out-performing the newer ones, buteventually re-launched the entiresystem: the Komris’ performancebeyond belief! There was so muchmore of everything, with breath-taking purity and realism, as if theSuperKords had been exclusivelydesigned to partner the Linn!

Following the Linn Dynamik powersupply upgrades to all eight Solos,and the remaining specificationupgrade to the older pair, I installedthe two SuperKords to the KlimaxKontrol and Radikal, with a third tothe DS. Earlier this year, I installed aneagerly-awaited further four, to theKomris and crossovers, andalthough there was an immediateimpact, this was a mere tantalisingforetaste of the sensationalSuperKords’ potential! Within weeks,the burning-in fluctuations wereincreasingly left behind and anunstoppable transformation

underway; the full magnificentpower of the Komris and entiresystem eventually unleashed asnever before, every musicalperformance more masterful thanthe last; so tremendouslyatmospheric, effortless and real. I was totally dumbfounded!

A developing unevenness betweenthe channels was recentlyaddressed with the installation ofanother four newly-modifiedSignature SuperKords to the Soloamplifiers serving tweeters andsupertweeters (together with anexceptionally revealing KimberSelect KS-1036 custom-made PSUcable for the LP12); closely followedby a final four to the Solo amplifiersserving midrange and upper bass.Already hugely impacting onperformance, I know their potentialis as infinite as my excitement andenthusiasm about them – thesecables really do need to be heard tobe believed.

I am continuing to learn from mymany upgrade experiences, bothLinn and Russ Andrews; continuingto use only my ears and myemotions in my appraisal. Thecombination of upgrades is now somagical that no longer am Iimagining the musical performancein my living room: closing my eyes, Iam more and more beingtransported to the moment andenvironment of its recording, feelingthe encompassing immediacy andpassion – I am there!


Terms and Conditions 1.The closing day for entries is 10th February 2013; 2.The rules of entry are given in the text of thecompetition; 3.No purchase necessary to enter; 4.The winner will be judged by Russ and will be notified by 7th March 2013;5.There is one prize of a DeoxIT Cleaning Kit, ReVeel and ReleeS pack, HG Cleaning Cloths pack and a CD Lens Cleaner; 6.The prizeis not transferable, cannot be exchanged for cash nor will a cash alternative be offered; 7.Our decision is final and nocorrespondence will be entered into; 8.We reserve the right to feature photographs and the names and counties of all entrants infuture publications and publicity; 9.This promotion is not open to employees of Russ Andrews Accessories or their families, oranyone connected with the promotion; 10.The promoter is Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, WestmorlandBusiness Park, Shap Road, Kendal, LA9 6NS, UK.

Competition

Competition ResultsWe’ve also had another couple of competitionwinners since our last issue of Connected..

The winner of four sets of wooden Cone Feet fromthe Connected 22 competition was Mr Wilk ofLondon who correctly answered that there are four

sizes of feet available.

The winner of our online Facebook competitionwhich asked for feedback on our Facebook content isMr Naunton of Ipswich who won a pack of ReVeelCD cleaning wipes for his suggestion that we usesome short video clips to show products ‘in action’.Which we hope to be making in the near future!

In total, there’s over £80 worth of cleaning kit here, so to be inwith a chance of winning thisgreat prize, send your answer by email to:[email protected] the subject line “Musicality competition” or send your entry by post to:Musicality Competition Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, WestmorlandBusiness Park, Shap Rd, Kendal,Cumbria, LA9 6NS

The closing date for entries is 10th February 2013 and the winner will be judged by Russ.

Clean up with this great prize!

WINthis cleaning kitworth over£80

Russ’s feature The Importance of Musicality on page 12, puts a completely different slant on how we make a distinction between, not only good and bad Hi-Fi, but good and bad music reproduction per se. The method he has developed is a really important one, because it cuts through all the Hi-Fi hype and reconnects us with the music. In particular, heemphasises the emotional content of a piece and how this iscommunicated through the specific medium of music.

For this issue’s competition we’d like to hear about a specificperformer or performers, a performance, or a piece of music that youhave found to be especially moving. It could be a particular renditionof a famous song where you feel one performer has a way of gettingto the heart of the music in a way that no other has ever achieved –many have recorded ‘My Way’, for example, but is there one definitiveversion that touches you like no other?

Whatever your experience is, we’d like to hear from you. It doesn’thave to be an essay – 40-50 words will do – but if you’d like to writemore, that’s fine. The winner will be chosen by Russ and, for your pains,we’re offering a collection of cleaning products to help bring the mostout of your system, worth a total of over £80.

Here’s what’s on offer:• DeoxIT Complete Cleaning Kit including DeoxIT, DeoxIT Gold, DeoxIT Fader Lube and all the cloths and applicators you’ll need to make your system sparkle.

• ReVeel CD cleaning wipes and ReleeS anti-static treatment• HG Cleaning cloths for cleaning all metal parts before treating with DeoxIT

• A CD Lens Cleaner

And finally...

27

Editor: John [email protected]

Design: Sarah [email protected]

Advertising: Simon Dalton 01539 [email protected]

Sales: Peter [email protected]

ConnectedCOMINGTHIS YEAR...

FULLPRODUCTCATALOGUE Connected

Magazine

OUT INJUNE ’13

OUT INDECEMBER

’13

OUT INMARCH’13

ConnectedMagazine

Issue 25 Issue 27

FULLPRODUCTCATALOGUEConnected

Magazine

OUT IN SEPT ‘13

OUT IN SEPT’13

Issue 26

OUT INMARCH ’13

ConnectedMagazine

Issue 24

Issue 23 Winter 2012/13 CONNECTED MAGAZINE

And finally...

I found the theme of Connected issue 21 magazine fascinating: howlistening to music from our Hi-Fi systems affects us, both asindividuals and collectively. I was particularly heartened to discover

that my own views regarding the more intangible aspects are shared byprofessionals with music at the heart of their lives.

Again there are references to ‘rhythm and timing’, a concept originallyidentified by Ivor Tiefenbrun nearly 40 years ago (see the preface toRuss‘s book, Sound Solutions) and expounded by Russ as ‘musicality’.

Rhythm and timing are surely also at the heart of lifeitself, hence our natural and instinctive response tomusic: why, almost subliminally, it invokes suchintensely deep emotion.

I‘ve learned from experience that cables are the arteries of a Hi-Fi systemand, if these are contaminated, the purity of the musical reproduction willinevitably suffer - this bears no relation to the calibre of the hardware, asperhaps perceived by many Hi-Fi manufacturers and dealers, theirscepticism, even suspicion, appearing to actively discourage music loversfrom revealing the true potential of their systems! They and theircustomers thus remain unaware of the possibilities; this potential remainsunexplored, and so much of the true essence of the music is never heard!

RFI-cancelling Kimber cables will progressively unleash the true potentialof the hardware, revealing increasing multi-layered authenticity andthree-dimensional realism in the music - whether created in the studio or‘live’; regardless of vintage or genre. Thus, cable upgrades (followingRuss‘s upgrade steps) should take overall priority when considering asystem’ s infrastructure. So essential to all aspects of musicalreproduction from the entire system, and so enriching thelistening experience, I believe they should be embraced andpromoted by customers and the industry alike.

Name & address supplied.

Earlier in the year, oneof our customers wasenthusing so muchabout our cables andaccessories that wesuggested they writedown their thoughtsfor publication inConnected. Theresulting lettersummed up the themeof this issue ofConnected so well thatwe just had to use it asour And Finally…

“

”

Mail Order Direct • 60 Day Cable Home Trial • Cable Upgrade Scheme • Free Delivery (orders over £100 within UK Mainland)

Buy online at www.russandrews.comCall UK Orderline 01539 797300 Int Tel +44 (0)1539 797300Exclusive UK distributor

Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court,

Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK.

Technology

II

“Previous definitions reflecting on detail, bass,

spatial cues, recorded dynamic, top end, bottom

end, midrange integrity and timing are all

rendered unnecessary - you are once againdefined by the music being there!The most significant development in mains

products in recent years in my view.”

M Brown, Tonbridge

SUPERKORD SIGNATURE -SD II™code 1558

W350i-Ag W350i-Ag *16A 1m £1335.00 £1350.001.5m £1417.50 £1432.502m £1500.00 £1515.00

The SuperKord Signature-SD II is thefinest mains cable we have made

with

and, with over 200 individual components in addition to the 24

separately insulated conductors, it is certainly the most complex.

But all this effort really is worthwhile: faithfulness to source, and

musicality are the very best we’d heard.

Return address: Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd,

2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park,

Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK.

Customer

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