In 'Explorations in Audio' I aim to share some practical insights on setting up and optimising an affordable HiFi system. Although one would think that, really, all has been said about HiFi, some surprisingly simple questions still remain, e.g.: 'Is digital superior to analogue?' 'Do cables matter?' 'Can digital cables pick up interference?' 'Should speakers be placed on spikes?' 'Has evolution in HiFi made older gear obsolete?' 'Where should I place my sub?' 'Which room correction works best?' - On the other hand: 'Are these really the right questions?' - We shall see.
While the entries in this blog are divided into the three distinct categories above, you will find a mixed listing of the most recent postings below. The most recent article is shown first. If this is not your first time visiting, the listing below is a good place to quickly check if anything is new.
Your input is more than welcome, as long as you follow the basic audiophile rule of ‘ear over mind’. This means that you do not comment based on what you think you know, but only on the basis of your own listening experience. Please feel free to suggest gear for testing as well as leave comments on the descriptions provided here.
Published: 03/02/2025
Author: Karsten Hein
Category: Explorations
Tag(s): Norddeutsche HiFi-Tage
With the HIGH END trade fair relocating to Vienna in 2026, the Norddeutsche HiFi-Tage (NDHT) will become the most significant audio show for the industry in Germany. Each year, hundreds of famous brands in HiFi flock to Hamburg to display their latest product innovations. This year, the fair was hosted by the Le Meridien hotel, located at the Inner Alster, a famous lake in Hamburg's inner city. Below are some key highlights and impressions of my time at the show.
The picture shows Jan Sieveking, the founder of the Bremen-based High End retailer by the same name, presenting assorted HiFi gear and audiophile music with heart-felt passion. Because loudspeakers present a clear practical challenge for many home systems—balancing both functionality and the now-infamous Wife Acceptance Factor (W.A.F.)—I decided to keep my focus on them this year. In doing so, I simply assumed that the equipment driving them had been chosen wisely.
As I walked into the room, a pair of Swedish Marten “Parker Quintet” loudspeakers were playing a Leonard Cohen album from vinyl. The setup fit the room well. The music sounded tonally balanced, and the vinyl track revealed a soft and becoming treble. There was natural flow and rhythm to the sound. This, however, changed when we transitioned to a digital source. The treble became overly crisp, and I could not help but focus on the harshness of the tweeters. The rhythm seemed more mechanically driven and the natural flow was replaced by a more fragmented impression. I left the room with the positive memory of the vinyl experience in which the acoustic capabilities of the Martens had managed to shine through. However, the experience again reminded me how fragile the balance can be on modern ultra-precise HiFi setups.
Marten Parker Quintet Specifications
The German Voxativ audio company is a designer and producer of High End audio gear based in Berlin. Although the company itself is still relatively young, the company’s co-founder, Dipl. Ing. Inès Adler, has a long history in the industry and is highly knowledgeable about the products she presents. As I walked into the room, I could sense that I was in for an extraordinary experience, not only due to the dazzling personality of the presenter, but also due to the perplexing appearance and sound of the loudspeakers.
The Alberich Array System is a combination of sleek-looking single-driver monitor speakers that are stacked on top of a bass module and held in position by means of a mostly invisible metal rack paired with absorbers. The monitors form an array of three full-range drivers, namely one "Hagen 2" cabinet featuring a Voxativ AF-2B driver (reaching up to 30,000 Hz) sandwiched between two "Hagen 2" cabinets equipped with Voxativ AF-1.9 drivers. An active woofer module takes over below 40 Hz. Powered by a built-in 500W class D amplifier, the sturdy Neodymium PA-Type woofer, which is a dipole (semi-open from both sides), can easily keep up with the speed of the Hagen 2 drivers.
The overall impression created by the Alberich Array System is that of a “Wall of Sound”, as described on the company website. The performance is agile, dynamic, tonally rich, and mostly entertaining and enjoyable. Obviously, some of the merits of a single-driver system are lost in the array setup, and I could not help but wonder what a single Hagen 2 monitor, perhaps paired with the Alberich bass module, would have sounded like. I decided to keep this company in mind for a future visit at the fair (or a trip to Berlin). After all, fresh ideas should be celebrated. Voxativ also offers other lines of speakers, integrated amplifiers, cables, etc.
Voxativ Alberich Array System Specifications
Reichmann AudioSysteme is a High End audio retailer based in the German Black Forest region and a declared specialist shop for the brands Magnepan, Musical Fidelity, Music Hall, Rekkord and Triangle. Each year, the company brings along a small selection of sophisticated audio gear to caress the ears of the visitors to the fair. While I was a little disappointed by their Musical Fidelity and Triangle setup at the Steigenberger hotel in 2024, this year’s setup and positioning fit the room much better and resulted in a cleaner and faster sound.
This was also the first time that I had a chance to listen to a set of magnetostatic loudspeakers. The Magnepan 2.7i are flat panel speakers using a single magnetic foil to generate all frequencies across the band. Next to electrostatic speakers (such as the American Martin Logan and the Dutch Final) the magneplanar technology promises excellent transient response without phase shifts and lags in response time common to speakers using multiple dynamic drivers.
I was generally pleased with the sound of the setup, although some of the challenges of working with magneto-static speakers also came through. For one thing, the noise floor at a trade fair is relatively high at around 40-50 dB. Magnepan speakers excel in detail retrieval, a strength that is somewhat lost at the fair. Magnepan speakers are most tonally balanced at medium volumes where bass excursion is less pronounced. The volume levels at the fair therefore blurred some of the intrinsic strengths and made the Magnepan seem less dynamic than they would be in a home setup.
Finally, Magnepan speakers produce a relatively narrow sound field which is great when you are having to deal with side wall reflections but not so great when it comes to listening to music well outside the sweet spot. As the Reichmann booth was generally well-attended, I did not manage to sit in the center and therefore mostly heard one channel of the stereo setup. However, this does not mean that I think less highly of them following the experience. Owning a set of Martin Logan electrostatic speakers myself, I do understand that everything is a compromise and still have Maggies on my list of highly attractive speakers to own. Good to know: Magnepan speakers are surprisingly affordable for their performance.
Magnepan 2.7i Specifications
Located just north of the Chiemsee region in southern Bavaria, Robert Auer manufactures High End speakers “Made in Germany” by master carpenters in his local factory. His passion for wood and quality materials also extends to the trade fair booth, which is fully treated with absorber panels and diffusers along the primary reflection points.
The speakers on display were Versura V_4, large floor-standing models with a narrow front and additional side woofers. I greatly enjoyed the atmosphere and dynamics in the room and also overheard conversations in which the overall sound quality was highly praised. To my own ears, the treble and upper midrange sounded a bit analytical, very similar to the Marten experience described above. It is well possible that the impression was caused by the electronics driving the speakers.
Looking at the impedance curve and sensitivity, the Versura V_4 should be easy to drive, even with a small tube amplifier. And I think this would have been more fun and intimate to listen to than the beefy electronics required for the demonstration at the fair. I therefore made a mental note to listen to them again on the next occasion.
Auer Acoustics Versura V_4 Specifications
Canton, Europe's largest manufacturer of HiFi and High End audio systems, is based in a small town not too far from Frankfurt am Main. In fact, when my wife Sabina and I took up our HiFi journey once again back in 2012, Canton seemed to offer a fair balance of price and performance. Looking at the photo, it is easy to see why the brand is popular among consumers. Their loudspeaker designs are clean and sophisticated looking, a design that has carefully evolved over the years.
The Reference Series has always been a staple among HiFi enthusiasts. Sadly, however, the setup was such that critical listening was not really possible. On the other hand, visitors had an opportunity to touch and feel the latest designs, to assess speaker sizes and material choices.
Acapella speakers are "from Duisburg of course, the High End capital of Germany", as Richard Rudolph half jokingly explained. I had just stepped out of the Harlekin 2 demonstration, across the hall from Symphonic Line, the other High End Duisburg brand, and was still digesting the experience. Acapella speakers feel solid in every conceivable way, but let's not start here. This section is about the High Cellini.
Horn loudspeakers can sound a little compressed in the midrange, they can be overly large, or have extremely deep cabinets that are difficult to position. Non of these characteristics were present on the High Cellini. From our multiple listening positions, the music sounded detailed, tonally rich, and very dynamic. However, as the listening room was a little too small for the speakers, vocals only began to come together and sound right along the back wall of the room where bass accentuation was becoming a bit of an issue. Such is the nature of the fare, where manufacturers need to make the best of what they are given.
Vocals aside, I was perfectly taken in and could have listened for hours on end when the High Cellini started to play back recordings of wind instruments, such as horns and trumpets. You just don't get the dynamics of wind instruments on more conventional loudspeaker designs. I left the room transfixed, hoping to hear the Cellini in a more suitable room some day soon.
Acapella High Cellini Specifications
PMC is a British manufacturer of professional studio monitors used in the audio and video industry, as well as a manufacturer of High End audio equipment. The floor-standing Fenestria is their current High-End flagship loudspeaker, measuring 1.70 m and weighing around 80 kg, thereby coming in slightly above the ideal BMI of a human male of this height.
Visually, the Fenestria will appeal to technically minded people and young entrepreneurs who wish to boast of their financial success. But, unless they are driven at high volumes—which they are perfectly capable of—this is not how they sound. Their resonance free design makes them both precise and tonally appealing to the ears. The 2.4 m advanced transmission line design makes their bass performance natural and incredibly extended. The sound remains natural and fluid, even at very high volumes.
PMC Fenestria Specifications
Despite its understated name and design, the FRIGG 02 sounded anything but average to my ears. On the contrary: The modest and clean looking cabinet even supported the no-frills sound philosophy of phase coherence and tonal balance that has become the trademark of Scandinavian HiFi. Surprisingly, the speakers sounded much larger than they looked, which brings us back to the Wife Acceptance Factor.
ø-Audio also builds horn loudspeakers, such as the Icon 12 and the Verdande that I have heard audiophile friends report positively on, although I must confess that I have not yet had a chance to listen to them myself. Another company to keep an eye on, especially because it is currently expanding its international distribution network.
ø Audio FRIGG 02 Specifications
Qualio from Poland has two loudspeaker models on sale which both combine high quality components from Mundorf, Jantzen Audio, SB Acoustics, WBT, etc. into highly versatile loudspeaker designs. On their website, Qualio explains that the IQ model, for example, uses a semi-closed design featuring an open-baffle treble and midrange section paired with a responsive Satori woofer within a ported cabinet.
The dipole design of the IQ model allows the music to be reflected off the listening room walls, providing a wider sweet spot and a more immersive listening experience. The ported bass cabinet can further be customized to fit small listening spaces by closing the port. From looking at the parts, such as the Mundorf AMT, I can imagine that this speaker has some potential. The music playing during our stay at the booth, however, made it difficult for me to judge its important vocal characteristics.
Qualio Audio IQ Specifications
The company was founded by Josef W. Manger, a German engineer who developed a deep interest in acoustics and how humans perceive sound. His journey into speaker development began during the 1960s. Manger was driven by a desire to create a speaker that could more accurately reproduce sound as it is perceived by the human ear, minimizing distortions and phase issues that are common in traditional driver and loudspeaker designs.
The P2 loudspeaker model makes use of Manger's W06, the latest bending wave transducer of the company. The frequency range of this driver is impressive. Here are the specifications of the driver alone:
Manger W06 Driver Specifications
Daniela Manger, the company's CEO in the second generation, is respected within the audio engineering community for her contributions to acoustic design and her commitment to high-fidelity sound reproduction. Her personal efforts have cemented Manger Audio as a distinctive brand in high-end audio, known for its precision, engineering excellence, and steadfast commitment to the unique bending wave technology pioneered by her father.
The first time I heard the P2 loudspeakers perform was at an exhibition at the Auditorium in Münster. The room that the P2 were placed in was less than ideal for them to deliver a satisfactory performance. I spoke to Ms. Manger about my concerns, and she suggested that I could take the speakers home with me following the upcoming Hamburg fair to better understand their sound. This meant, I now had to stay at the Norddeutsche HiFi-Tage fair in Hamburg until its very end in order to take home the speakers with me.
Manger P2 Specifications
Jens R. Wietschorke (research and development) and Dr. Goetz von Laffert (finance & PR) teamed up in 2013 to challenge established loudspeaker concepts by merging the latest in loudspeaker driver technology and digital signal modulation with fresh compact designs that fully integrate into sleek modern households. Today, Lyravox produces seven loudspeaker models of different sizes to satisfy home entertainment needs.
The Lyravox KARLOS is a floor-standing speaker of modest dimensions that is lifted up and tilted backwards by means of a sturdy metal rack which supports the speaker from underneath and stabilizes it from behind. And although the KARLOS ranks among the company's smaller loudspeakers, it already incorporates most of its signature technology.
The midwoofer of the KARLOS 2-way design uses an ultra-stiff light-weight aluminum cone for superior detail retrieval. This is paired with an Accuton 30mm inverted ceramic dome tweeter that is coupled to a wave guide. Instead of using a passive crossover, the two drivers' transition frequencies are actively harmonized by means of a DSP. The highest frequencies are then added using an up-firing air-motion transformer (AMT). The natural effect of the AMT pointing upwards is a more immersive listening experience and a wider sweet spot.
My first listening expression was that of walking into a cinema while the film was already in progress. The music sounded as large and direct as one would expect from a cinematic experience. There was a sense of purpose and robustness to the sound that initially attracted me. However, the placement of the speakers so close to the floor and in the corners of the room made critical listening difficult. Someone's head was always in the way to cover one of the channels, and the front row seats were in the middle of the room, where bass frequencies tend to cancel out. I therefore made a mental note to give these speakers another listen when they are available in a more appropriate setting.
Lyravox KARLOS Specifications
Design and Drivers
Amplification and Processing
Inputs and Connectivity
Physical Specifications
Additional Features
The KARLOS is designed for rooms ranging from 20 to 50 square meters, offering a frequency response from 28 Hz to 28,000 Hz, depending on room acoustics. Its combination of advanced driver technology, sophisticated amplification, and meticulous cabinet design ensures a compelling and immersive listening experience.
The EMT 928 is a revival of an industry classic. The original EMT 928 was a professional turntable that was introduced in 1971 by Elektromesstechnik Wilhelm H. Franz K.G. (EMT) in Germany. It was unique in EMT's lineup as their only belt-driven model and developed in collaboration with Thorens. It was actually based on the Thorens TD125. Designed for studio use, the EMT 928 featured a compact and lightweight design, making it suitable for mobile broadcasting applications.
In 2022, EMT introduced the EMT 928 II, a modern reinterpretation of the original. This updated model retains the belt-drive system—as a homage to its predecessor—but incorporates some contemporary enhancements: Notably, it features an independent battery power source, providing over 40 hours of playback while eliminating potential interference from the mains supply. The chassis is precision-machined from aluminum and rests on four decoupled, spherical feet. The 5.5 kg platter is driven by a modern 20-watt motor combined with a high-precision control loop circuit, ensuring rapid acceleration and consistent speed within tight tolerances.
I did not get a chance to listen to the turntable perform at the fair, but I was immediately taken in by its sleek design, especially when stacked on top the phono preamplifier with the same basic chassis form. What a crazy world this will be when these new High End icons will be available on the used market. That will surely be much more interesting than the devices available to budget shoppers today.
EMT 928 II Specifications
Solid and sophisticated are two adjectives that come to mind when I think of my listening experience with the Harlekin 2 at this fair. Capable of recreating life-like music events between your ears at any moment and volume you may desire. Acapella speakers are a rock in the ocean when it comes to a sober presentation in the midst of chaos around them, a characteristic that had me nailed to the seat for the longest time. How do they do it?
Part of it may have to do with the driver technology, with the company's experience of creating uncolored horn speakers. Perhaps it is resonance management that is at play here. Perhaps it is their origin in Duisburg, as Richard Rudolph suggested. Whatever it may be, the Harlekin 2 are surprisingly effective at making music come alive and—all considered—the speakers that I would have taken home with me, if purchasing speakers had been my mission on that day.
Acapella Harlekin 2 Specifications
As I entered this particular room, I was accompanied by four gentlemen who had never heard an electrostatic speaker perform before. They walked around the tall speaker panels in disbelief and said that they very much enjoyed the sound they heard. And, personally, I had never heard the sound of a non-hybrid electrostatic speaker before. My Martin Logan speakers use a conventional dynamic woofer in a closed cabinet to kick in at the lower frequency spectrum.
I also enjoyed the sound of the FINAL 15+ speakers and was surprised how well they managed to present bass frequencies despite their obvious constraint in physical movement. They sounded agile, crisp, and punchy. What I did miss, however, was the wider scope of the Martin Logans which have a curved front panel. In this sense, the music propagated from the FINAL 15+ much like it did from the Maggies above. This is not a killer argument per se, and listening tastes do vary, but it is a difference one might want to be aware of.
FINAL AUDIO Model 15 Specifications
Walk into room 202 and meet the grand master of High End audio himself. Because much of what we classify as High End today has its roots with Rolf Gemein and the other founders of the High End Society. Here are the origins of the famous High End trade fair and also the origins of the Norddeutsche HiFi-Tage. Mr. Gemein recalls the Society's founding moment as an archetypal event, driven by a spirit and energy that made it clear to everyone involved that they were onto something great.
With two unpretentious-looking Symphonic Line "RG5 Reference" speakers positioned down the long left wall of the room and Rolf Gemein sitting in the opposite right corner, room 202 radiates acoustic warmth and looks inviting. The amplifier driving the speakers is a Symphonic Line "Kraftwerk MK3" that receives its signals from a Symphonic Line "La Musica MK3" CD Player. All components from the electric socket to the speakers are made by the same company and have been checked and confirmed by the man himself.
The seasoned founder of Symphonic Line selects outstanding recordings from the 1950s until today and in his calm voice explains the special moments captured by each one. The twelve seats in the room are mostly occupied during the day, and visitors often need to wait their turn before they can be seated. Looking around, I see that many visitors have their eyes closed while they are enjoying the music. I hope that none of them fall asleep and thereby unnecessarily extend the waiting time for everyone else. Music and the anecdotes around it are the focus of attention here, because the system only demands attention in those brief moments in which it thunders an unexpected attack into the room.
Görlich chassis will do this for you anytime. In combination with the air motion transformer "Belcanto MK2" they make music feel so natural and effortless that one can easily forget the speakers. Vocals are smack center stage and the instruments perfectly positioned around them, until—slam—you get a surprising salve of a drum beat that simply stuck out from the rest. Eyes open for a moment, people looking around for confirmation "Did you hear this, too?". I left the room feeling satisfied, relinquishing my seat to the next listener waiting in the corridor.
WESTLYD
A refreshingly fundamental Rock and Pop speaker design that is capable of playing loud with ease. The resulting sound signature is an interesting blend of the 1980s and our modern tastes. The sound quality, especially in the vocal spectrum and on quieter music played, is not on par with Tannoy and other more established brands, but it really does not have to be at the current price point.
Published: 19/01/2025
Manufacturing date: 2019
Author: Karsten Hein
Category: Gear & Review
Tag(s): Integrated Amplifiers
[Listening test in progress. Full report to follow.]
Symphonic Line's RG10 MK4 Reference integrated amplifier combines superlatives in many ways: Not only is the RG10 an upgrade to the already excellent RG9, the MK4 is also the improved version of the amp featuring an external power supply for the upgraded Reference preamplifier module.
HiFi audio systems usually find their place within a family's the living quarters. Some of them serve as entertainment centres in the living room; others form part of a home cinema setup. Audio systems may accompany an evening meal in the dining room or make working time more enjoyable in the study. Some are part of a bedroom suite or even complete a children’s room. Many households have only one large living room, which is used for everything from cooking to entertaining. In fact, very few households can afford the luxury—or have the sense or wisdom—to dedicate an entire room, or even an entire floor, to listening. And of those who do, very few homeowners have chosen or designed their homes solely for this purpose. In fact, HiFi is often the last thing on a homebuyer’s mind.
And yet, when Sabina and I toured the north of Germany in search of a home for our family, I stood for the longest time in that cathedral-like empty space under the roof of our (now) house, clapping my hands in disbelief at the unbroken silence that greeted me each time. "I want this room!" I thought. "We need this house for our family, for the language school, and certainly for the sake of my continued audio explorations. At the time, the 1980s glass wool insulation was dangling in large sheets from the ceiling beams, and the floor was a single layer of worn wooden planks with visible cracks between them.
eiaudio Moving to Marne in Summer 2023
Watch the video on YouTube
It was clear that this magnificent-sounding room could not be left in its original, unfinished state. The lack of insulation was causing significant temperature differences between day and night, and between summer and winter. And the wind was blowing through the shingles, bringing dust and insects into the house. My challenge was to tame this wild beast without breaking its delicate spirit. To do this, I had to find out what made the original room work so well for audio purposes, and ensure I maintained and built upon that. I started reading up on room acoustics and quickly realised that there were some established listening room standards that our space met quite well.
For one thing, the room had almost no parallel walls that would have accentuated first-, second-, and third-order resonances. Instead, the side walls were almost three metres high and sloped inwards at a 45° angle from a height of about one metre to the roof. The structure itself was supported by exposed wooden beams with many uneven tongue-and-groove boards between them. One of the few straight walls along the side was made of exposed brick. The central part of the roof had a slight dome shape, rising 30 cm in the middle. There was plenty of open space to arrange the loudspeakers according to their acoustic needs, and room for me to walk behind each HiFi rack when setting things up. This meant that I could access my setups from all sides if necessary and take care not to accidentally cross signal wires.
I first consulted an acoustics expert on the best flooring for the room but felt that his preferred combination of insulation and screed would be too heavy for the old building. So, instead of pouring concrete, I added a 30 mm layer of OSB, which we covered with carpet. It was important to me to maintain the structural integrity of our building. However, this meant that I had to find a way of damping the resonance that traveled straight down from the speakers into the floor. I gave this some thought and decided that 38 kg slabs of concrete—the kind used to lay a garden path—placed directly under each speaker would act in a similar way to screed. At the same time, the slabs allowed me to place the spikes of each loudspeaker directly onto the concrete for greater structural stability. As a result, the soundstage and clarity improved dramatically, and floor resonance was reduced by around 50%.
I understood that designing a room to handle acoustics effectively requires a balance of absorption, diffusion, and (sometimes) bass trapping to manage reflections, standing waves, and reverberation times. I therefore set about determining the most linear position for each loudspeaker and the corresponding listening positions using the room mode calculation sheets provided to me by Peter English. I then set up my UMIK-1 measuring microphone with REW software to analyse the output of my speakers and the reverberation times of the room over the frequency spectrum as perceived from the listening position. It is sometimes said that covering 30% of the wall surface with absorbing materials will give a relatively natural sound impression. In rooms where typical household remedies such as bookshelves cannot be placed, professional sound absorbers from specialist shops are an option.
In general, the absorbing materials should be placed where the sound waves from the speakers are reflected directly from the walls and ceiling towards the listening position. These locations can be identified by moving a mirror—held parallel to the wall—along these surfaces until the loudspeaker drivers are visible from the listening position. In the case of our studio, I used the open joist structure of the room to hang curtains in the corners and along both sides. Rather than leaving them open, I gathered them together with a rope to form large, soft columns. This already quietened the acoustics and made conversations in the room a much more pleasant experience.
Instead of the usual windows, our listening room has small openings covered with 30 x 30 cm Perspex panels. These were less of an acoustic problem, but we did have a 120 x 60 cm window to the adjacent control room, which caused some harsh reflections. I used blinds to effectively diffuse the sound reflections from the glass. However, when I sat down to listen to the result, I could still hear that I was in a large room. I suspected that the few straight walls were reflecting too much sound, causing echoes.
As we had just bought and renovated our entire building, I needed to come up with an inexpensive solution for suitable absorbers. I found this on Michael Wynne's YouTube channel "In the Mix", where he builds 1200 x 600 x 100 mm acoustic panels using wood, damping materials, and cloth. In my case, I used jute mats (density 45-50 kg/sqm) recycled from old bean and coffee bags to dampen the treble and midrange. Shredded jute is an inexpensive choice, but there are some drawbacks: the damping factor is acceptable, but certainly not on par with more professional solutions such as Basotect (compare: rock wool 50-200 kg/sqm). There was also an unpleasant smell of mouse droppings at first. As a child, I once visited my uncle at the Bavarian public radio station and, walking past an absorber wall, had the feeling of being physically sucked into a vacuum. My DIY absorbers certainly do not produce this kind of dramatic effect.
To add more sound diffusion to the room, I bought four large, bushy plants and placed them along each of the side walls. Due to the lack of direct sunlight, these plants had to be artificial. From an acoustic point of view, it makes no difference whether a plant is organically grown or made of plastic. Artificial plants have the added advantage that they do not require a heavy pot of soil and can therefore be more easily moved to different positions to address various acoustic issues. To further reduce room reflections at the listening position, I chose large armchairs with high, absorbent backrests. These serve to increase the amount of direct rather than reflected sound reaching the ears.
Since the presence of sound waves also excites the furniture in the room, especially if the floor is made of wood, I chose HiFi racks that are capable of absorbing vibrations. In these, each HiFi unit is positioned separately on a shelf, each of which rests on spikes. The hollow steel legs are then filled with stabilising quartz sand to absorb acoustic vibrations within the structure. HiFi units containing large transformers are separated from the sensitive drive units by a separate structure to ensure correct reading of the source material without external noise. The racks are then coupled to the floor by steel spike pads on 4 mm felt pads. Felt is a chaotic structure and prevents floor vibrations from affecting the drive units.
The combination of measures works very well in the room. Both the treble and midrange sound vibrant and natural without over-emphasising any frequency. Vocals sound hauntingly real with an ever-present goosebump potential. Instruments are free from the speakers and are reproduced in their correct dimensions and timbre. There is a superior order to the music. Bass is mostly neutral to dry, with lots of layers and nuances, unless it falls uncomfortably close to the exact resonance frequency of the floor. At the time of writing, this is the only flaw that I can detect in my listening setup. As with everything in life, it is a concession to our house renovation budget. It might be worth experimenting with bass traps in the future to see if they, too, might have a positive effect on performance.
< 31. Understanding Room Acoustics | 29. Room Mode Calculations >
Published: 06/10/2024
Author: Karsten Hein
Category: Explorations
Tag(s): Vintage Radios
Life could have gone differently for German HiFi, if the industry had fully embraced the idea of creating icons. I love the look and feel of those early days, when anything still seemed possible, and I am thankful to my grandfather for preserving this opportunity for me well beyond his lifetime. So, Rudi, this article is for you.
The Saba Wildbad 100 valve radio, produced from 1959 to 1960, is a classic German radio model with a wooden cabinet, a horizontal station table, and large rotary dials. It operates on the superheterodyne principle and covers frequency bands from long wave (LW) and medium wave (MW) to short wave (SW) and ultra-short wave (FM). The Saba models of this period were renowned for their robust engineering, superior audio quality and meticulous craftsmanship. The Wildbad 100 is no different. It is a respectable member of the collectible vintage Saba line and is still sought after for its sonic fidelity and aesthetic appeal.
My grandfather was a lathe operator and a turner who understood craftsmanship. He was adventurous and a jack-of-all-trades who could fix almost anything in the house. A trained policeman before the war, he also had a sober view of right and wrong and would not tolerate much nonsense from anyone. When he still worked shifts in the factory, he had to plan his free time wisely. In the winter it was mainly family time, which he loved to spend with his grandchildren when we came to visit. Besides working in the garden or building things out of wood and Lego together, I remember sitting with him at dusk, watching the headlights of passing cars create wondrous shapes on the ceiling of the living room, or listening to that very same Saba radio.
Having thrown out his old music chest, my grandfather rebuilt the old Dual turntable (which it had come with) to fit into his sideboard and used his new Wildbad to amplify the sound. He did not own many records—not in the way that collectors do today—but those that he did own he played with great pleasure. His collection contained music ranging from Classical to Folk and German Schlager, but he also had German comedy shows, such as Jürgen von Manger and Emil, which we kids only half understood but somehow greatly enjoyed. Part of the charm of listening sessions with grandpa was in the shared experience, of course. But there was also another kind of warmth that I would come to miss in later years—this warmth came from vinyl as a source and from the radio itself.
Although many performances from the 50s to 80s were poorly recorded, they all possessed a warmth, richness, and sparkle that made listening a pleasure. Looking like a guitar amplifier, the Saba had a resonant wooden body that was closed enough to provide a chamber but open enough not to sound boxy or confined. Unless external speakers and an additional stereo module were present, the output remained mono, coming from a 24cm bass driver, a 24cm midrange driver, and two 10cm tweeters, mostly hidden behind a relatively thick woven fabric. The tweeters were located behind plastic grilles on either side of the cabinet. Both the bass and treble output could be attenuated to adjust the sound to suit the room’s furnishings, proximity to corners, and personal listening preferences. Whatever the setting, the tube-driven Wildbad 100 sounded sonorous and inviting.
Although the Saba Wildbad 100 does not use the now famous Saba Green Cone drivers (which are typically full-range with ALNICO magnets and are found in other models such as the Freiburg series) it does deliver lush and musky vocals and an engaging tonality with sufficient bass slam when driven at moderate living room volumes. Much like the Green Cone drivers, the Wildbad’s set of four drivers will start to sound flat, strained, and distorted when driven too hard. The 4 Watts tube amp power are just enough to reproduce the tonality and the power of a full human voice. In my opinion, it is this discipline that makes the Saba radios of this period so attractive. The Wildbad 100 produces vocals that have tangible substance and an almost forbidden allure.
Pressing the first of the eight ivory buttons on the front, the EM84 tuning indicator tube flickers into action, without the unit making a sound. As the tube warms up to the radio station with an increasingly narrowing band, the sound of the radio begins with heavy distortion, until the amplifier tubes have gathered enough substance to drive the speakers. It then takes another five minutes for the Saba to sound complete and another fifteen minutes for it to sound at its best. Soon, the heat from the tubes can be felt as a warm glow radiating above the wooden cabinet. Consider for a moment the flimsy plastic boomboxes that followed the Saba Wildbad in the 1970s and 1980s. Hardly any of them were tuned to the harmonics of the human voice. As a result, they sounded cold and lifeless by comparison.
When my mother came to visit us at the North Sea a few weeks ago, I gave her a tour of our studio as it is now set up. She listened to our Martin Logan SL3 system with the superb Symphonic Line RG9 MK5 amplifier, Thorens TD 320 turntable, and Marantz CD-17 CD player, as well as to our Tannoy XT8f system with the legendary Symphonic Line RG9 MK3 amplifier. She enjoyed the music very much and became quite emotional at times. Later, as we were sewing the Molton curtains for the listening room, I turned on the Saba Wildbad radio. After some minutes she stopped sewing, and looked up: “Is that my father’s old radio?” She wanted to know. “It’s really very good. I had no idea it could sound like that.” And even though I have gathered lots of experience in setting up systems over the years and now know how to achieve tonal balance even in a complex setup, I was still amazed at the undeniable charm that the Saba Wildbad delivers straight off the bat. Sit with it in the dark for a while, and you will understand why its charm endures.
SABA is the acronym of Schwarzwälder Apparate-Bau-Anstalt, a privately owned company founded in 1923 in Villingen, Germany, by Hermann Schultze. Initially, it produced clocks and household appliances, but soon expanded into radio technology during the 1920s and 1930s. By the 1950s, the SABA brand had become well-known for its high-quality radios and television sets and gained a reputation for excellent sound quality, especially with models like the Freiburg series that featured the famous automatic station search and high-end "green cone" speakers.
In the 1960s, SABA began producing televisions and ventured into consumer electronics. However, increased competition from international companies during the 1970s affected its financial stability. The company was eventually acquired by the French Thomson-Brandt group in 1980, which marked the end of its independence. Despite this, the SABA brand persisted in various forms, especially in the TV market and under Thomson's ownership. SABA remains a nostalgic brand, which is admired for its craftsmanship in radio and audio technologies, particularly during its mid-20th-century heyday.
If you happen to live within reach of 25709 Marne in northern Germany and own vintage Hi-Fi Stereo classics waiting to be explored and written about, I would be honoured to hear from you!
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Karsten