This is advice we should all take notice of. It’s from an extremely well written and extensive essay – How to discover new music amid all the streaming abundance – which we’ve headlined because it gets to the heart of much of what we do.
Within the article there’s one particular paragraph which is doubly relevant to you;
‘There are also things you can do to improve the listening experience. Investing in a good set of headphones or speakers will make a difference – as will proper speaker placement. You should opt for lossless and hi-res audio where available.’
In our last missive to you we explained how the upgrades made to Tidal’s steaming service directly benefits you in improved sound quality. And how the best network players from Lumin make the most of this. You may have previously tried streaming but found the results less than compelling; the good news is that there have been vast improvements, both from streaming services and in the performance of the electronics we use, so it’s definitely time to look again.
Improved streaming quality also makes the advice on speakers even more valid. While we have always advocated that better sound in will result in better sound out from any existing speakers, the improvements at source also mean that the gains made by superior speakers are magnified, simply because we’re giving them more to work with.
Having recently been invited to listen to two very special speaker systems the Sonus faber Amati Generation 5 (NZ$65,000) and the even newer Monitor Audio Hyphn (NZ$150,000), has raised some interesting questions; What can we learn from, both listening to, and understanding the intent behind these speakers and how does this relate to our own real life experiences?
Jeremy from Monitor Audio suggested to me that of all the components in home hifi systems, it’s loudspeakers where the most progress and change has happened and if anything the rate of change is accelerating. While an entry level speaker system still looks very much as it did 50 years ago, if you look and listen more closely, it will become obvious where the improvements are.
Loudspeaker design and manufacture used to be a hands on, trial and error affair with individuals building boxes and adding drivers to fit in with their own tastes and visions. This is exactly how both Sonus faber and Monitor Audio started. Now the same brands are sophisticated modern companies employing large design teams, purpose built factories with state of the art manufacturing and materials.
So at the entry level you get a speaker that sounds and looks much better, with far improved reliability and power handling. In fact even the term ‘entry level’ is a misnomer. For most people the idea of an audio speaker is just as likely to be a portable powered device used in tandem with their smartphone. This is part of the ubiquity of streaming. Unlike many in the HiFi industry I think this is a good thing as it opens music up for more people and that in turn means a percentage will want to enjoy their music even more.
But at the same time, the range of performance between introductory models from specialist designers and high end has become as massive as the price spread. Years ago when you listened to different models and brands it was often quite hard to discern that much of a difference. This has all changed and if we have one message for you it’s to ‘listen again’.
Sonus faber and Monitor Audio have distinct approaches yet also share much common ground. Their origin stories with Franco Serblin (1980) in Vicenza, Italy and and Mo Iqbal (1972) in Cambridge, England, run parallel. While they may appear to be in competition, the awareness of each companies unique character and aims is actually more complimentary, and has driven both to play to their respective strengths.
Sonus faber have cultivated the image of luxury with their brand, the emphasis on quality of materials and finish, Italian craftsmanship, and a sense of history. As you might expect given the G5 suffix, the Amati is very much a refinement of all that makes Sonus faber what it is.
Monitor Audio established themselves as a more conventional speaker designer, but quickly moved to their signature metal cone drivers and have greatly expanded their range and reach.
Monitor Audio Hyphn is a radically different proposition and looks like no other speaker with each speaker being built up out of 3 constituent assemblies – a pair of curved upright enclosures for the bass drivers and an array of tiny midrange drivers centred on a pleated ribbon tweeter. Again, there’s a lot already written on this statement speaker system both on Monitor Audio’s own site and this review which also echos my own listening. Again, here’s a review.
What I want to do here is provide you with some context about why speakers at this price level exist and what the real world benefits are to you…
With Sonus faber it’s all about continuity up and down the range. If we compare the most affordable and smallest Sonus faber – the Lumina I – to the Amati G5 you can see and hear the common elements; both hand made in the same Vincenza factory, both using drivers with natural organic materials (silk domes and pulp cones), and a series of design cues that ensure the essential Sonus faber quality – ‘the voice’ or midrange presence is immediately apparent to any listener from both these speakers.
And this is what’s so great about Sonus faber – for the first time listener, the diminutive Lumina i is instantly impressive because the key qualities of the brand are there. As we go up the range to the Amati’s and well beyond it’s essentially continual refinement, extension of performance and capabilities. This is not to understate how great all of these steps are. Very few speaker designers have the heritage or depth of range to compete with Sonus faber; they are legendary with good reason and with any model, you’ll hear the qualities that are consistently described in reviews
Monitor Audio Hyphn is also a product of Monitor Audio’s unique approach but bolder in terms of departing from convention. While there are so many points of difference with this design I’ll concentrate on two that have made a real impression with me. The pleated ribbon tweeter does things that no dome tweeter ever will – the frequency range (up to 100kHz) delivers not just top end detail but allows for a rise time that’s literally an order of magnitude better. The already excellent disposition in the horizontal plane is further enhanced by the array of midrange drivers. And by having all drivers made from variations of Monitor Audio’s Ceramic-Coated Aluminium/Magnesium there’s a seamless continuity between all of the drivers. Hyphn is blindingly fast and open sounding.
From my own perspective, Hyphn is the logical end point of a journey which started with the ‘Studio’ which remains my favourite Monitor Audio model; it’s much smaller and more affordable but was always a speaker designed by the MA design team for their own listening. The same team have delivered Hyphn as a cost-no-object project. This doesn’t mean to say there are aspects in the design that are needlessly expensive or cosmetic.
This sets both Sonus faber and Monitor Audio apart from so many other speaker manufacturers; they operate at the real high end which sets their expectations for the more affordable models. And they have the resources, both in design and manufacturing to consistently and reliably deliver. Each model from either designer has it’s own special character while still being true to the brands greater intentions.
Both companies have been operating for 40 and 50 years respectively and I’ve been dealing with them for the greater part of that. We have had forays into other brands and NZ made. However, in 2023 and beyond, we’ve built a carefully curated range of models from both Sonus faber and Monitor Audio that highlight the unique qualities of each brand, and will match with your own requirements and choice of electronics. We’re here to help you find that perfect solution and enhance it further with selected cables and accessories.
Circling back to the article we started with; the author explores the concept of ‘active listening’ in the context of learning to enjoy and appreciate new music. The same applies to evaluating audio components. While I’ve been detailing some of the technical highlights of the best speaker systems, it’s what they can do for you personally that really matters; we shouldn’t be taking an analytical approach and trying to break music down to components defined by numbers. Enjoying music is a holistic experience and can be deeply emotional. It’s that ‘being there’ feeling and the excitement of hearing something more clearly for the first time. So our audio components and systems are a means to this end.
This is how I listen – it’s to music that I’m presently enjoying and being able to easily stream in different locations makes this so much easier now. So my Tidal playlist has followed me around the country through different listening rooms and systems. You can do this too.
There’s also often commonality with some of the components which means I’m even more confident in reaching conclusions about what I’m hearing. One thing that has become startlingly obvious to me is that there’s a world of difference between throwing a few components together and building a system over time. If you’ve followed us for a few years we’ve become almost evangelical about the contribution made by NuPrime electronics and KLEI cables. And more recently the carbon fibre Bassocontinuo Aeon X racking system.
The upshot of this is that while I don’t want to undermine the impressive nature of the two high end speakers we’ve detailed, when I come home and listen to much more affordable Sonus fabers and Monitor Audios, it’s more to a sense of reassurance that we’re on the right track than any form of disappointment.
The flagship speakers, especially in the case of the MA Hyphn are able to comfortably fill huge spaces and are capable of volume levels that are quite simply damaging. As someone who intentionally stood next to speaker bins at the Gordons I fully get the fun involved in taking things to the extreme, but a slightly more sensible and mature version is hanging on to the hearing I have left and concentrating on quality over quantity. This is how we still manage to recreate that connection to the music.
Improving your music system not only allows you to better enjoy new music – it also renews your appreciation of the music you have grown with and in effect makes this also ‘new’. Of late we’ve found improvements made that are of the magnitude of remastering or more – well known albums can take on a whole new life.
So to wrap up, let’s go back over some of our recent reviews that connect with this discussion;
Lumin & Tidal Max explained – (October 2023) where we dive into genuine high resolution streaming.
In ‘Turtles all the way down’ (September 2023) I started to try and see the big picture that the above article captures more successfully. This was prompted by the review of the Bassocontinuo Aeon X carbon fibre rack.
Sonus faber Olympica Nova II (Feb 2023) There’s a direct connection between the Amati G5 and this model; in part the Amati’s had to be upgraded because there simply wasn’t that much daylight between the earlier models and the newer Olympica Nova series. And this neatly proves the point about high end models delivering real world benefits further down the range.
Sonus faber Lumina III (March 2021), Lumina I and Minima Amator II (both Jan 2021) These 3 models in the Sonus faber collection again demonstrate the unique nature of the brand and show just how affordable handmade Italian craftsmanship can be.
NuPrime are delivering exceptional streaming solutions. The Omnia A-300-SE (September 2022) is unbeatable as a fully integrated streaming amplifier and can only be bettered by moving up to combinations of the Lumin network players and NuPrime amps. The AMG STA (December 2020) has been our most popular solution with both Lumin and Sonus faber but we’ve been deeply impressed with other new models in similar contexts.
The AMG DAC (November 2022) sounds considerably better now than when we reviewed it just 12 months ago; The Lumin U2 Mini network transport and Tidal MAX give us such an improvement in source material that I have to seriously consider going back and re-writing the page. Likewise the Nuprime 9 series and even the entry level STA-100 can be seen in a new light.
Finally, the Monitor Audio Studio might have been introduced in February 2018 but it has proved to be well ahead of it’s time and we’re able to draw a direct line from the Studio to the Hyphn.
To say we live in interesting times would be an understatement right now. Being able to run our charity auction for NZAVS last month was great and a big thank you to all bidders and the eventual winner. We’ve got a lot going on over the next few months and while we hope to get away for a few days in the bush and at the beach, we will be on hand over the New Year period for all your audio needs and questions. Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia! John & Carolijn at Totally Wired.