The Most Accurate & Priceless Audio Components

Note: As far as penning my thoughts go I have been coasting along these past months and whenever my significant other asks what would be my next topic here (she’s my biggest, perhaps only fan) I almost always retort that I have been suffering from writer’s block. Okay, I can almost hear some saying “yeah like you were ever anywhere near being one”! The truth is we have been actively pursuing new directions in our off premises events and shows and which have demanded much of our time and energy. Thus whenever an opportunity presents itself and I have some spare time on the keyboard laziness just overcomes me. I keep telling myself the inspiration will hobble along if I waited long enough. Today was just such a day.


Our Ears & Bones – Our Most Prized Audio Components

“Sticks and Stones May break My Bones…And Make Me Deaf!”

A famous stage director once commented, "Acting is reacting. It's done with the ears, not the mouth." If we think that listening is passive then, as the French would say, au contraire because there is evidence to suggest that it is indeed active. So active is listening that sometimes we require the assistance of our bones as well!

Before we delve further let’s have quick synopsis of what our ears actually do. The inner ear, or vestibular-cochlear system, is one of the first sensory systems to develop in the foetus. Our ears are extraordinary organs which comprise a seemingly complex series of parts working in concert to pickup sounds and then translating or converting the data for our brains to decipher. Much like the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) of a CD player which section is responsible for converting the digital data into analog electrical signals which is what we finally get to hear from the loudspeakers. To put this hearing process in perspective we need only remind ourselves that all our other senses, namely taste, vision and smell depend on chemical reactions. Remarkably our hearing process is completely mechanical! Like the phono cartridge and tonearm of a record player or a loudspeaker.

However, we do not rely solely on our ears to pick up sounds incredible mechanical devices though they are especially when we understand the mechanics of everything they do.
Listening and hearing are two quite distinct activities which are available to the human aural function primarily because in hearing we use the inner ear, the cochlea, tympanic membrane amongst our other auditory anatomy. Whereas when we listen we are using the middle ear that creates the container for the auditory canal. In the middle ear there exists small, tiny muscles constantly operating to open and close the ear – almost as though it is selectively making a choice to what it wants to listen to.

It is not wrong, therefore, to say that the brain being a huge memory drive which stores our memories, belief systems, values and other critical systems to keep us alive governs when we listen and presumably influence how and what we listen to?

There are times when the middle ear is left open allowing too much sound to flood the brain thus over stimulating it. These overwhelming stimuli may confuse the brain which results in it not being able to make sense or process, in correct order, the incoming sound information.
The reverse is true when the middle ear is too closed down and not letting in enough sound. When there is a lack of sound stimulation the brain may become depressed in this instance because both sight and sound are skin to forms of food for the brain.

Do we not occasionally find the sound of our own voice extremely comforting, even therapeutic? The following exercises may appear primitive but some have discovered them to alleviate depression;

1) Begin by turning yourself around a few times to re-orientate yourself in space since hearing affects one’s balance. Clench your fingers into a fist and very lightly support your chin with it. This will synchronize your brain interpretation centers for sight and sound.

2) Have a familiar text ready, preferably one which gives you peace and has a calming effect for you. Read this passage out loud for approximately ten minutes. Do this every day.

The Tomatis Method

Your fist lightly supporting your chin behaves in the same manner as a microphone would and minutely amplifying sound by redirecting it back toward the ears. Many have found this exercise has the added benefits of helping one to speak or sing clearly because the mouth is producing only what the ear hears.

The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has demonstrated itself to be an effectively good healing tool for the middle ear. The Tomatis Method was developed by a French audiologist who spent years working specifically with opera singers. This method concentrates on listening to very high violin tones in Mozart music to achieve healing. The middle ear usually feels sore after going through its paces with the Tomatis Method much like an athlete’s sore muscles after a training session.

We must also determine which ear is the dominant ear. It has been suggested in The Tomatis Method that the right ear should be the dominant ear because of its connection to the left-brain - the part of the brain associated with language and speech. It follows that if the left ear is dominant, then the processing of sound is somewhat delayed when it is rerouted to the right ear first. In case I am misconstrued as promoting The Tomatis Method I’d like to state the following: “as always the skeptic I must caution that there is little or no evidence which supports that right ear dominance to be beneficial or that high frequency sounds really do charge the brain and the body.” Having said that if one were to understand theory more it certainly seems plausible.

The vestibular sense is located in the ear and has other functions besides regulating balance, muscle tone and the muscles of the eye. In concert with the cochlea it interprets and relays all sensory information to the brain. This includes touch and sight as well as sound.

Take Care of your Bones – Your Listening Depends On It!

So the next time you hit the irons at your local fitness centre please remember that good listening is dependent upon your bones because we don’t just listen through our ears. It has been known that individuals who have not established this are hypersensitive to sounds and literally feel too much. The function of sound received through our bones is the precursor to alert our ears of an incoming sound. The cochlea then determines the meaning of the sound and sends it off to the correct part of the brain. When the cochlea isn’t involved in the process then the only interpretation for sound is one of defense.

Before we all go out there and stuff ourselves with calcium supplements and dairy products thus causing our cholesterol levels to reach for the sky, it may be prudent to remind ourselves that our ears are our primary sound receptors. As mentioned earlier our ears are incredibly accurate audio systems in their own right - from picking up the original signal to amplifying it and playing it back for us!

Good listening starts with these components.


http://www.howstuffworks.com/hearing.htm

The Plague...

A disgruntled man called his friend one day saying that he has got the financial blues.

"What blues?" his friend replied.

"The current global financial malady that's affecting the world. It's been called a financial crisis, tsunami, meltdown, Armageddon, nuclear fallout, cancer, nightmare etc – substitute your favourite adjective. Call it what you will but it is spreading like a plague. Where have you been?" he cried in exasperation.

Where indeed.

Countless people have written, debated, criticized, theorised, opinionated, offered professional solutions ad infinitum. Many have had their fortunes, retirement nest egg, education fund, savings etc wiped out overnight. Many another lost their jobs. Assets that within just a few short weeks have been reduced to worthless liabilities. Some of us have a clear perception of the whole mess, some perhaps the bits and pieces and yet others haven't a clue or just not bothered. This last group would inherit the earth.

Why? Because unlike the disgruntled whiner above (read on to discover his identity) many another has gone on to discover new opportunities, develop existing relationships (both personal and business), create new networks, re-educate themselves among the many endeavours available to us all. Some who have made their fortunes (great and small) have decided that they have sufficient put aside to live within their means and simply go into semi-retirement. These same people will remember that once upon a time they saw opportunities present themselves and went ahead to grab them. They succeeded and re-invested their profits in various fixed income financial instruments that did not promise grillions of percent in return and saved just for a rainy day. Like now.

Would you like to know the secret that this select group possesses in spotting the opportunities? Well that's quite simple really – they made their fortune in the last two global financial scares in the 80s and 90s. Yes the same financial "malady" and "sickness" the world's media have been reporting about for most of the second half of 2008 to the point of boredom have occurred before. The surprise is how come we didn't see it coming again. And what are we doing about it this time around?

For the moment let's put the whys, whats and hows behind us and remind ourselves that what has occurred and still occurring in the world today was/is created by mere mortals. This monster seemingly morphed overnight to devour everything in its path was a man made disaster waiting to happen and when it manifested itself the world's financial institutions, moguls and authorities did not have a clue how to handle it and perhaps still don't.

Fear can be a powerfully destructive force if we allow it to destroy our state of mind. Or it can be a powerful energy if we know how to harness it as strength.

The events that have unfolded are now being handled in a globally coordinated approach and the better-prepared and responsible governments have implemented measures to contain the contagion. With such a massive concerted action never before seen there is perhaps a glimmer of hope in this foggy twilight and may I respectfully suggest that the worse is over give or take the occasional blips. And survive this episode we will because like all human experiences this too will come to past. History has much to teach us. If we allow it to.

As citizens of this increasingly global market we all have a part to play and we can start by being proactive and not get mired in a self-fulfilling prophecy. The stock and other financial markets are currently reflecting the nervousness and shear lack of confidence in the global economy. This phenomenon is a herd instinct and it is entirely up to every single one of us to give our markets a boost by being positive about its performance. In short we can make a difference by buying instead of selling.

The financial markets are not as complicated as most "experts" would like us to believe – just picture a scenario where a day dawns and just a third of the world's investors start buying? It could be anything from stocks to indices to property to cars to audio – you get the idea. This may sound flippant and irresponsible but the most effective remedy for the current financial malady is simply to start buying again. Besides the feel good factor we are all contributing to the recovery we are all hoping for.

Demand will generate business and thus jobs. We will have more disposable income and with that more confidence to invest in the markets again. Property prices will appreciate reflecting the positive sentiments and true market value. For my part I am selectively buying small into the global stock markets and nosing about for a nice property to enhance my investment portfolio. Although I have yet to turn a profit I am confident in time I will. I am also re-modeling my home to capitalize on the very much lower cost of raw materials and labour charges. And of course upgrading my reference audio system.

So let us stop waiting for the recovery to happen from the (anticipated) middle of 2010 as touted by numerous financial experts, media and captains of industry - self styled or bona fide. After all weren't they the same experts who got us into this mess in the first place?

Let's instead help ourselves. Like those who made their fortunes in the last two financial "crises". And set us on the road to recovery from this moment on. Finally don't be like the whiner whose conversation circa 1997 I was referring to at the beginning. I know the story well. That whiner was I.

The Singapore F1 Audio Show At The Revelation Room

What a rush it was these past weeks from the pre-show preparations right up to the show days and the post-show hangover was not unlike inhaling copious amounts of our favourite single malts. It was hectic, frantic and chaotic. Many a night we toiled to just before dawn to get the showroom to be less “show roomy” and just plain homey.

We were expecting the unexpected. It started with the delay of Ypsilon Electronics’SET 100 monoblock amplifiers, all 230 kg of them, which made it to Singapore just two days before the show. Andy Hassapis at Ypsilon Electronics was one worried man when he had all of 10 days to have the amplifiers ready and shipped to the showroom in time for the show. He himself arrived in Singapore on the first day of the show and came straight from the airport, disheveled hair, crumpled clothes, bloodshot eyes, still maintaining his Grecian good looks but screaming “insufficient burn-in time boys”! He smiled ruefully when someone offered him a stiff whisky.

Thankfully our SoundLAB electrostatics complete with the latest updates & hot-rod were actually the first of many new arrivals exclusively for the show because we wanted to ensure the very latest updates from our partners. The crates were indeed monstrous and it was the job of four men to lift each crate and to unpack them. Real beauties they are both sonically and aesthetically.

True to his Swiss watch making roots and his creative genius in turntable design, Micha Huber arrived in Singapore precisely 5 days ahead of the show as promised with his patented Thales Tonarm in tow and complete with his own reference LPs for demo. He also lugged along a few phono cartridges (EMT & Benz Ruby 3) just in case of an emergency and we were relieved he did as we would later discover. The massive Pythagoras turntable (patented), crafted from laboratory grade steel & Norwegian granite among others, arrived two days before him and his brother Emanuel - ready to be expertly assembled, tested and tuned. Svein Oddvar Osen of Audiostone arrived 24 hours after the Huber brothers looking alive and fresh despite not having slept for the last 48 hours – if they didn't invent Clark Kent this man would have been the man of steel!

The vivacious Vovox cables of Switzerland arrived 10 days before the show and we were ecstatic because we know them to be musical cables. Folks, Vovox is one of the first cables we have ever auditioned that handily dispenses with all the witchcraft and voodoo of lesser pretenders at any cost. We are prepared to pit them against the (astronomically priced) frauds out there. Our one regret was the lack of time to run them in because after two weeks or more they simply vanished from the audio chain. You heard it here first.

We were eagerly expecting delivery of the fully loaded Nova Physics Group 32 BIT/215KHZ Memory Player, which Mark Porzilli & Lauufer Teknik pulled out all stops to have the first of the latest production version delivered to us. Sadly a day before the show the freight company informed us of a delay and the Memory Player wouldn't make it in time for the F1 Show. Murphy was already letting us know he would be attending.

September 24th Day One of Final Preparation, Murphy's Visit & The Beauties of Joo Chiat Road

Most of our other equipment were stored away on the second level showrooms to create space for a more conducive environment. The Huber brothers, yours truly and a few others begin the final set-up procedure and tuning of the showroom after we stripped away the professional room treatments to achieve a more neutral sounding room. Don't get us wrong we know room treatment is indispensable in certain rooms and because our showrooms were acoustically (wanted to use the crappy term "proprietary" most reviewers/manufacturers use but...) treated during our recent renovation.

At 11.45 in the am Kuehne & Nagel called to say that because of incomplete documents they couldn't move the Pythagoras flight cases out of custom. Fine we replied and had the papers ready before they could hang up the phone. That done we were then informed that all of their trucks were out for the day and night delivery is possible but with an up charge. Up charge no problem but what time? After 6pm they say. No, we wouldn't be able to complete assembly, testing and tuning in time. “We will rent a truck and drive down to pick it ourselves!” commanded our mighty Micha. Onward and upward boys! And so it was that we managed to locate both truck and driver and to the airport we went. When the gargantuan 230 kg flight cases finally arrived at TRR's showroom we moved them to position before unpacking the works of art within. The set-up of the Pythagoras and Thales took approximately 2 hours before we could finally tune the system. Despite the air-conditioning at full throttle it was hard and thirsty work. Oy! Who forgot to order beers, OJ and coffee?

Before we knew it the sun had set for the day and dinnertime had way passed us by and so it was to be a short stroll down to jolly Joo Chiat Road for supper. For the Europeans this was their first exposure to the colourful spectacle of Singapore's infamous pub/karaoke strip. The boys were a little intrigued and one or two even had proposals made and some!

September 25th Day Two of Final Preparation & Murphy's Second Visit

We'd been so pre-occupied with the logistics and planning for the show we forgot to book our own F1 tickets. So the first of many mad tickets scrambles had begun. In the process of calibrating the arm, VTA, stylus force etc for the Thales tonearm, Micha Huber's digital cartridge gauge faltered and finally failed. Out came The Revelation Room's in-house digital gauge and that decided to join in solidarity with the Micha's gauge. “Don't worry, our trusty old manual Shure stylus force gauge will save us” said I. No less truer words were uttered for the Shure no longer resided in the TRR Analog Kit Box! Too, where's our reference soldering iron? Murphy certainly was smiling down upon us. Mad rush for these items with less than 24 hours before our friends came over for the show.

Having gone separate ways to fulfill our individual responsibilities we returned with our soldering irons, Clearaudio digital stylus gauge and some really cold Singhas & Tsingtaos, the latter for those who had the thirstier responsibilities.

Micha started laughing and commented that at least we have a plasma display for his presentation during the show days. “Eh, what display for what?!” went I. Murphy by then was standing next to us and smirking. Plasma ordered and arrived within 3 hours and the delivery guy wants to know where to place it for the presentation. Right there on the floor by the wall he is told but someone forgot that it is quite a strain on neck when one has to view from a standing position. Or all our guests could just sit on the floor. Who forgot the stand for the plasma?

By the late afternoon, Micha was banging away on his notebook for the final preparation and translation of his presentation. I was on the phone with a friend (one of Singapore's most renown composer) asking for his help to phrase a one-line definition of Pythagoras' Theorem of Musical Frequencies. This was important because it is exactly how Micha has based the design of his tonearm and turntable – pure engineering based on established mathematics. He doesn't believe in inapt engineering and then building solutions to correct the fundamental mistakes. Simply put no band-aid approach is acceptable or desirable.

I was thinking out loud when I suggested that it might be a good idea for an elegant velvet cover to unveil the turntable just before the show proper – to add a dash of the dramatic. Cyril, our most indispensable engineer, friend and beer provider, not in any order, and the man behind the incredible precision forging of Pythagoras' bearings, set to work and literally within hours procured the right materials, hacked, sawed & stitched together a beautiful velvet veil - with the help of the Huber brothers of course.

Finally we sat down to select the LPs we most wanted to play during the show and it may come as a surprise to many that our selection, from classical to rock, had not a single “audiophile” favourite amongst them. They were selected for their musical pleasure and creative genius. We decided that we would stick with our choice and it was our turn to be surprised as it turned out because not a single soul noticed or requested for the “audiophile” faves though they were prominently displayed. Testimony to the emotional impact of the music brought to its majestic glory by this audio system.

September 26th Show Day – The Full Dress Rehearsal

This was an absolutely fun day and one of many during this event we would later come to realise. All of us turned up dressed in the specially tailored polo tees, which Svein Osen very thoughtfully custom tailored for us in Norway exclusively for the show. We were very relaxed and friends with very discerning ears arrived with wreathes of flowers, gifts and well wishes. We enjoyed an early lunch along with some ice-cold beers, juices and coffee. It was one of those occasions when everyone was too relax and familiar with each other to make small talk so we all got down to what this event was all about – the incredible audio system. They finally had a chance to hear the most beautiful and organic music that an audio system of this caliber is capable of reproducing. Shocked silence. Teary eyes. Nodding of heads. Blabbering gibberish. Animated adjectives.

The music went on for hours till almost midnight before everyone realised that we missed dinner and had to take our reluctant leave of the showroom and headed out to our respective homes, favourite eateries still open for custom and Singapore's famed Orchard Towers to observe, ahem, nocturnal life forms.

September 27th Show Day - The VIP & EO Show

The day started great. The caterers from Purple Sage, Singapore's premier caterers, arrived early to set up the kitchen, bistro tables, flowers, chilling the champagne etc for the brunch. It was a beautiful job – thanks Tony.

Micha, Svein, Andy et al arrived decked out in their coolest suits and jackets looking really more like a Milan fashion parade rather than an exotic high-end audio show!
A final test run of the notebook and plasma display for Micha's presentation and of course the audio system given a proper warm-up.

Our guests started streaming in 10.30am with others coming in at different times. I made introductions and short descriptions of the audio components and the people behind these works of art. It was rather informal with a relaxed atmosphere and people were sipping champagne served by roving uniformed butlers amid the buzz of understated excitement. Then a very anxious gentleman finally requested that we start the music because he was beyond himself with anticipation. And so it was captivating music for the next hour before we had to make a short announcement that there was scrumptious and exotic fusion fare being served and accompanied by more delicious bubbly.

This was followed by Micha Huber's enlightening presentation explaining how he arrived at the final production version of the Thales tonearm & Pythagoras turntable. Many of us were left spellbound by his creative genius supported by his logical and successful solutions to analog replay's limitations which many vastly experienced designers before him had attempted to address but failed. And he achieved this while still designing and prototyping complicated precision Swiss watch movements. All this at a ripe old age of 28 years - makes me wonder what I did with my 35. Okay so maybe 45, whatever, who is counting anyway?!

Through it all the SoundLAB electrostatics were flawless in its beautiful rendering of music even at extreme volume levels with an impressive bass down to the low twenties – most have never heard fast bass until now and that's not an oxymoron! Music portrayed by the SoundLAB possesses a liquidity that flows and ebbs with an ease and precision that emotionally engages with its colours, timbres and exciting dynamic slam. Makes other loudspeakers sound wanting.

Few are the amplifiers available that are able to drive the wonderful SoundLAB transducers without clipping. Many have their weaknesses exposed by its neutrality and transparency. Many just plain sound inadequate in the process of driving the speakers. Even fewer are capable of driving them to their full potential. Rare are the ones that are as transparent and neutral as the SoundLABs allowing the emotion of music to flow with all the slam, dynamic impact and finesse approximating the real event. The mind-boggling neutrality and melodious musicality of the Ypsilon Electronics SET 100 monoblock amplifiers are indeed rare in our experience. These 85 kg a piece monoblock challenge the envelope of what is possible in audio amplifiers in an elegantly designed single-ended Class A device that is patented.

Unlike other offerings of similar investment or more – you know, those whose names sound like radio stations or rocks or wires - the SET 100s do not resort to pseudo Class A biasing techniques, unnecessarily complicated power supplies, multistage circuitry nor do they pretend to. A circuit so simple taken to its nth degree of amplifier engineering supported by extremely costly amorphous metal in its magnetics along with other exotic passive parts either exclusively customized or made in-house. No they do not put out a grillion watts or half that in amperes to light-up the neighbourhood - just a simple and ample 140 watts each channel with every one of them in true Class A.

Music flowed continuously till it was time to head on out for the night's qualifying rounds of F1 races and our own mad rush for any available tickets. Yes, this time it was our fault and Murphy need not take the blame because in the midst of all the preparations for our show we completely forgot to book our own tickets.

September 28th Show Day - The Music Lovers

We were still hoping to snag an F1 Walkabout ticket or two but if all else fails there are still friends to celebrate with a beer or an aperitif or two or three…We knew today would be another fun day and being the last day we dropped a gear and felt laid back and relaxed. For today we were going to have separate sessions for interestingly mixed groups of music lovers and audiophiles – the second session involving a specially invited group of sophisticated listeners and friends from Singapore's local audio forum, Echoloft.

Today was local Singapore fare like lamb curry, roast duck (siu aap), roast pork, assortment of noodles, rice etc. Too, we had a nice selection of Asian Beers like Tsingtao, LEO, Chang, Singha, San Miguel, and Kingfisher among others. My sister who makes the absolutely most delicious Chocolate Ganache cake made from real Belgian dark chocolate and Philadelphia Cream Cheese Carrot cake provided dessert as she did the day before.

All in all it was a repeat of yesterday's schedule with Micha anchoring the presentation to a rapt and appreciative audience. The difference was today the guys were firing away questions because being audiophiles they knew that this is probably their only chance for a very long time before they get to meet with such a brilliant personality. Indeed.

Even with a cartridge wire coming loose and requiring a new solder joint everyone had fun exchanging ideas on audio technology, choice of LPs to play, which pressings are great, early pressings, test pressings and helping themselves to the spread. By the time the last group arrived it was close to 4.45pm and all too soon the day drew to a close and when the last soul reluctantly left it was almost 7.15 pm. Our boys rushed off to immerse themselves in the fiesta like mood and catch a glimpse of the Finals of Singapore's inaugural F1 Night Race. Andy of Ypsilon Electronics didn't have the luxury of time to stay because of business commitments and left immediately for the airport for his flight back to Athens.

Post Show Round Up

Monday morning was bright and sunny. The Huber brothers and I enjoyed a nice and slow leisurely day to savour some incredibly beautiful music together as music lovers. Cyril, who had to leave for the airport in the late evening, hopped over at noon gently nursing a mild hangover after soaking in the carnival like atmosphere of the post F1 street party. By noon we decided to get some fresh air and headed for the East Coast beach for a dip in the nice cool waters. We lazed with chilled Sangria and delectable seafood baskets at the Irish pub by the beach. Cyril left for his flight and in the evening we headed to Geylang Serai to take in the sights and smells of the local Malay festivities of Ramadan in preparation for Hari Raya Puasa the day after. The boys managed a couple of lovely Malay outfits and even bought one for their mother. Hell, we even had special Thales caps custom made!

The following day it was time to do the customary touristy bit. We made a quick token trip to Adelphi, home to many well-known audio shops in Singapore. Then it was a short walk to Chinatown for an eagerly anticipated lunch since we were famished. A bit of shop and browse after that and who can leave Singapore without taking a fume enriched walk along Singapore's iconic Orchard Road? Emanuel even had a chance to meet with one of Singapore's most famous tattoo artist and my good friend, Richard, son of the one and only iconic Johnny Two Thumb. After that we headed back to the hotel to pick up the Huber brothers’luggage and a quick trip back to the showroom to say goodbye and off to the airport.

We are grateful to everyone from our esteemed guests of EO Singapore, to our friends, suppliers and principals for contributing to The Revelation Room's first ever F1 Show. It was great fun, educational, enlightening and enriching experience.

A special thank you to Micha Huber and his brother Emanuel for going the extra mile and beyond – you are truly special and my baby Danielle remembers you fondly. Everyone had a fabulous time eating, drinking and listening to one of the most beautiful sounding audio system ever assembled anywhere – I know I won't forget this anytime soon.

Till the next show......, Sali, Sali, Sali!