SOUNDBOXES VI: HEARING THREE DIMENSIONAL SOUND…WITH NEW PARTNERS – THE AUDIO ANALOGUE PRIMO SETTANTA REV. 2.0 AND JUNGSON V99 VALVE AMPLIFIER MATCHED TO THE DA VINCI EMMESPEAKERS

Many reviews of hi fi kit will not describe a system as producing three dimensional sound as the centrepiece of their review, but I will hazard just such an argument. Many mainstream hi fi journals will be even less likely to consider reviewing equipment that is under-promoted in international markets. This is where my blog fills a niche. Hearing is indeed believing that sound can indeed ‘paint’ invisible physical presences in your midst. Listening to an orchestra can mean visualizing the placing of violin sections, cellos, horns, harp and percussion to the extreme left or right or in near left, near right etc. The singer is likewise placeable left of centre, centre, or occasionally right of centre. Most of the classic crooners and songbirds of the 1950s through 1970s apparently stand either at the centre or in centre-left. I digress because I want to make clear that this is what I mean by three dimensional sound. So this review will be as much about the Da Vinci speakers as well as the amplifiers temporarily obtained for a test session. The Da Vinci is the proverbial ‘Belle of the Ball’, graciously taking turns with two fascinating partners on the ballroom floor: a solid state Italian-made amplifier that packs a punch bigger than its size, and a delicately designed China-made integrated valve amplifier. Two extreme partners, and one breath-taking pair of artistic high end speakers! My test sources are the classic BEL CANTO CD-2 reviewed two years ago on this blog, and the Shanling CD-T2000 valve cd player.

 

Audio Analogue Primo Settanta REV2.0

When I reviewed the Da Vinci Emmespeakers in August 2015, I had described it as conveying ‘emotional realism’ and a ‘3D-like sound’. Pairing with the under-reviewed Audio Analogue Primo Settanta Rev 2.0, ‘three dimensional-ism’ is given its most explicit definition to-date. The first review in English that I had come across on the amplifier was by Dave Oliver of AVreview.co.uk from July 2004, reproduced on the blog Jack’s Place, at http://www.jackvandijk.nl/hifi_audio_analogue_primo_review_1.php, from which I quote the gist of the review:

“The overall sound of the pair together [i.e. the amplifier and its partnering Primo CD player] is smooth, rich, and perhaps even a tad milky - certainly extremely fluid. That's not to say that it's in any way fuzzy, although it's perhaps not quite as sharp as it could be, but there is an inviting richness to it that largely banishes listening fatigue. Partnering with particularly warm speakers may not be the best move unless you habitually listen in bed, with mug of cocoa in hand - you can have too much of a good thing. But with detailed and even slightly bright speakers you can get a marvellously rich and inviting sound that draws you in, reproducing virtually all the detail you could want, while presenting it within a lush and enticing soundstage.”

He was obviously struggling to capture that audio magic that was emanating from the Primo Settanta. I will supplement that by calling it ‘3D’ plus a lot more. Here are the official specifications for the Primo amplifier:

Dimensions	2,9 x 8,3 x 15,7 "
Weight	16,5 Lbs
Optional Phono Preamplifier
Line input impedance	40 KOhm
Frequency response	> 100 KHz
SNR	94 dB
Output power	70W / 8Ohm p.c.
5 Line Inputs / 1 Phono Input (optional) + Tape Out

 [Source: http://www.audioanalogue.com/primo-settanta-rev20-PS11-scheda7.html]

Moreover, the manufacturer described their distinguishing feature to be ‘high-performance circuits with wide bandwidth and low feedback, separated circuit sections for each channel, linear analogic power supply with a toroidal transformer and five different stabilizing sections, high quality passive components, integrated-resistor network volume controls with no buffer for maximum sound transparency.’ What were the test discs: Ronnie Aldrich and the London Festival Orchestra on LOVE STORY/THE WAY WE WERE’ on Vocalion, Reader’s Digest’s EASY LISTENING MAGIC 6CD compilation and Diana Krall’s QUIET NIGHTS CD album.

                What were the results? The transparency was astounding. I concur with the reviewer quoted above – the level of detailed reproduced is jaw-dropping, and the soundstage was enticing. I didn’t however feel that the sound was overly rich and ‘a tad milky’. I would say the Primo conveyed presence, immediacy and a very lively sound. The ‘in your room’ experience was near sensational for an amplifier of that size giving off 70 Watts. In fact, given the modest size of my listening room, I hardly turned the volume beyond the 8 – 9 o’clock position. And what a nice volume dial it is, especially at night when its illuminated apple green dots on the circumference indicate the degree of loudness without numbers. A small but nice touch indeed, considering that this amplifier directs your attention to the music instead of to its looks – which are very modest. A look at the insides through the slotted steel casing reveals a gigantic toroidal transformer that generates a huge amount of heat reminiscent of a valve amplifier. Power with lots of headroom indeed.

         Those of you familiar with the recording techniques of DECCA’s famous FFRR stereo sound will enjoy how Ronnie Aldrich’s two pianos sounded through the Primo in tandem with the Da Vincis: full bodied presentation with natural extended decay on his every deliberate note. Aldrich’s piano is often underappreciated if one does not hear it the way it was meant to sound: sonorous by being intentionally ponderous in its registers. Aldrich ensures that every ivory note for instance on slow tracks like ‘It’s Impossible’ and ‘Love Story’, ‘The Way We Were’, even ‘I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song’ have a distinctively drawn out melodic colour to them. Ronnie Aldrich played in such a manner that he never sounded like his contemporaries such as Ferrante and Teicher, Floyd Cramer, Peter Nero and Clayderman. He was a master of letting the long slow note hang out. On the faster pieces like ‘Mr Bojangles’ and ‘Rose Garden’, ‘My Sweet Lord’ or ‘Love’s Theme’, the concert Aldrich manifests with dramatic flourishes that underline the signature turns and changes of chords that make each melody memorable. All this can be heard through the Primo – Da Vinci combination. In her turn, Diana Krall makes a very precise sonic appearance in the listening room in a holographic stage that is astounding in its placement of sound direction and majesty. On ‘Walk on By’, I was particularly thrilled by Claus Ogerman’s arrangement of slow horns as kind of instrumental lament within the Bacharach inspired arrangement of a countermelody following the chorus line ‘walk on by’. Krall’s piano playing too was very haunting in its sparse pattern. Every touch of the ivories evoked the sadness of the lyrics in very poignant measure.

Finally, the Reader’s Digest compilation found new life as a digital version of vinyl – and I mean this in the best possible way. If vinyl could sound forever pristine, the Primo reproduced it as such! From Geoff Love’s ‘Misty’ to Acker Bilk’s ‘I’m in the Mood for Love’ to Ray Conniff’s ‘Moonlight Serenade’, every note carried an emotional weight that was felt rather than just listened to. This is the mark of a truly great amplifier matched to equally magnificent speakers. It moves the soul and recalls what vinyl could be if a record could last forever in spite of heat-induced erosion, climatic conditions and friction from the stylus on a turntable…The Primo Settanta is surely what sonic dreams are made of. A very minor ‘problem’ however is that the removal of the buffer in sound reproduction results in a distinct level of background ‘hum’ reminiscent of valve amplifiers. The Da Vinci speakers cut down a huge amount of it but a small residue is still audible – but very tolerable. In fact, you’ll forget the ‘hum’ once the music gets underway. It was the same when I tried pairing the Primo with the PATHOS Frontiers Prime five-way floor standers. In fact, the PATHOS speakers revealed the power limitations of the Primo when one played it at volumes comparable to when it was matched with the Da Vincis – the ‘highs’ peaked in a very definite plateau – but not in an unpleasant way - but the mid-range and lower registers in most of the test discs were still riveting and devoid of listener fatigue. The conclusion could only be that the Da Vincis were the choice partner the Primo would proverbially ‘take to the dance floor’ in harmony.

           The Jungson V99 Export/Luxury Edition Valve Integrated Amplifier

                Valve amplifiers traditionally appeal to the ‘techie’ more than the art collector. The Jungson V99 Export Edition is more the latter – at least for me. According to the only website selling it on the Web, the manufacturer took care to coat and polish the three circular metal mounds housing the transformers to ensure it would remain shiny for a very long time. Plant the constellation of 4 large KT88 valves on the left and right positions, and cluster the remaining four ECC82 and ECC83 mini-valves in the middle rear section between the rear transformers and you have a fascinating ‘hall of mirrors’ on the sturdy, raised chassis. Unlike many other valve amplifiers, this chassis is raised on sturdy rubber stands by nearly an inch. This architectural ensemble creates a visual energy field that engages the sight and mind while the music plays. Turn down the lights in the listening room and you will see the reflections of the lighted tubes mirrored in the shiny metal mounds from virtually every direction you look at the kit. For a moment, the sight tricks your imagination into thinking the amplifier boasts 16 tubes instead. Plenty of light, plenty of warmth, and probably plenty of power. Indeed, this sound of the V99 purrs power. The vintage car image is reinforced by two very unusual, and removable, curved glass plates positioned in front of the KT88 valves that prevent accidental contact between your fingers and the burning hot valves in peak performance (see the pictures).

 

The grace of that power grows on you very subtly. The sight of reflections echo sentimentality, and the sound seconds that sensation. Hear every possible song you have ever liked through it and discover hidden textures you never realized existed on the original recordings. This is the magic of V99. Every note has air surrounding it, and each performer takes pride in their performance. To ensure you get the most out of every recording, there is even a switch at the back that allows you to toggle between ULR (ultrilinear) mode and TR (triode) mode. I asked the Singapore dealer of Jungson Audio products (AUDIO88 at Adelphi Shopping Centre) and he said that TR means the amplifier is operating at fully Class A configuration, albeit at slightly lower power. I personally found that barring very ‘bad’ or ‘extreme’ recordings that occurred in sonically diffuse venues, the ULR mode was the better performer. Anything that was originally recorded in analogue sounded great in that mode. If jazz were recorded in closed-in intimate venues like clubs, bars and small theatrettes, the TR mode would bring the soloist several feet closer to you! The remote control for the V99 ought also to be praised for its simplicity and big round steel buttons for MODE, VOL +, VOL -. A downside for some audiophiles might be the lack of a Phono stage and jack. Here are the specifications of the V99:

Power Output (RMS): 40W x 2 (Ultralinear mode),

22W x 2 (Triode mode)

THD: ≤1% (1 kHz/1W)

S/N ratio: ≥ 95db

Frequency response: 18 Hz - 38 kHz (± 0.5db)

Input impedance: 100Kohms

Output load impedance: 4-8ohms

Input sensitivity: 260mV

 

The dealer also mentioned that Jungson Audio usually shipped their Luxury/Export editions with better quality valves, which I take to refer to possibly Slovakia made JJ valves: 4 x KT88, 2 x ECC82, 2 x ECC83. But my version seemed to have the squarish red Jungson logo printed on them. Some valve techies would go to extremes trying to discern Chinese made versions of the Slovak valves, but in my test piece, even if they were Chinese copies, they sounded magnificent. Jungson Audio have been primarily focussed on the massive internal Chinese market and hence their products are relatively under-promoted and under-reviewed outside China.

                Following on the heels of the Audio Analogue Primo test, I was pleasantly surprised at how the V99 managed to transform the music – not by a lot – but enough to make a difference to hearing. Ronnie Aldrich was in the room, and his piano never sounded flabby or draggy in every note. Instead, every note contained a purposeful flourish. If I didn’t have any more amplifiers to review for sheer pleasure, I would conclude that this is the amplifier for playing back the original analogue sound of Mr Aldrich with the London Festival Orchestra. Moreover, the V99 seemed to have vanquished all of the standing waves with the aid of the Da Vinci speakers. What about Diana Krall’s sound? She was inches closer to the listener. It makes you realise her ‘magic’ lay in her vocal technique of breathing and pushing out the last syllable as a prolonged puff of air. Listen to ‘Quiet Nights’, ‘I’ve Grown Accustomed to her face’ and ‘So Nice’ and you’ll be convinced this album isn’t like what the critics say it is. It is tender, emotional, expressive, hauntingly in a lament – the way good attitude-driven jazz does in sonically transcribing a mood. The Reader’s Digest compilation sparkled likewise. Manuel’s wall to wall strings and violas were revealed in arrays of sonic depth. Ray Conniff’s brass section had a whole lot more air and space around them and Henry Mancini’s piano work recalled the qualities of ivory beneath the bonnet of a grand piano. Acker Bilk, was literally breathing through the clarinet, with the human whistle-like quality of his instrument fully in bloom. Very pleasant and very smooth on ‘I’m in the Mood for Love’ and ‘Auf Wiedersehn Sweetheart’.

A Happy Dilemma – Did the Da Vincis ‘equalize’ the competition?

                At the end of the day, if I had the space & the cash, I would have liked to keep both amplifiers. The Primo Settanta had just about all the attributes of a high powered valve amplifier, and a grace to match, minus the immense heat from the valves. To me, it was revealing its fullest colours with the Da Vincis. I should add at the end of this review that I had previously tested it on a Focus Audio FS78s, Totem Sttafs and Revel F32s. With these partners, the Primo proved itself a very powerful sports car with some graceful curves in sight and sensitive to the point of magnifying standing waves if the room was under-sized. With the Da Vincis’ circular box design, lifted way off the floor, the Primo showed off the proverbial polish of a newly discovered debutante at the Ball: capable of making music sound like almost the very best valve amplifiers. It was not silky in a conventional sense – but more live, three dimensional and a lot of ‘living presence’ in your listening space. Power was on display, but graceful power. With the Jungson V99, it was also graceful power that sounded more like ‘grace’ over ‘power’. It is like a musical friend that grows on you if you are willing to accept that music is not always about putting out loads of power. Schedule a listening session if you have a dealer in your neighbourhood, the V99 is probably one huge hidden secret of Chinese high end audio, aside from the Shanling range. And don’t believe all the bad press on online forums about Jungson products – there are good dealers out there offering a great product and solid after sales support.

                And the final note ought to go to the Da Vinci Emmespeakers: bravo on equalizing the competition between two very fine amplifiers!

ALAN
21 Dec 2015