2021 EAN Product Of The Year!Rogue Audio Tube Combo!RP-5/RP-7 Preamps,Stereo 100 Power Amp

You Pick It !

A Rogue  Audio Tube Combo:

RP-5 or RP-7 Tube Preamp 

With Rogue Audio Stereo 100 Amp

www.rogueaudio.com

  “For 25 years, Rogue Audio has delivered classy, true-to-the music, tube designs in various configurations. The Stereo 100 and either of the aforementioned RP series preamps are a perfect pairing if you want the classic smoothness of tubes with a dose of tight, dynamic and a consistent airy sonic presentation.

  The Stereo 100 is a one terrific amplifier, utilizing KT120 output tubes, ultra-linear or triode operation, adjustable bias and a complement of quality audiophile grade of parts that is a pure treat for your favorite speakers. And it ain’t that expensive, considering the premium performance. You combine it with either the RP-7 12AU7-based preamp ($4,995), or the slightly more Euphonic RP-9’s 6H30P tube-based design $7,995) (both pre’s with plenty of connection options), and you get the gorgeous, but gentle accuracy that Rogue tube products are all about.

  Whether its vinyl, digital media, streaming, or a great Classical station from your favorite tuner, the audio listening experience is always satisfying with a pairing of Rogue’s.”

—John Gatski

 EAN Founder John Gatski has been evaluating consumer, audiophile, home cinema and professional audio gear since 1988. In 1995, he created Pro Audio Review, and he has written for Sound-On-Sound, Audio, Laserviews, Enjoy The Music, The Audiophile Voice, High Performance Review, Radio World and TV Technology. Everything Audio Network is based in Kensington, Md. Articles on this site are the copyright of the ©Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited. John Gatski can be reached via email: jmgatski@gmail.com

EAN Product Of The Year:Best Upgrade!Essence Adds Native DSDTo HDACC II-4K HDMI DAC

Essence Adds Pure DSD Playback
To HDACC II-4K HDMI DAC
New DAC Price: $599;
(Older Units Updated Via Firmware)

www.essenceelectrostatic.com

 “When EAN reviewed the HDACC II-4K HDMI v2.0b DAC a few years ago, we loved everything about its ability to decode hi-res PCM audio from its HDMI input (as well as TOSlink and Coax). And it offered upsampling, headphone amp, analog input, 4K picture quality, etc. It was a bargain at $600! However, its only flaw was no decoding of pure DSD from SACDs and DSD files (via player USB stick inputs). The DAC could convert the DSD to PCM, but no discrete DSD playback was possible. The HDACC II-4K had the DSD decode capability built into the DAC chip; it just was not turned on.
  We wondered aloud to Essence whether the factory could activate the DSD-over-HDMI decoding  feature, Eventually, low and behold, the pure DSD decode process  was finally turned on in a firmware update. So now, audiophiles with SACD/DSD player capability, via the HDMI, can connect their player to the HDACC II-4K and hear the pure stereo DSD from its outputs. It can,  in fact, play the higher 5.6 MHz sample rate DSD that is often used in audio files. If you have a cheap universal player with SACD capability (2.8 MHz) and HDMI (Sony, Samsung Pioneer, etc.). the  HDACC II-4K decode is quite a treat for your ears over an internal player’s decoding. Even against the mighty Oppo BDP-205 internal converters, the Essence holds its own — just using a cheap HDMI SACD capable player. The current version sells for $600; older ones can be upgraded for free by getting following instructions via the Essence website. The HDACC II-4K is one of the few DACs that has HDMI connectivity, and adding the SACD/DSD player decoding compatibility is just icing on the cake.”

  EAN Founder John Gatski has been evaluating consumer, audiophile, home cinema and professional audio gear since 1988. In 1995, he created Pro Audio Review, and he has written for Sound-On-Sound, Audio, Laserviews, Enjoy The Music, The Audiophile Voice, High Performance Review, Radio World and TV Technology. Everything Audio Network is based in Kensington, Md. Articles on this site are the copyright of the ©Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited. John Gatski can be reached via email: jmgatski@gmail.com

Home Theater Speaker Review!Premium Atlantic TechnologyMultichannel Speaker System:8600eC, 8600eLR, 8200SR,SBT-500 Dual-Subwoofer

“High-End Speaker Ensemble Is Impressive Purveyor
Of Premium Multichannel Music and Movie Soundtracks”

Brevis...

Price: $11,769(system)

Likes: High-dollar sound

at a reasonable ensemble price

Dislikes: Hefty center channel

Wow Factor: Believe it!

Info: Atlantic Technology

 

by John Gatski 

  I have been a fan of Atlantic technology speakers since the mid 1990s. Great value/ performance from subwoofers, mains and surrounds. In fact, the best-sounding soundbar I ever tested was an Atlantic unit that I reviewed in 2012. With better materials and focused design techniques, Atlantic Technology has kept up, and even exceeded, today’s transducer performance benchmarks.

  The Atlantic Technology premium system, assembled for this review showcase, includes a L/C/R, surround and subwoofer speaker system that reveals all the nuance, dimensions and extended bass that modern pre-pro/receiver, amplifiers (via advanced resolution soundtracks) are capable of delivering. When you listen to a speaker ensemble like the AT’s, you immediately know you are in a different class.

 

Atlantic Technology 8600eLR

 

The models:
Atlantic 8600eLR
  The anchor of this reviewed system is Atlantic’s newest tower, the flagship 8600eLR, retail priced at $2,855 each. Whether you are critically listening to two-channel music, or enjoying surround-sound movies, with the 8600eLR’s you’ll appreciate the speaker’s ability to deliver the explosive dynamics of the latest Hollywood blockbuster or the subtle detail in a classic recording.
  With the design of the 8600eLR, Atlantic Technology implemented a new driver technology in an all-new configuration, which is claimed to “deliver its superb performance in a wide variety of acoustic settings.” 

 

  Overall, as an ensemble of speakers for your high-end quality home theater or multichannel Hi-Res music listening, you can’t go wrong with this system. They should match up to most any amplifier, Class A, A/B or a good Class D and give you what you crave (or should crave): accurate, dynamic and uncolored loudspeaker sound.

 This all-new, sealed box speaker design features internally braced, non-resonant, MDF cabinets and house seven state-of-the art, Atlantic Technology drivers configured in a D’Appolito/M-T-M array; the compliment includes four 8-inch fiberglass woofers, two 5.25-inch fiberglass mid-drivers, and an advanced 1-inch aluminum/magnesium dome tweeter, placed in a powerful, neodymium magnet structure. The midrange and tweeter drivers are internally isolated within a separate, airtight sub-enclosure.

 The crossover consists of a 4th-order Butterworth, asymmetrical, time-aligned, Linkwitz-Riley crossover. Specifications include a 91-dB sensitivity with power handling of up to 300 watts per speaker. Although the specs say the speaker has a low bass response of 50 Hz, I did a quick measurement and found the bass nearly flat to 35 Hz in my home cinema room. AT says their measurements have a tighter tolerance than most speakers’ stated specs plus/minus 2 dB). The bass extension reaches under 40 Hz, which enables its satisfactory home cinema and music-listening deep bass capability.

   As I found, the Atlantic 8600eLR is equally adept at music and movie soundtracks. In bigger rooms, they cast a sonic impression that is immediate, present and accurate. The cabinet measures 51.7-inches tall x 11.4-inches wide and the speaker weighs in at 108 pounds — manageable by one person who does not mind pushing heavy boxes. 

 

Atlantic Technology 8600eC

The models:
Atlantic 8600eC Center

  This speaker, priced at $2,300, is a big one — a massive center channel to place on a stand. Its drivers are similar to the LR’s, but with smaller-size bass drivers (2 x 6.5-inch fiberglass woofers) and cabinet, also a sealed box design. The 8600eC employs the D’Appolito M-T-M array for better dialog intelligibility. This speaker measures 37.6 inches long x 13.7-inches front-to-back x 14.5 inches wide; the weight was a whopping 91 pounds and took two people to hoist onto the stand behind the Vizio LCD. Whew!  

  As with the 8600eLR, the 8600eC’s sonic character is top class — with a solid anchor of the channel’s focused dialog, bass and sound cues that complete the steering of multichannel audio. There is a fullness that completely fills up the middle acoustic space; there are no gaps in coverage from this center channel, and it casts its impression far out of the near field, which is good for bigger rooms.
  Being that they essentially have the same driver arrangement, both the 8600eLR and 8600eC have similar crossover and sensitivity ratings: crossover frequency, 450Hz, 3kHz; 91 dB and 93 dB sensitivity. Nominal load rating is 6 ohms. Recommended amplifier power: 25 - 300 Watts RMS.

 

 

Atlantic Technology 8200e-SR

The models:
Atlantic 8200e-SR Surround

 These surrounds can be configured for dipole or bipole (switch selectable), depending on desired set up. The two-sided surround speaker sports  5.25-inch woofers and  1-inch dome tweeters on each angled side of the baffle. They are finished in a beautiful satin black lacquer. Optional pedestal stands are also available at $400 per pair. For added convenience, the surround speakers can be hung on the wall with the supplied integrated keyhole bracket. 

  Like the L/R and the Center speakers, Atlantic Technology conservatively rates the speaker response: 80 to 20 kHz, plus or minus 2 dB. Other specs include a 3 kHz crossover. They are 15 inches wide x 10.8 inches tall x 7.5 inches deep, and weigh in at 20 pounds each. Grills are removable. Combo plug/spade jacks are on the back.

  With my RTA, I easily got 60 Hertz (within 2.5 dB) on their back of the room stands. The 8200eSR, timbre wise, blended perfectly with the 8600eLR and C speakers, offering a lush, expansive rear surround field with lots of heights and width sonic cues from movies, as well as the ambience of music soundtracks. Hi-Res surround music was superb with these doing the surround duty. 8200eSR MSRP $1,760 per pair. Optional pedestals $770 pair. (Package price $2,400)   

 

 

Atlantic Technology SBT-500 Subwoofer

The models:

SBT-500 Subwoofer

  The Atlantic SBT-500 subwoofer, at $1,999, is an attractive, power-house (500w Class-D amp power), accurate, compact subwoofer that has plenty of oomph, even with the small tandem of 10-inch bass drivers.

 Dialed in for clean performance and high SPL, the quick response SBT-500 is rated to 23 Hz, within 3 dB, and 27 Hz at a max SPL of 107 dB. At 107 dB, I measured 25 Hz with a subwoofer test tones and an RTA, which is impressive performance for such a small box just shy of 19 inches wide and front-to-back distance. SBT-500’s weight is an easy to manage 66 pounds.
  The side firing woofers are covered by removable grills. The back panel sports a number of features including:
•Volume control. Sets the subwoofer’s overall output to match the sound level with the rest of the audio system;
•Continuous adjustable 40 Hz to 140 Hz, 24dB per octave low pass crossover. The steep 24-dB-per-octave slope allows for much better blending with the other speakers, while making the woofer less localizable;
•Low pass/bypass switch. The low pass setting sets the upper frequency limit of the subwoofer with the sub’s adjustable crossover control. A bypass setting is for processors and receivers with their own crossovers and low-pass outputs.
•EQ switch. The max SPL position provides stronger overall output with restricted deep bass output. The max range position provides deeper bass extension with restricted maximum overall output.
•Absolute phase invert switch. This switches between normal or inverted phase to allow better acoustic matching and blending with satellite speaker systems. This switch also allows you to compensate for unusual room acoustics that occur when the woofer is physically separated from the main speakers by a significant distance.
•Line in/XLR inputs. Connect mono or stereo signals to line or XLR inputs for better rejection of hum and noise over longer cable runs for more flexible sub placement in larger rooms.
•Main power/automatic standby. The three-position power switch (on/off/standby) gives users operational flexibility. Automatic standby senses a signal presence to turn the subwoofer on. It automatically turns the SBT500 back to standby after 10 minutes of inactivity.
   Editor’s Note:  (The Atlantic Technology SBT-1000 sports two 12’s in a bigger cabinet with twice the power at  $750 bucks more. Its performance is a bit more extended (20 Hz extension, 23 Hz at Max SPL).

The set up
  With the assistance of a strong helper, I unboxed the speakers and mounted the center channel on a Raxxcess pro speaker stand. Wow, this baby is huge. The 8600eLR towers were spaced about 12 ft. apart with a slight tow-in. I left the grills on, though they looked great with the grills off as well. The SBT-500 subwoofer was mounted near the center with side grills off. I bypassed the subwoofer crossover and used the pre/pro or receiver’s 80 Hz setting.
  The rear channels were mounted behind me on adjustable stands and switched them to the dipole mode. I set up the system with an RTA and routed the signals through an AudioControl M9 pre/pro for test ones to verify levels. The pre-pro delay parameters per speaker were also set according to the distance from the listening point.
 

  Listening to (and watching) the Blu-ray DTS Master HD lossless soundtrack of Adele - Live At The Royal Albert Hall, I immediately heard the incredible vocal clarity and its proper location in the mix, as well as an enveloping sense of backing vocals and a healthy spread of the band instruments. The rear channel’s pumped out the Hall’s ambiance cues, applause and well-steered sound cues from the venue that made it very natural, not gimmicky.

 

  I utilized a number of different components for the multichannel review: the high-end Audio Control M9 preamp/processor,  an older AudioControl AVR-4 receiver, Marantz SR-7012 receiver, Marantz AV-8802A preamp/processor, three Mytek Digital Manhattan+ Class D amplifiers, and an old Conrad-Johnson multichannel amp from the late 1990s.
  I sampled stereo Hi-Res music via a Benchmark HPA4 preamp/HP amp with resistor attenuator, Benchmark DAC3-HGC D/A and Benchmark ABH2 amplifier (one of the quietest analog amplifiers ever measured). I also tried other stereo DACs in the system, including the iFi iDSD D/A, Mytek Manhattan II and a TEAC UD-503.
  Interconnects included Wireworld speaker (Eclipse) and interconnect cables (Eclipse). HDMI interlink was courtesy of Essence Electrostatic fiber optics line. Power products came from Essential Sound Product’s Essence Pro II power strip and power cords.
  After the measurements, I did a sampling of numerous Hi-Res surround music and BD movies. Right off the bat, I was pretty impressed with the timber accuracy and balance of these speakers. The center channel really anchors the front. Surround cues and effects with front-to-back and L-to-R pans showed the speakers ability to convey theater-like spatiality. These are not budget speakers trying to overachieve. These are serious speakers.
 

The audition
  Having worked with Hi-Res music since its1990s inception (multichannel PCM, lossless PCM and DSD), I first listened to the AudioControl M9 pre/pro, the Oppo BDP-205 and the Mytek Class D amps combo sampling the highest quality Hi-Res music I had on hand: multichannel and stereo.
  First up was  the state-of-the art, multichannel DTS Master HD lossless soundtrack of Adele - Live At The Royal Albert Hall from a few years ago. This recording recreates the live feel of this famous venue with studio-caliber sonics for lead and backing vocals — and the ace band she used for this series of shows. Through the Atlantic system, I immediately heard the incredible vocal clarity and its proper location in the mix, as well as an enveloping sense of backing vocals and a healthy spread of the band instruments. The rear channel’s pumped out the Hall’s ambiance cues, applause and well-steered sound cues from the venue that made it very natural, not gimmicky.

 

The AT speakers shined via the AudioControl M9 pre/pro

  And the speakers showcased the AC M9 and Mytek amps’ conveyance of width and space on the subtle detail of each song’s performances. For example, the audience sing back to Adele on the hit Someone Like You sounded like I was there. And not one area of the spectrum was inaccurate. No extra brightness, fatness or diminished tonality could be heard. These speakers are tight, fast dynamic with nary a hint of excess color. Thanks to the Atlantic confab, I heard the music in its essence. Bass was musically deep and dynamic; no fat bottom here.
  Next I played AXI Records Live Albert Lee and Friends Blu-ray in 24/96 PCM surround. Man, the live feel of this BD is just so immersive. With Lee’s masterful guitar licks and the full dynamic range of a live performance via the band, this recording shows you how good a multichannel in Hi-Res is. Drop it down into stereo and 80 percent of the immersion is gone. The Atlantic’s made this BD a pleasure to sample.
  Another premium multichannel performance came from the Chris Botti In Boston Blue-ray with the trumpeter’s crack band/orchestra and numerous guest stars. The Hi-Res sound track, like Adele, showcased the Atlantic speaker ensemble precision, ability to properly place the instruments in the front mix and the relay of the back channel ambiance.
  The standout cut, in my opinion, is his duet with Sting on the venerable Police nugget, “Message in the Bottle.” The 8600eC really focuses Sting’s course vocals and Botti’s biting, yet reassuring trumpet tone.

 

  "I demo’d about 20 surround Hi-Res discs in all, and the conclusion was always positive when listening through the Atlantic's. BTW, I cant say enough about the SBT-500 subwoofer, its pair of 10's were dead on in handling music-caliber bass, such as the deep reach of a kick drum, organ solo or an electric/acoustic bass." 

  I also played a number of surround SACD’s through the system via the Marantz 8802A pre pro and its direct decoding of DSD multichannel (the M9 does not decode direct DSD). The Mytek Class D amps stayed in the equation.  One of my favorite surround Hi-Res studio recordings is the old DMP label’s Warren Bernhardt — So Real, engineered by digital recording ace Tom Jung some years back. This jazzy album which features guitar, piano, bass and drums was specifically recorded to show the listener how immersive multichannel is. The DSD 2.8 MHz 5.1 recording projects a sense of space that is just incredible! The percussion has so much space and air you can imagine the drum kit sitting in front of you.
  Thanks to this master recording and the Atlantic speaker ensemble, the recording was presented just as effectively as I have heard it done on speakers totaling $60,000. Piano and drums are amply spaced with a wonderful, clarity in the keyboard notes. The Steinway grand’s upper-register keys just percolate in the melody on several tracks.

 

Atlantic SBT500 SW is versatile for room setup

  In the title cut “So Real,” the multi-channel spread of the drum stick rotating on the snare is ear opening. Like the snare is right next me. Brushed cymbals have that hair-to metal percussive sheen, but no unwanted hardness or bite.
  I demo’d about 20 surround Hi-Res discs in all, and the conclusion was always positive when listening through the Atlantics.' BTW, I cant say enough about the SBT-500 subwoofer, its pair of 10's were dead on in handling music-caliber bass, such as the deep reach of a kick drum, organ solo or an electric/acoustic bass. The compact size does not mean small bass; it relays the bass the system reproduces. The small drivers are quite effective in delivering tight, high-SPL drum kit hits and bass guitar — without mid-bass fatness.

In the home cinema
  From my numerous listening sessions with the Atlantic system during multichannel Hi-Res music playback, I knew that movie soundtracks would be just as impressive. I played Blu-rays in the 5.1 and 7.1 (with extra surround speakers in the rear and found the Atlantic’s penchant for dynamic, airy presentation perfect for any kind of movie. Effects-laden sci-fi, block buster musicals, dialog-heavy dramas. You name it. The Atlantic 8600e/8200e/SBT-500 could deal with it.
  Cinema-wise, the SBT-500 kept up with the low-bass effects of cinema soundtracks quite well. It could not create the in-room, sub 20-Hz bass extension of my Paradigm Sub 15 Pro, but I only noticed the extra sub 20 Hz room vibration difference when actively comparing the two subs A-B. The upgrade AT SBT-1000 would likely give you more 20 Hz bass impression than the ‘500, but I was fine with the little brother. It is so dynamic and quick.
  I started with an old animated BD from 10 years ago. Bolt, which has a fantastic soundtrack of special effects and music. The opening 10-minute sequences of chase scenes — with music soundtrack, panning and steering motion sound effects, and deep subwoofer snippets.
 

Incredible soundtrack from LOTR Extended Ed. BD

  The Atlantic ensemble handled it all with wide expansive presentation and the tight bass that the SBT-500 transmitted. This is first-class sound that sounds better than many theaters I have watched movies in. It helped that the Mytek Manhattan Class D amplifiers delivered precise detail, and linear bass with plenty of dynamic wallop. Don’t let their half-rack size fool you; these are big performance amplifiers in the world of Class D. The Atlantic’s happily obliged.
  I also tackled the unabridged Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Blu-ray set with the expansive DTS Master HD multichannel soundtrack. These three films are beautifully shot, and the audio is an incredible workout for a home theater system. The hundreds of tracks of sound effects used for the mixes are as good as you will ever hear, and the Atlantic speaker do them proud. Smooth, clear, centered dialog with secondary vocals in their precise locations in the L-R and surround channels. A vast array of sound effects indicating motion, water flowing, implements of war such as bows and arrows, catapults, monsters, etc. Bass effects are deep and powerful, as well as subtle and restrained when necessary.
  I have watched this movie on more expensive speakers, but that does not they sound better than the Atlantic’s. These speakers are not mid fi; they are offer upper-echelon sound for less money!
 I watched at least 30 movies with this system, including lossy Dolby Digital soundtrack DVDs. Though not quite as dynamic as lossless BD soundtracks, they still sounded terrific with the Atlantic System. Watching the blockbuster Troy (with Brad Pitt) I soon found myself not thinking that I was listening to a lossy soundtrack. Dynamics, sound localization and pulsing bass were quite immersive.
  I made a few equipment changes along with the way including the aforementioned switch to Marantz AV-8002A pre/pro, and powering the Atlantic’s with a receiver, the Audio Control AVR 4, which is still one of the best sounding receivers ever made (quality Wolfson D/A section). All the pre/pros, the receivers and amps performed well with the Atlantic system. No component made the speakers sound substandard.

 

24-bit music via the ultra-accurate Benchmark DAC3

Two channel buffs rejoice
  For audiophile listening, I used the 8600eLR front speakers for stereo-only listening tying it to a Benchmark DAC 3-HGC, Benchmark's HPA4’s line stage preamp and Pass Labs X350.8 high-end MOSFET amplifier. As expected, the 8600’eLR's were audiophile all the way with the Pass and Benchmark components, a very transparent setup that gave me hours of listening pleasure. Even my old CDs sounded great. For example, the original early 1980s Donald Fagen - The Night Fly  album allowed me to refamiliarize myself with all those tracks from a slightly bright, but quite-good, early digital recording. Recent hi-res stereo recordings, such as the recent The Beatles - Abbey Road remaster, remix, revealed live-like dynamics and subtlety that your 1970's stereo system could not imagine. And the LR Atlantic's shined that musical light better than many $10,000 grand speakers I have heard.

 

Power, finesse from Mytek Brooklyn Amp+

  I had no complaints with these Chinese-made, high-caliber Atlantic systems that included the 8600eLR towers, the 8600eC center and 8200eSR. The attractive esthetic, build-quality and their ability to explore the subtle edges of Hi-Res music and film soundtracks, in my theater/listening room, clearly revealed a high-end speaker system at a very reasonable package price. Throw in a capable SBT-500 subwoofer that is clean and dynamic (but takes little space), and you got yourself a winning speaker ensemble.
  The towers anchor the L and the R for multichannel or stereo use. They are an accurate, dynamic, revealing pair of speakers, showcasing dynamic, properly transmitted nuance and strong, clean bass — all extending deep into the room. I heard no anomalies in stereo or home theater playback. They are my kind of speakers; they just kind of get out of the way.
 

Keep it centered
  Whether on Hi-Res surround music, or a deep, richly detailed, multichannel movie soundtrack, the massively large center channel 8600eC was always the anchor — with well-defined, accurate, sibilance-free vocal timbre and superb bass balance. Its seven-driver, sealed-box design reflects a speaker that is structurally solid and resonance free, and its size and driver complement enable the 8600eC to project deep into a mid-size to large-size room. This speaker performs like it is three times its price!
  The 8200eSR surrounds are well matched to the 8600eLR, and C speakers. The bi-pole/dipole switch allows extra custom tailoring options for room optimization and its driver array showcases a neutral timber that can handle aggressive sound effects, or it can relay subtle, lower-level detail to softly enhance the ambiance. Heavy, but well constructed.

A tandem-driver sub
  The compact, but a cut above most small subs,  SBT-500subwoofer is so much better than its size or price belies. It does not plumb the sub20 Hz region as flat as other more costly and larger subs, but the sheer linearity to 25 Hz and its ability to be clean is refreshing. If I bought this system, I would seriously consider two of these subs. They are that good.

 

 

The verdict
  Needless to say, Atlantic Technology lives up to my impression of great value/great performance. Only in this case, their flagship ensemble also is a great deal, considering the quality. The 8600eLR towers, by themselves are excellent music speakers with a clear, musically satisfying accurate character that works for two channel or multichannel. The center channel, bigger than most in this class, projects a full anchored middle with clear dialog and an openness to other parts of the audio spectrum. Its large size moves the sound further out in a big room, and it maintains its fullness at the greater distance of a big room.
  Overall, as an ensemble of speakers for high-end home theater or multichannel Hi-Res music listening, you can’t go wrong with this system. They should match up to most any amplifier, Class A, A/B or a good Class D and give you what you crave (or should crave): accurate, dynamic and uncolored loudspeaker sound. For sure, Atlantic is a winner of the Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award and a candidate for the Everything Audio Network Multichannel Speaker Ensemble Of The Year award.

  EAN Founder John Gatski has been evaluating consumer, audiophile, home cinema and professional audio gear since 1988. In 1995, he created Pro Audio Review, and he has written for Sound-On-Sound, Audio, Laserviews, Enjoy The Music, The Audiophile Voice, High Performance Review, Radio World and TV Technology. Everything Audio Network is based in Kensington, Md. Articles on this site are the copyright of the ©Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited. John Gatski can be reached via email: everything.audio@verizon.net

Audiophile/Videophile Review!Essence For Hi Res AudioEVOLVE II-4K HDMI InterfaceMultichannel DAC/De-Embedder!

“An A/V Box Every Audiophile/Videophile Should Have”

Brevis...

Price: $299

Likes: 8 ch. of D/A, 2.0 D/O

Dislikes: TOSLink-only digital

Wow Factor: multi problem solver

Info: EVOLVE II-4K

by John Gatski

  I love audio problem-solving boxes. Covert this, convert that, match levels here, pro to consumer, consumer to pro. You name it, I have probably reviewed it in my nearly 30 years of evaluating gear.

  Enter the Essence EVOLVE II-4K ($299). Similar to the company’s original Evolve interface from a few years ago, the new unit has been updated with HDMI 2.0 for 4K sources and displays and great sounding 7.1 multi-channel ESS DAC chip.

  The EVOLVE II-4K evolved from the product line of original HDMI de-embedder from seven years ago. In fact, I did a roundup review in the spring of 2013. (Click Here to read the roundup.)

  The EVOLVE II's DAC performance, combined with a quality, multi-channel analog input/output preamp, rivals or exceeds what you get out of many modern pre/pros, receivers or BD player D/A sections. An Oppo 205‘s analog output did not sound any better than the EVOLVE II through my AudioControl Maestro M3 pre/pro.

  These de-embedders allow users to take the  LPCM audio from a HDMI output source, such as a universal/Blu-ray player, and play it through the box’s internal DAC (multi-channel or stereo). More important to me, these problem solvers allowed the end user to tap into a universal player’s original two-channel output, via the HDMI, and feed an outboard DAC through a SPDIF output contained in the de-embedder. BD, DVD-A’s, files on a USB stick could be output full hi res via the de-embedder-to-DAC connection. 

  These de-embedders became very popular for audiophiles and videophiles who wanted more versatility from their Blu-ray player.

Enter the EVOLVE II-4K

  The Essence EVOLVE II-4K is the most complete HDMI interface box yet. It features HDMI input (accepting any HDMI standard from 2.0 back and older), 7.1 channel internal ESS DAC via RCA output, two-channel PCM up to 24/192 via TOSlink, and finally, HDMI pass through, which means this box enables compatibility of older and newer HDMI standard products, such as receivers, pre/pros and BD players.

Easy-to-connect: HDMI in and analog or TOSLink out

  The compatibility with HDMI 2.0 standard means that it supports 4K video and advanced audio formats such as Dolby Atmos. If your current preamp or receiver does not support HDMI 2.0, you can use the EVOLVE II-4K as a video I/O and the multichannel analog output routed to your existing pre/pro or receiver

  My interest in the EVOLVE II-4K was two fold: first, to maintain classic HDMI de-embedder capability to grab the full hi res stereo PCM stereo soundtracks from BD's and DVD-A's and feed that audio to a separate, outboard stereo DAC; and second, to enable high quality multichannel D/A conversion capability for those who have great legacy multichannel  input preamps or receivers, but can no longer find multichannel D/A BD players to connect. Oppo was the last man multi-channel BD player standing, but gave up the fight two years ago with its much-lamented shutdown in 2018.

Features

  The EVOLVE II-4K is a simple, easy to use problem solving interface. It is a half-rack sized, powered by a 12-volt, DC external wall wart. It sports a rear panel connection panel with HDMI input, HDMI pass-through, TOSlink digital output and 7.1 multichannel analog output, thanks to the ESS chip set. The analog outputs are: L, C, R, SL, SR, SBL, SBR, and SW. That’s all there is to it. So simple, yet so useful. A selector switch selects between TV 24/48 mode and full LPCM 7.1 channel output.

  The EVOLVE II-4K was designed with the ESS 9008 8-channel, 24-bit chip set, which is more modestly priced than the 9018/9028/9038 32-bit upper end series DAC chips. (The 9008 chip is able to decode DSD from an HDMI equipped SACD player, but the DSD-to analog conversion is not enabled in the EVOLVE II).

  As proven by the EVOLVE II’s subjective performance, the ESS 9008 is a very good sounding chip set, and its lower price helps keep the EVOLVE II cost down. The EVOLVE II's  $300 price point is amazing — considering what it does, and how it sounds.

ESS 9008 DAC Chip Factory Specs

DNR:            +134 dB (mono mode)

         DNR:              +128 dB (8-channel mode)

THD+N:  –118 dB (8-channel mode)

Tap into your BD player's bitstream
  For those who rely on separate DACs but want to link to an HDMI-equipped player, the EVOLVE II enables you to extract the digital LPCM, hi-res, stereo soundtrack from Blu-ray concerts and specific BD hi-res albums that players do not allow to be transmit in full-res outside the player’s internal converter. Try plugging a BD player's SPDIF output into a DAC and play the Blu-ray music. Nada, it wont play it. Plug the HDMI into the EVOLVE II, and viola, full hi-res stereo to your favorite DAC or the essences's box’s internal DAC.

A RCA portable BD player becomes a hi-res audio player

  For those with DVD-As, most BD/universal players will “dumb down” the SPDIF digital output, 24/96 or 24/192 will become 16/48, or 24/48. Down conversion sounds awful. But with a player’s HDMI output connected to the EVOLVE II, your DVD-A’s 24/192 stereo can be output to your favorite DAC through the TOSlink output. No dumbed down audio with Evolve II.

  My other favorite feature of the EVOLVE II is its ability to give excellent multi-channel D/A conversion (and inexpensively) for those who have great sounding preamps with multi-channel inputs that don’t have or don’t like to use onboard conversion. In the early days of BD players, they all had D/A multi-channel outputs. They disappeared as preamps and receivers with onbaod DAC's took over, but the prepare/receiver D/A sections quality is not always better than a players D/A output.

  With a BD/universal player’s HDMI output connected to the EVOLVE II, your DVD-A’s 24/192 stereo can be output to your favorite DAC via EVOLVE II's TOSlink output.

  There are great sounding analog input/output legacy preamps and receivers from Lexicon, Parasound, AudioControl, Marantz, Denon etc, that just need quality input source. If you have an older Oppo 83 to 205 series that still work, you are good to go, but those players are getting old, breaking down — and parts are hard to find. The Evolve II is yor best choice if you want to keep using analog input preamps sections for multi-channel.

  The EVOLVE II allows you to take any BD player with HDMI, even a $100 one, and feed the EVOLVE II HDMI input, which decodes the LPCM 7.1 bitstream (Dolby Digital, DolbyTruHD, DTS Master HD) etc, and outputs audio via the eight RCA analog output jacks. Just like your Oppo (or any other onboard multi-channel D/A BD player did). If you liked the sound of your of your analog I/O, multi-channel preamp or receiver, you can keep using it. Thanks to EVOLVE II.

In Use

  I set up several testing scenarios for the EVOLVE II: one for feeding a stereo DAC from EVOLVE II’s TOSlink output and the other for three multi-channel interface scenarios, utilizing the EVOLVE II's multi-channel DAC output for connection to two older, analog, multi-channel input receivers and high-end multi-channel pre/pro.

 For example, I played the 24/192 stereo tracks from the 2L Ole Bull classical violin Blu-Ray, and it sounded amazing, coming out of the $149 portable, battery powered, RCA BRC 3087 Blu-ray car player. The Benchmark DAC was doing all the conversion, thanks to the EVOLVE II interface.

  For the stereo PCM de-embedder, the Evolve  II worked like a charm. I could use most any BD player. Just plug in the HDMI output  from the player to the EVOLVE II, and connect a TOSlink cable from the EVOLVE II to a separate DAC, such as my Prism Sound Callia or Benchmark DAC3 HGC. The former required an optical-to-RCA digital converter connector

  For example, I played the 24/192 stereo tracks from the 2L Ole Bull classical violin Blu-Ray, and it sounded amazing, coming out of the $149 portable, battery powered, RCA BRC 3087 Blu-ray car player. The Benchmark DAC was doing all the conversion, thanks to the EVOLVE II interface. It also worked like a charm with the Prism Callia DAC.

Music BD play options increased with EVOLVE II

  I really enjoyed my two concert Blu-ray’s: The Who — Live At The Isle of Wight, and Woodstock — Anniversary 2.0 sereo soundtracks, using the RCA car player.  The EVOLVE II’s ability to relay two-channel PCM stereo output also means you can play hi-res files up to 24/192 from USB drive port Blu-ray players.

  Also, if you have an economy BD player with only a built-in HDMI output (not even stereo analog out), you can use the EVOLVE II's  L- and R- analog DAC outputs and still have better sound than 90 percent of the receivers out there that are used as the DAC for BD players. (New receiver D/A sections seems to be designed with economy, rather than audio quality, in mind.)

  The onboard EVOLVE II’s ESS DAC is really good. You have to really have an astute ear to discern appreciable difference between it and more up-scale DACs in real world listening. The sound character is smooth.

Full-res from legacy DVD-As
  Switching  BD players, I tried an eight-year old Pioneer universal player that can also plays DVD-A's. I played a few of my favorite DVD-A’s: Talking Heads — Little Creatures, Queen — The Game, Grateful Dead — Workingman’s Dead, Fleetwood Mac  — Rumours, Yes - Fragile, Jethro Tull - Minstrel In The Gallery, David Bowie - Young Americans, and numerous AIX Records DVD-A titles. 

  Thanks to EVOLVE II, as the go between box, I enjoyed transparent DVD-A PCM transmitted from the Pioneer to the Benchmark DAC3. No dumbed-down conversion, reduced quality out of the player for me.

Multi-channel DAC via EVOLVE II

  The EVOLVE II is basically the last box standing in terms of giving us audiophile/videophiles the equivalent of multi-channel output BD player. With its ability to convert advanced digital audio bitstreams to 7.1 channel analog output for connection to your favorite analog input multi-channel preamp, the EVOLVE II is the new Oppo.

  You may have forgotten how good older, multi-channel,analog input preamps and receivers sounded with analog input from the older BD players. Well, I have not forgotten, and I truly lament the demise of onboard BD player D/A conversion and the lack of multi-channel inputs on most newer pre/pros and receivers.

  To test the EVOLVE II’s D/A conversion quality, I tried it with a mid-priced 2006 Denon 2802 A/V receivers with good-sounding, multi-channel I/O preamp/amp section, and a 2012 AudioControl Maestro 3 Pre/Pro, also with multi-channel analog/input.

Give multi-channel analog input receiver new life.

  Using the EVOLVE II, I was impressed with how good the old Denon receiver sounded using the EVOLVE II DAC/Denon 2802 receiver for the audio. The ESS 9008-based 7.1 D/A in the EVOLVE II, in combo with the 2802's multi-channel preamp/amp sections, showcased a smooth, articulate sonic signature for surround track listening.

 The Evolve II's sonic character is much smoother than many newer, mid-priced receivers that use cheap, onboard D/A decoding and skimpy amps. On the Adele  —  Live At The Albert Hall Blu-ray, the dynamics and concert space impressions were very positive from the $300 box.
  A sample of the animated BD, Monsters Vs Aliens, revealed the EVOLVE II’s smoothness and abundant detail on movie soundtracks. I was impressed with the ESS 9008 D/A chip while doing the review. It sounds really good. Only on very careful A/B listening tests, with matched stereo track levels and a transparent revealing headphone amp, could I hear any differences between the EVOLVE II and an Oppo 205 BD/universal player’s analog output. The EVOLVE II is that good!

Legacy  prepro's like Evolve II
  With the EVOLVE II's 7.1 output linked to my 2012, AudioControl Maestro 3’s analog multi-channel input, I found the playback of the same movies and concerts a step up over the Denon receiver, due to the AC’s Arcam-based, more upscale analog section (the M3 was originally $7,000). I used three Mytek Brooklyn Class D amps for amplification and my reference professional Westlake Cinema speakers in a 5.1 configuration.

  By the way the Maestro’s onboard D/A processor used a highly regarded Wolfson multi-channel DAC in its day (and even today it sounds good), but I could not reliably hear a difference when I compared it to the EVOLVE II’s multi-channel D/A performance. The box always impressed my ears.

  The Maestro 3/EVOLVE II combo also made for a great stereo music listening experience. Although its design is from a few years ago, it is definitely audiophile in character. I particularly liked how good my AIX Mark Chestnut Blu-ray disc stereo soundtrack sounded with this combo.

The verdict
  All in all, the Essence EVOLVE II is a no brainer for getting HDMI audio devices to link up and produce quality audio. It transmits up to 24/192 LPCM stereo, as well as the advanced, lossless audio soundtracks of movies — via the multi-channel 7.1 output. It also allows your HDMI video to pass straight to a TV (through the HDMI output) so you can have the latest 4k LED TV and use your old pre/pro or receiver. With the EVOLVE II box, you do not need to upgrade the receiver.

  Thanks to EVOLVE II, as the go between box, I enjoyed transparent DVD-A PCM transmitted from the Pioneer to the Benchmark DAC3. No dumbed-down conversion, reduced quality out of the player for me.

  I think the EVOLVE II is a steal at $299. My only complaints: it does not decode DSD from SACD/universal player. I did find that with an HDMI-output Macbook Pro laptop, the EVOLVE II would pass a software-based player’s (Audirvana, FooBar, etc.) DSD-over-DoP data stream through the TOSlink output jack. The DSD data stream is transmitted inside a LPCM 24/176 carrier, which is decoded by a DSD-over-DoP capable DAC; I used a Benchmark DAC3 HGC to decode the DSD that was passed through the TOSlink connection. The EVOLVE II internal converters do not convert the DSD.

  My other niggle was that Evolve does not have a SPDIF coax jack. Some of the newer TOSLink circuits in other devices do not support 24/192. RCA SPDIF always does.

  The onboard EVOLVE II’s ESS DAC is really good. You have to really have an astute ear to discern appreciable difference between it and more up-scale DACs in real world listening. The sound character is smooth.

  Overall, the EVOLVE II is a quite useful as a low-cost, combo HDMI de-embedder/high-quality, multi-channel DAC that nets you  up to 24/192 quality from lossless codecs (DTS MasterHD, Dolby TruHD) and LPCM multi-channel or stereo audio. This box gives you the ability to use virtually any Blu-ray player with any legacy or current multi-channel input analog preamplifier, or preamp section contained in a receiver. And the results are amazing, given the price. The SPDIF output offers two-channel music lovers the ability to play BD and DVD-A soundtracks through an outboard DAC.

  Video-wise, the EVOLVE II's HDMI 2.0 spec input/output  bypass circuit also allows the end-user to connect to any 4K screen, and enables older legacy HDMI devices to work with newer receivers and preamps.

  The EVOLVE II's DAC performance, combined with a quality, multi-channel analog input/output preamp, rivals or exceeds what you get out of many modern pre/pros, receivers or BD player D/A sections. An Oppo 205‘s analog output did not sound any better through my AudioControl Maestro M3 pre/pro.

  And in a later test scenario, I found that the EVOLVE II's multichannel D/A output sounded better than a $3,000 Marantz receiver I had on hand. The  Marantz's internal decoding was, subjectively, much more closed in than the Essence EVOLVE II’s multi-channel D/A output connected to the Marantz’s analog inputs.  

  If you have a multi-channel analog preamp that you always liked the sound of, the Essence  EVOLVE II-4K HDMI v2.0 DAC is your savior. The gravy is that it also gives you compatibility with legacy HDMI AV formats, and it de-embeds full-hi res, Blu-ray and DVD-A stereo PCM audio and passes it to your fancy, shmancy audiophile DAC.  Enough said. Buy this box! It was good enough to make EAN's 2019 Product of The Year selections.

  EAN Founder John Gatski has been evaluating consumer, audiophile, home cinema and professional audio gear since 1988. In 1995, he created Pro Audio Review, and he has written for SoundOnSound, Audio, Laserviews, Enjoy The Music, The Audiophile Voice, High Performance Review, Radio World and TV Technology. Everything Audio Network is based in Kensington, Md. Articles on this site are the copyright of the ©Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited. John Gatski can be reached via email: everything.audio@verizon.net

EAN Home Cinema Review!Audio Control’s Dynamic Duo!Maestro M9 Dolby Atmos/DTS-XSurround Processor/Preamp,Plus Savoy G3 200W x 7 Amplifier

Brevis...

Price: $8,900, M9; $3,000, Savoy;

Likes: the best for surround

Dislikes: no DSD decoding (M9)

Wow Factor: multichannel nirvana!
More info: Maestro M9, Savoy G3.

by John Gatski

  As an audiophile who loves surround movies and Hi-Res music in surround, I am always searching for the perfect surround processor that relays that last bit of air, detail and accuracy that can be transmitted via today’s advanced source components.

  As a multichannel gear is often a comprise in design due to its complexity of merging the A and the V, I am often disappointed in the ultimate outcome from feature rich (so many apps), but compromised audio path design receivers and pre/pros that do not reveal the utmost detail and dynamic of separates.

  However, AudioControl’s Maestro Maestro M9 pre/pro is such a processor. This, nearly perfect, multichannel processor relays an audiophile level of quality that rivals two channel separates, but gives you up to 12 channels. I am talking about separate preamps and D/As that cost big money.

  The Maestro M9 and the Savoy G3 are just two of the latest examples of AC's A/V dedication. You can spend more for a premium AV pre-pro and multichannel amp, but you will not beat the Maestro M9/Savoy combo performance.

  As with the M3 that I have owned for eight years, Maestro M9’s digital decoding of Blu-ray soundtracks: DTS Master, Dolby TrueHD, or uncompressed PCM mutitracks is so revealing that I do not use any audiophile separates in my home cinema room; every source is run through the Maestro M9. It is that good.

Features

  The $8,900 Maestro Maestro M9 is designed and assembled by AudioControl at their facility just outside of Seattle, WA. The 7.1.4 preamp is ready for Dolby Atmos®, DTS:XTM and features Dirac Live® room correction technology.

  The Maestro Maestro M9 supports today’s latest high resolution formats, including 4K Ultra HD (HDMI 2.0a/ HDCP 2.2) with Dolby Vision and HDR playback support. A/V quality gets a boost from discrete PCM796 Burr Brown DACs and the very best in video processing and upscaling processing. Supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) formats, with BT.2020 support

  The Maestro M9 contains the performance features and apps that complement the audio and video; no unnecessary Internet streaming apps or superfluous bloatware that ultimately undermine the performance of A/V products.

  For audio decoding, the Maestro M9 supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Surround, DTS:X, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete, DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix, DTS 5.1, DTS Neural:X, DTS Virtual:X, and IMAX Enhanced.

Connection panel is straightforward and undaunting

  For accurate room compensation, the Maestro M9 enables Dirac Live® Room Correction, a loudspeaker setup function from Dirac Research. Via a PC/MAC based application, Dirac Live® determines the essential speaker settings for all the speakers in your system. It also calculates room equalization (Room EQ) filter values to remove some of the worst effects of resonant frequencies in the listening room.

  The sonic result is said to be improved staging, better clarity and intelligibility in music and vocals and deeper, tighter bass without resonance. (In my testing, it performed well in that it did not overly EQ the mid bass as do other auto room setup apps. My room is very neutral in the bass and needs no extra mid bass EQ to achieve flat bass. The DIRAC excels in this regard.

  You might think that such a pricey, capable pre/pro would be complicated in its connection and setup. But it really is straight forward — with numerous balanced, unbalanced analog outputs, HDMI 2.0b, plus digital inputs. The Maestro M9 also contains USB input for connection to iPad, iPhone, iPod and other portable music players and mass storage devices. It does not contain a software player.

Supported audio formats

  The pre/pro supports MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio), WAV, FLAC (Free Lossless Audio CODEC) and MPEG-4 AAC (i-Tunes) playback. My only criticism of the Maestro M9 is the lack of DSD decoding. You gotta select the DSD to PCM option on your SACD/BD player to get the M9 play DSD through its excellent converters.

  I can honestly say that from these speakers, which are over $40,000. I have never heard better audio from movies while auditioning the Maestro M9 and Savoy. The steering cues, sense of space center channel focus, smoothness, dynamics, low-end projection were immensely satisfying.

  For the HD Surround modes, the Maestro M9 includes Dolby Atmos, Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS:X, DTS-HD Master Audio. The Maestro M9, of course, supports Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo Downmix, Dolby Digital 5.1+ Dolby Surround, DTS 5.1, DTS 5.1 Stereo Downmix, DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix, and DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete, DTS96/24.

  The MP is custom-install control ready with IP, RS232, 12-volt trigger and IR control options for Internet radio. A nice, medium size programmable remote control is provided for most important Maestro M9 functions.

Well controlled

  The Maestro M9 features fully integrated remote control via your video screen or TV, or you can control the basics via front panel controls. The buttons and knobs include Menu, Input, Info Screen, Mute, mode, Direct, Display and Zone. There are two front panel inputs: an 1/8th inch for headphone and an 1/8th-inch Aux. The right side volume control cranks up the level and the knob is quite robust feeling. The unit power ons when you hit Menu, as long as the standby switch is switched to on

 As mentioned, there are lots of connections to allow the Maestro M9 to accommodate any A/V scenario: four pairs of RCA stereo inputs for analog, seven HDMI inputs, three HDMI 2.0b outputs, four coaxial digital inputs/two optical digital inputs, eight balanced and unbalanced preamp outputs (L, C, R, SL, SR, Rear SL, Rear SR, and Subwoofer 1), Dolby Atmos preamp out (Height1, Height 2 and Subwoofer 2). There are also zone connection options via HDMI and analog. Other connections include Ethernet, RS32 and USB 3.0

  

The Savoy G3 7-Channel Amp:

Big Power, Clean and Efficient

  The AudioControl Savoy G3 7-channel amp, priced at $3,000, is a MOSFET output, multiboard amp module amp with a massive toroidal power supply, The energy-efficient, Class H amplifier puts out 200 wpc across seven channels into 8 ohms — with all channels driven, and even more into 4 ohms.

 The Savoy G3 offers balanced and unbalanced line input with five-way binding posts output. The Class H output circuit across the seven channels, enables on-demand current and power, but with a low-energy idle efficiency found on switching power supply amps. You get the massive power when you need it, but not the wasted heat burning power of Class A/AB

  I have used the original AudioControl Pantages since the mid 2000s, and it never has let me down,. The Savoy G3 adds channels, offering 200 wpc with an audiophile transparency, virtually no noise and the dynamic transmission of big time power — for even large, fancy-smancy home cinema setups.

  The seven channel Savoy G3 here allows for 7-channel configuration, or more if used in conjunction with another amplifier. It is the perfect base for Atmos, when adding a second multichannel amp, or separate monoblocks for those extra height channels.

AudioControlSavoy G3 Specs

Inputs: 7 RCA Unbalanced, 7 XLR Balanced

Input Sensitivity: 1.42 VRMS for full output

Input Impedance: 22kΩ

Outputs:

Amplifier Channels: 7

Power Output (8Ω): 203W per channel

Minimum Speaker Load: 4Ω

Performance:

Damping Factor: >450

Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.08% (203 watts @ 8 ohms 20-20K),

all channels driven;

Signal to Noise: >110dB, A-WTD ref Full Output;

Frequency Response: 10Hz-20kHz ±3dB

Dimensions: Dimensions: 17”W x 16.5”D x 7”H (4U)

Weight: 55 lbs (24.9kg)

The set up

  Having reviewed numerous AudioControl home AV products and an owner of the M3 pre/pro from 2007, the AVR-6 (my favorite receiver of all time) receiver and the original five channel Pantages amp, the install of the M3 and new Savoy was a piece of cake.

  I popped out a Yamaha receiver that had been used in a previous review, then installed the Maestro M9 in the mid shelf of the main rack; the new Savoy was placed on the bottom shelf of the AV rack. The Maestro M9 setup menus include connection/source parameters, speaker options, distance (delay), level settings, video settings, or pass-through video.

The discontinued Oppo 205: an ideal mate for the Maestro.

  For my review setup, nothing but the best to match the pedigree of the AudioControl amp/preamp tandem: Westlake Tower 5’s for L and R, Westlake LC2.65 for center, and a pair of Westlake Lc8.1 two ways for the rear channels, mounted at 6 ft. 2 inches high on wall brackets and angled toward the listening position.

  I have used these Westlake professional speakers for 20 years, and find the them incredibly well made and accurate. The LC2.65 is one of the most accurate dialog speakers I have ever heard!

  For subwoofer duties, I employed the Paradigm Pro 15, with flat response down to 17 Hz and plenty of level in my midsized room. MIT speaker cables and Alpha Core solid-conductor silver RCA interconnects completed the speaker-to-amp amp connection to the Maestro M9.

  AC cables for the review were from Essential Sound Products (Essence II) as was the Essence II power strip. For consistent high-power amps performance and ultra-quiet AC cord shielding, the Essential Sound Products power cables are a go-to for my cinema auditions of home cinema. The Essence II ain’t cheap, but they are the most quiet AC cords around.

Configuring the Maestro M9

  Since I have reviewed several AudioControl and own an AVR-6, the M3 and now the Maestro M9, I am quite familiar with the setup menus. But if even if you have only a basic knowledge of AV setup, this unit is easy to configure.

  The base, on-screen menus: are Input Configuration, General Setup, Speaker Types (establishes crossover), Speaker Distance (delay), Speaker Level, Video Inputs, HDMI Settings, Audio Mode, Zone Settings and Network.

  In the opening scene of Live Free and Die Hard, the soundtrack slams you with maximum dynamics in bass and percussive sound effects from the shoot outt; it gets the adrenaline pumping, and one marvesl at the complex detail of the subtle and not so subtle audio cues: Gun shells ejecting, breaking glass, footsteps, etc. You hear so much sonic info via the AudioControl duo.

  For my use, the speaker settings, input configuration and HDMI were the main setup ingredients. You can also use DIRAC via an external PC to measure and  auto EQ, if necessary, to match the speakers to the room. I performed a DIRAC auto setup/EQ via a Dell Windows laptop, and a manual setup with an old school AudioControl 3050 real time analyzer. The DIRAC matched the levels as close as the manual setup and EQ’d very sparingly since my tile-over-concrete floors, foam tile ceilings and pinewood side walls allow for a fairly neutral sounding room. The DIRAC did not add that extra 80-120 Hz of midbass that most other auto EQ setup programs do in my room. Thank goodness for that

   I configured the inputs and named them BD1, BD2 and BD3 for use of my various Blu-ray players I assigned an HDMI input to each player, initially with the Pass-Through setting and then later through the Maestro M9’s scaler. The players included a BDP-09FD, Oppo BD-205 and Marantz UD-207. All HDMI cables were  from Essence Electrostatic dealer in Florida, which sells an amazing fiber optic cable that is very light and easy to route. These cables offer pristine video, 1080 or 4k. The 2011 Sony Bravia L929 1080P LED (still used for the evaluation is still as good (often better) as any LED made today, thanks to full-array active zone backlighting.

EAN likes these FIBBR fibre optic HDMI cables

  In the speaker setup modes, I ran the three front Westlake speakers full size with full bass. The two rear Westlakes were set to small which enabled the 80-Hz crossover. The Paradigm subwoofer/LFE was set to 80 Hz low pass crossover as well. I adjusted the delay through the Distance menu, and set the level via the RTA. Levels were matched to within .25 dB. I repeated the audio setup with DIRAC, and it was close to my manual setup, so I left it.

  I also made some general adjustments in the other menus, (such as set up of the network for firmware upgrades etc.). I found any necessary setup adjustment to be easy on the Maestro M9. All in all, it took me 20 minutes to do the basic setup, in the early days of the M3, there were a few software bugs, but the current OS version was perfect. Not one glitch during the long evaluation. Good job, AudioControl.

  The Savoy G3 amplifier needs no special setup. I connected the MIT speaker cables and the Alpha Core Goertz solid silver line level cables, and turned it on. BTW, it had nil idle hiss. That is the way I like it my amps, nice and quiet.

  I burned in the Maestro M9/Savoy combo for a couple of days with some DTS surround demo discs. I did not do an Atmos Setup; the room is simply too small for effective Atmos, and extra speakers are unnecessary. My surrounds are well placed to transmit height ambience cues, and my many demo  videophile guests do not have any complaints that my system is lacking. Atmos works better in much bigger rooms, which I am now setting up for future reviews at another location.

The audition

  Based on my experience with the AudioControl M3 and the original Pantages multichannel amp, as well as the AVR-4 and 6 receivers, I had high expectations for the Maestro M9/Savoy combo. Guess what? They exceeded my satisfaction quotient by a lot. I played numerous BDs and found the sound flavors to be audiophile accurate — with an impressive sense of dimension, space and air emitted by the five speakers.

  On the Adele - Live At The Royal Albert Hall, the stunning mix is carried out in grand fashion via the Maestro M9 preamp/Savoy amp duo. Rich vocals, focused percussion, guitar and keyboards and a huge sense of space conveyed from the prestigious performance hall. I doubt the being at the concert sounded any better than what the BD and the Maestro M9 and Savoy system could do.

  On the Adele - Live At The Royal Albert Hall, the stunning mix is carried out in grand fashion via the Maestro M9 preamp/Savoy amp duo. Rich vocals, focused percussion, guitar and keyboards and a huge sense of space conveyed from the prestigious performance hall.

  Ditto, on the Celine Dion — A New Day Live From Las Vegas. The 5.1 mix of the Titanic ballad “My Heart Will Go On” was stunning. Ms. Dion’s power range and emotive conveyance could not be better presented through an audio system than the way AudioControl Maestro M9 and Savoy transmitted it. The PCM soundtrack via DTS Master HD was super smooth, too with just enough of the raw, liveness to make it real.

Amping it up

  Speaking of the Savoy, in comparing it to the older Pantages, I believe it is a touch smoother than the original Pantages. Maybe mine is getting long in the tooth. But the new Savoy seems a smidgen more dynamic and easier to listen to on treble-tinged soundtracks. The Savoy is capable of delivering audiophile-class accuracy, dynamics and low-noise power with multiple speakers. With this power, you would have to have a really, really, really big room to run this amp out of gas

  I played one of my favorite multichannel jazz SACDs, So Real — Warren Bernhardt (DMP) and was quite tickled that the nuance of high-register piano notes, drum cymbals and snare rim rolls gets the audiophile treatment from the Savoy amp. Bass is really fast.

  Just in case you were wondering how I played a DSD through the non-DSD decoding Maestro M9, the recording had to be converted from DSD to PCM via the Oppo BD player so that the Maestro M9 could decode the multichannel. It was not native DSD, but it was Hi-Res PCM.

  Back to the Blu-rays, I played several reference BDs including Avatar, The Fifth Element (uncompressed PCM version), U571, Behind Enemy Lines, Star Wars Rogue One, and Live Free and Die Hard. The list also included X-Men - First Class movies, Jack The Giant Slayer and many more — all with excellent soundtracks.

The M9's speaker type setup menu

  I can honestly say that from these speakers, which are over $40,000. I have never heard better audio from movies while auditioning the Maestro M9 and Savoy. The steering cues, sense of space center channel focus, smoothness, dynamics, low-end projection were impressively satisfying through the AudioControl Maestro M9 and Savoy amplifier. Yes, the tandem is almost $12,000, but you are not going to find much improvement over the AudioControl tandem by spending more.

  For example, the bomb explosion and subsequent gun battle that takes place in an apartment during the opening scene of Live Free and Die Hard slams you with maximum dynamics in bass, and percussive sound effects from the firefight; it gets the adrenaline pumping, but you marvel at the complex detail of the subtle and not so subtle sound effects. Gun shells ejecting, breaking glass, etc. You can hear so much sonic info via the AudioControl setup. And there is such width and depth in the mix.

  Ditto with Avatar, the scene, when the big tree is knocked down by the paramilitary attack, showcases a complex cascade of tree destruction sounds (roots and branches breaking) as it slowly tumbles to the ground, which kicks in a huge bass wallop as the tree hits the ground. Cheap receivers ain’t even close in revealing what this combo can do with good speakers.

  Like any top-notch audio system, the better the components, the better it sounds. In comparison to a several year old Onkyo receiver that was almost $4000 in its day and considered the best, there was no comparison. The receiver’s amp section was very good, but the internal decoding was much courser than the AudioControl Maestro M9‘s neutral audio hue. And the sweeping width and depth of steered surround cues relayed  by the AC combo put the Onkyo in its place. In this case, the extra cash for USA-based product nets you the better sound. One can easily hear it

 The Maestro M9 is now my pre-pro reference, and the Savoy is the workhorse, multi-channel amp to judge all others by. Both products get our 2019 Everything Audio Network Product of The Year Awards and the Stellar Sound designation.

  The AudioControlM3/Pantages duo from the mid 2000s was close to the Maestro M9 and Savoy, in terms of detail, but when I mated the Savoy amp with the M3 or Maestro M9, I could hear a smoother tonality — without being soft. The fresher amp is the difference, me thinks.

  I know I heap the praise on the M9‘s audio, but the video is top notch as well. I did run it through the scaler to see how it compared to the pass-through BD player outputs. The Maestro M9 scaler routed video was just as detailed as the Oppo. I did not have a 4K set on hand, but I trust that the upscaler and native 4K processing will be just as good. The video-adjust menus are straight forward as well.

  As mentioned, I had only one negative regarding the Maestro M9: the lack of DSD surround decoding via its internal DACs. There is still lots of SACDs with multichannel sound out there that can be played through HDMI. I have 400 SACDs, but can’t play them natively through the Maestro M9’s converters; I have to enable DSD-to-PCM conversion in the BD player to get the audio to the HDMI.

  On the M3, you could play the multichannel out via the BD player’s multichannel output analog jacks into the pre’s analog multiple channel input. The Maestro M9 does not have that multichannel analog input feature. Thus, you have to HDMI it. Stereo DSD from a SACD player’s analog output is no problem.

The verdict

  I have been working with AudioControl on reviews since 1989, and I know their dedication to making the better-sounding audio product. The Maestro M9 and the Savoy G3 are just two of the latest examples of that dedication. You can spend more for a premium AV pre-pro and multichannel amp, but you will not beat the AudioControl Maestro M9/Savoy combo’s performance.

  I am sure newer AudioControl versions are in the works for the future, but right now a serious home cinema fan cannot buy a better-performing preamplifier or amplifier for multichannel use. Period. All the features, connections and the easy to use software are just extra gravy. For me and my fellow surround Hi-Res movie and music fanatics, it is the sound that counts when determining which preamp/processor to buy.

  The Maestro M9 is now my pre-pro reference, and the Savoy is the workhorse, multi-channel amp to judge all others by. Both products get our 2019 Everything Audio Network Product of The Year Awards and the Stellar Sound designation.

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   John Gatski has been evaluating consumer, audiophile, home cinema and professional audio gear since 1988. In 1995, he created Pro Audio Review, and he has written for SoundOnSound, Audio, Laserviews, Enjoy The Music, The Audiophile Voice, High Performance Review, Radio World and TV Technology. Everything Audio Network is based in Kensington, Md. Articles on this site are the copyright of the ©Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited. John Gatski can be reached via email: everything.audio@verizon.net