System upgrade - Aavik U-380 + Esoteric P03 Transport + Ansuz Cabling

[mcq]

In terms of my hi-fi journey, this has been an interesting year. I began the year with the Jadis I-88 integrated amp and Esoteric K-01Xs and I end it with the Aavik U-380 integrated amp and Esoteric P-03 Universal CD transport.

What prompted this change? Well, the first electricity bill I received a few months after the initial purchase of the Jadis amp triggered a few alarm bells. And then there was the matter of the rising temperatures in my listening room as summer approached. This was by no means a warm summer but it was beginning to get a little uncomfortable so I reluctantly decided - in the interests of practicality - to investigate my options for a cooler-running amp that consumed less electricity.

I considered options such as the Pass Labs INT-250 and Gryphon Diablo 300 and then I happened to hear the Aavik U-150 in the Cloney Audio showroom. What impressed me most was its inherently natural musicality which appeared to my ears utterly unforced. There was a refinement about the sound that was also very appealing but - crucially - this was a refinement that was also engaging and which gripped me emotionally. I had had experiences with refined sounding components before such as the Constellation Audio Inspiration Integrated amp and the Meridian 808v5 CD player which, over time, proved to be overly soporific and laid-back and which just did not engage me emotionally over the long term. The Aavik, however, was different and truly satisfying. Perhaps the clincher was the quality of the DAC. At the time of my audition of the Aavik, Ivan Cloney happened to have a Chord DAVE DAC and we compared the sound of the two DACs. The Chord DAC was more detailed and individual notes were delineated with clarity and precision whereas the Aavik DAC was more engagingly natural and unerringly musical in its presentation. I remember one review by Roy Gregory where he compared the sound of the Audio Research Reference CD8 CD player to the Esoteric K-01. To his ears, the Esoteric was more concerned with conveying the music on a word-by-word basic whereas the Audio Research conveyed the music on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis. In other words, the Audio Research expressed the musical “sense” of the performance in a way that was more emotionally fulfilling than the clarity and precision of the Esoteric. And that is exactly how I felt about the Aavik DAC - calm, unhurried and unassumingly musical to its core.

After giving this a lot of thought, I decided to place an order for the U-150’s big brother, the U-300. As it turned out, the U-300 was refreshed as the U-380 in September this year and, although I was able to cancel my original order for the U-300, it did mean that I would have to wait a little longer for the U-380. In the meantime, Ivan Cloney graciously consented to an extended loan of the U-150.

Part of committing to the Aavik U-380 meant that I would be using the integrated DAC rather than a dedicated CD player so I researched my options for a quality CD transport. I had already been spoiled by the Rolls-Royce fit and finish of the transport in the Esoteric K-01Xs, so it would be difficult settling for a lesser quality transport. As chance and good fortune would have it, a customer of Ivan’s was trading in his Esoteric CD transport, DAC and master clock separates to upgrade to the state of the art Esoteric Grandioso separates, so I asked him to put aside the P-03 Universal Transport for me to use with the Aavik.

I should also mention that an important part of the U-150 demo in the Cloney Audio showroom was the use of Ansuz cables which, like the amp, were designed by Michael Borresen. For the past few years, I have enjoyed a complete Nordost Valhalla Mk.1 cable loom with no real intention of changing simply because, whilst I do believe that cables can make a difference, I would prefer to spend my money on the electronic components or the speakers. In this case, whilst the sonic signature of the Ansuz was just as detailed as the Nordost cables, they were also much smoother and more relaxed without any of the metallic edge that the Nordost would sometimes exhibit. It is worth noting that Michael Borresen, prior to developing speakers at Raidho, worked at Nordost and designed the Valhalla Mk.1 and Odin Mk.1 cables so he knew just how to improve on these industry benchmarks. I researched the Ansuz catalogue and decided to order a complete loom of their mid-level C2 cables as well as their C2 level mains distribution.

So, while waiting for the U-380 to arrive, I was enjoying my music with my beloved Kharma Exquisite Mini speakers driven by the U-150 amp and partnered with the Esoteric transport and Ansuz cable loom. What an extraordinary sound this was! Emotionally engaging yet never overbearing or fatiguing. There was a lightness of touch here which was utterly beguiling and a musical presentation that was incredibly natural. How much better could the U-380 be?

As it happens, quite a bit. The big brother retains all of the qualities of its younger sibling but extended listening reveals more air in the treble, more body in the bass and more physical presence in the midrange. The more I hear my favourite recordings through the U-380, the more respect I have for its capabilities. It is genre agnostic and does not favour one genre over another. There is a maturity about the presentation that should not be confused with a clinical rinsing of the music where you respect the sound but do not feel emotionally connected to it. This is a more sympathetic and organic presentation where the total emotional weight of the music is communicated to the listener in a very direct way.

Prior to the U-380, the greatest amplifier that I heard was the Jadis I-88 with its easygoing nature, engaging warmth and bottomless sense of drive, but the U-380 surpasses it in my opinion. It is more balanced, more finessed and more nuanced. It is more musically informative and brings me closer to the music which has profoundly enriched my life. I feel so very fortunate sitting here tonight listening to my music - utterly transported, enraptured and hearing it all anew.

[Sligolad]

I must admit that the Aavik was the standout piece of kit i discovered at the Cloney Show this year before i found out the price. Its such a shame that that great sound comes at such a high price, it appears to be at more than double the cost of the Jadis.

I take great pleasure to read that you have taken the leap in making such an investment and you are enjoying the rewards.

[Diapason]

Wonderful report, mcq, thank you for sharing it with us. I wish you every enjoyment of your new equipment.

(I know the feeling of rising temperatures in the listening room, and it can really get in the way of longer listening sessions on warm summer nights. I think you did the right thing!)

[Steve]

That's a really fabulous review mcq. Feels like I've just put down a copy of HiFi+! Congrats on the evident synergies you've found with the Aavik, Esoteric and Kharma's. The U-380 must be a real standout performer as the other amps you've mentioned are serious quality too. I've heard the previous iteration of the Pass but don't think I've heard the current INT250, was hoping it would be on demo at recent show.

[cybot]

Stunning review as always Paul. I take it you're finally happy now ;) Enjoy.....

[mcq]

Thanks so much for the kind words, lads, they are greatly appreciated.

One important point that I cannot overstate is the sheer musicality of the new amp. This is a perfect example where the designer is not simply measuring test results but actively listening to music during the design process and relying on a finely honed musical ear to judge the success of his creation. Every nuance of every single musical passage and vocal line is precisely conveyed with a care and attention which brings to mind very vividly the musicians and singers at the original recording session and the commitment and passion that they themselves brought to the music. This really heightens the sense of emotional involvement to an incredibly intoxicating degree.

Another important point is the power handling ability of this amp. The Kharma Minis are - despite a nominal impedance of 8 ohms and a sensitivity of 87.5 dB - a tricky load and experience has taught me that you really need a powerful amp to extract all that they have to offer to the listener. The Kharmas are also very transparent and revealing speakers and you really hear the qualities of the driving amp. With the Aavik, I get a sense of ease that I did not hear before and I also hear much more of the Kharmas’ true character than ever before and so much closer to their actual potential as speakers and that is truly exciting to me.

[mcq]

It has been almost 5 months since I took delivery of the Aavik U-380 and, since then, the amp has opened up beautifully and blossomed quite profoundly. The quality of sound in my room is really quite startling right now and, without a shadow of a doubt, is the most soulful, most gripping, most magically transporting sound I have yet heard in my room.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Aavik is its reproduction of the higher frequencies. I have never heard a purer treble. Piano in particular is just spellbinding. There is a liquidity about reproduced solo piano that I have never heard before. Trumpet, flute and violin are similarly outstanding. I think that, for the first time, I am hearing just what the diamond tweeters in my Kharmas are really capable of.

And, on the other hand, the Kharma bass is rich, fulsome, fleshy and soulful. There is something truly special about how these Kharmas reproduce instrument resonances, especially those of the cello and double bass. The Aavik reproduces this truthfully but does not exaggerate it and allow the bass to overshadow the treble and midrange frequencies.

I do not know where my journey will take me next. I dearly love the Kharmas, and they truly represent a destination speaker, and I would happily spend the remainder of my days with these very special speakers. There will always be other speakers I would love to hear but there is something so special and so synergistically right about this system I have right now that makes me wary of further changes.

Speaking practically, perhaps the next avenue for upgrading is a quality streamer. I believe that the current pandemic crisis could well spell the final death knell for new CD production and that a dedicated network transport/streamer (and a subscription to either Tidal or Qobuz) could be a wise investment. At this moment in time, I am particularly tempted by the Auralic Aries G2 but I am sure that other options will present themselves when this speculative dream of an upgrade materialises into a fiscal reality.

[tony]

This should be renamed the drool thread :)