Resolution Audio Cantata Music Center on the cover of Stereophile!

Starting last November, I became Sales and Marketing Director for Resolution Audio and am having a blast. I have gotten to contribute to Resolution Audio while continuing to do what I enjoy at GNSC. I am lucky to have the opportunity to support and serve loyal clients of both Resolution Audio and GNSC. (For more on what’s new at GNSC, I will write a post soon).

Stereophile magazine’s November issue features Resolution Audio’s core product, the Cantata Music Center, on its cover. The Cantata Music Center won a very positive review from John Iverson. Little wonder. The product photographs beautifully (though it looks even more stunning in person) and sounds even better than it looks. No wonder Stereophile wanted it on the cover. Pick up a copy of the November Stereophile, if you have not gotten one already.

John Iverson’s review is very thorough in many respects and you can read my comments on the review in “Manufacturers Response.” Mr. Iverson spent a lot of time with the Cantata Music Center to determine that it works equally well when using its many inputs, including S/PDIF inputs (AES/EBU, RCA, Toslink) and either directly wired from a home network via Ethernet or wirelessly using Resolution Audio’s innovative Pont Neuf “virtual USB connection” and, of course, USB. It’s truly a Swiss Army knife of DAC’s and Mr. Iverson said so. John Atkinson’s technical analysis of the Cantata Music Center’s performance validated the solid engineering for which Jeff Kalt and Resolution Audio are well known.

The review dedicated somewhat less attention, however, to the way that the Cantata Music Center sounds. Creating a great sounding digital music center was Resolution Audio’s primary goal. So far as Resolution Audio is concerned, all the flexibility and engineering in the world have no value if the product does not sound good. In our minds, the Cantata Music Center’s most important benefit is its ease, musical flow and involvement. For me, listening to that unit just puts a smile on my face over and over again, regardless of if I’m playing CD’s themselves or music files off my Mac computer. In this case, first rate engineering serves the music.

Resolution Audio invested the engineering time and effort to make the Cantata Music Center the industry leader in operating flexibility, appearance and sonic performance.

I’m confident that the exposure this really positive review will provide will encourage a lot more people to seek out the Cantata Music Center and to hear what I hear – and feel what I do – when listening to music. A lot more people will understand why I have decided to devote a good portion of my time and talents to developing the Resolution Audio brand.

I encourage you to read the review and to look into the Cantata Music Center if you are considering a digital front end. This is a very serious CD player and a wonderful DAC for music files off a computer up to 24 bit 192k resolution! More importantly, contact me if you want to learn more about how you can see and hear a Cantata Music Center for yourself.

To learn more about Resolution Audio visit www.resolutionaudio.com

Summer at Great Northern Sound

The high end audio business slows down a lot in July and August almost every year.  It seems like most of my customers are taking time to do more outdoors, taking vacations and just generally enjoying the summer season.  I use the summer slowdown every year to do things to enhance GNSC for the long haul.  This summer, I am working on a website refresh.  I hope that you find that our new website more attractive, easy to use and informational.  I hope to blog on the website to keep content fresh and to provide information to our customers to tell them about what we are working on and give insight into products and modifications that may interest them. 

Jeff Kalt of Resolution Audio and I have spent quite a bit of time together in person, on the phone or over email working on Resolution Audio products and distribution.  Look for a subsequent blog entry that explains further the relationship between Great Northern Sound and Resolution Audio. 

I hope that everyone is having a great summer but that you will call or email if you need anything having to do with high end audio.

Computer Audio Thoughts

We have recently helped a number of customers get up and going with computer audio systems.  It is an area that we approach with a lot of caution because we just aren’t able to dedicate a lot of time to computer audio technical support…and we are learning computer audio as we go…like everyone else. Our experience has focused on solutions that we think make the most sense for audiophiles today understanding that computer audio changes pretty quickly.  

Computers: We prefer Apple Macintosh systems, either the Mac Mini or MacBook Pro.  The Mac operating system and iTunes software are a pretty friendly environment.  Our experience with PCs is not as favorable both in terms of playback fidelity and ease of use.  YMMV. 

Software: We have used Pure Music with iTunes to good effect.  We think that it sounds good for the price but understand that there are several alternatives with their own pluses and minuses relative to Pure Music.  

DACs and CD Players:  We have emphasized Wadia and Resolution Audio CD players used as USB DACs.  While there are probably some very good standalone DACs out there, we have stuck with our favorite CD players and used their extremely good DACs.  Some other standalone DACs that are very highly regarded have disappointed us when compared to either of these two CD player DACs.  

Should You Get Into Computer Audio?  There is still absolutely nothing wrong with using a Wadia or Resolution Audio built in transport to play CD’s.  While computer files ripped from CD’s sound great when played back through the computer, they haven’t enough difference from CDs played through a Wadia or Resolution Audio transport to justify getting into computer audio based solely on playback quality.  Computer audio is compelling if you like the convenience of having your songs all stored in one place and if you have gotten hooked on 24/96 or 24/192 playback.  Those higher resolution formats are pretty spectacular. 

Our best recommendation:  Lets discuss your particular needs and figure out the best way to give you the most enjoyment possible now….with flexibility for the future. We do this every day…let us help!

Ultimate LP Playback…GNSC Style

The Great Northern Sound Company has closely associated with Wadia and Resolution Audio.  That may have led people to believe that we are a digital only outfit.  Not true at all.  Vinyl playback has always been a passion for all of us at GNSC and we take it as seriously as what we do in the digital world. 

For the past couple of years in particular, we have spent lots and lots of time listening to the best analog playback that we have ever heard.  Make that best playback period.  More than a year and a half ago, we heard the Spiral Groove SG2 turntable and were blown away.  We ordered one as soon as we heard it, installed a Triplanar tonearm and Koetsu Urushi Vermillion cartridge.  We have heard and carried other extremely capable analog gear but nothing ever produced comparable image density, naturalness or ease.  This was just a sound that you could sit and let your shoulders relax.  You got lost in the music and keeping track of audiophile qualities seemed beside the point. 

Until we heard the Spiral Groove SG1.1.  One of our customers owned a Spiral Groove SG2/Triplanar/Koetsu combination and was so overwhelmed, he was the first to order the top-of-the-line Spiral Groove SG1.1.  When fitted with the same Triplanar and Koetsu Urushi Vermillion, the difference was nothing short of astonishing.  Reviewers frequently refer to sound emerging from a “black background” but this rig was the textbook case.  Noise that we never had previously noticed just fell away and left a solid, dynamic, natural, warm and musical presentation.  Detailed but never harsh.  

Do yourself a favor….don’t contact us to discuss this gear if you can’t afford it or don’t want to get hooked.  It’s the audiophile equivalent of crack cocaine.

Digital vs. Analog…why choose?

I got drawn into a lengthy thread on Audiogon several months ago in which contributors debated the relative merits of analog versus digital playback.  You can see the entire thread here: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1127683272&openfrom&1&4#1 

I think that the most reasoned conclusion was that there are places in most audiophiles’ systems for both analog and digital playback.  Some recordings are available in only one format or the other.  Maybe some of the very best LPs sound better than some of the very best CDs, but it is often the case that CDs sound better than their LP counterparts; it just depends on the particular recording.  Some people really like the deep, dynamic bass and lower noise qualities of digital.  Others like the warmth and naturalness of LP.  Some people need the convenience of digital while others enjoy the ceremony of handling LPs.  It’s a matter of personal taste and not so much a matter of objectively measurable superiority or inferiority.  

Great Northern Sound has taken great digital and made it better, usually giving it a lot more of an analog sound with our modifications (listen to one of our modified Wadia units if you want a taste of this) – and the gear we modify is already great in so many ways straight out of the box.  At the same time, we have never for a moment given up our dedication to LP playback.  We can help our customers develop analog or digital based systems ranging from the very modest to completely over the top.  More than anything, we want to help our customers find the right system that involves and engages them, that lets them relate to the music that has meaning in their lives.  It matters more that we connect people with their musical passions rather than debating a choice between digital and analog.

Relationship with Resolution Audio

Some people have asked about the relationship between Resolution Audio and Great Northern Sound.  As you may remember, Great Northern Sound was once the largest Resolution Audio dealer in the world and now we don’t sell Resolution Audio products.  Huh?

During the time that we sold Resolution Audio products, Great Northern Sound developed two levels of modification for the Resolution Audio Opus 21 CD player.  Those modifications allowed our customers to get a CD player that fit nicely into a price point below some of the more expensive Wadia players that we prefer at those higher price points.  Also, because the mods were at two levels, customers could start with the Reference mod and later move to the Statement level mod.  It offered a great upgrade path.

At the same time, we modified other Resolution Audio products in the Opus line, including the S30 integrated amp and Extra Sources preamp/tuner/DAC.

All of this work with Resolution Audio products thoroughly familiarized us with the hardware and the company.  Talking to Jeff Kalt regarding his products naturally evolved into a relationship in which we wanted to work more closely with one another.  In late 2010 I joined Resolution Audio to help develop worldwide distribution and exposure and have since gone on a number of trips to dealers around the country to promote the great new Cantata Music Center and the matching Cantata integrated amplifier.  My travel schedule requires some patience on the part of GNSC clients, but I’m pleased with the supportive attitude our clients have displayed as I work to contribute as best I can in this industry that I love so much.

As Jeff and I understood at the outset, it would be hard for me to convince dealers to carry the line if they believed that I would also sell the Resolution Audio products at Great Northern Sound.  So, we decided that I would take the larger role with Resolution Audio at the expense of selling and modifying Resolution Audio products at Great Northern Sound.  At the same time, the experience that I have gained with the line and modifying Resolution Audio products would help me collaborate with Jeff on further development of the Resolution Audio line.

In all honesty, I miss selling Resolution Audio products to GNSC customers but I feel good about my work selling the products to dealers throughout the country.  If GNSC customers want to inquire about Resolution Audio products, I can almost certainly refer them to good dealers nearby.  It is a wonderful product and I hope to update you soon regarding developments at Resolution Audio.

Why we use and sell Tri-Planar Tonearms

We recently set up a Spiral Groove SG1.1 with a Tri-planar VII uii tonearm with Koetsu Urushi cartridge at a customer’s home.  At GNSC, we have a similar set up on the Spiral Groove SG2.  In each case, I have been extremely impressed with the Tri-planar for several reasons.  First, the tonearm is practically infinitely adjustable.  Tracking weight is easy to set with multi-part counter weights and a threaded fine adjustment weight at the end of the arm.  Azimuth adjusts easily using a clamping collar on the arm tube.  (Using the new Fozgometer we adjusted azimuth quickly and precisely.)  Finally, and maybe best of all, users can change the vertical tracking angle (VTA) “on the fly” which is quite useful for records of different thickness.  Users make adjustments to VTA using the scaled dial and arm pillar that ensure that users can repeat settings.   Put short, the Tri-planar is adjustable, precise and measurable. 

I don’t think that is what makes it special, though.  GNSC picked up the Tri-planar line in large part because Tri-planar is a local Twin Cities business that we deeply respect on a number of levels.  We have gotten to know Tri Mai and to understand his approach to building tonearms.  Herb Papier, Tri-planar’s founder, worked with Tri Mai for a number of years before Mr. Papier passed on.  Tri has taken the business with a reverence for the tonearm’s original design features and history.  Tri views himself as a craftsman building extraordinarily fine pieces of equipment that find much in common with watch making.  (Mr. Papier was trained in the military as a watchmaker.)  Tri has dedicated himself to extremely carefully preserving the traditions and features of Mr. Papier’s tonearm while slowly, deliberately exploring improvements.  

Tri Mai has an approach to his business more in step with handmade crafts of the 19^th or 20^th Centuries.  I think that his respectful, careful approach is reflected in the sound that you can achieve with Tri-planar tonearms – smooth, authoritative, spacious and warm.  It seems to be the best of the analog tradition without a hint of interest in mimicking digital.  If you want to revive a performance embedded in vinyl grooves, there is no more intimate way to connect than through a Tri-planar tonearm.