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Very interesting review. I too have had this feedback recently: Power Cable>Speaker cable>Digital>Signal. Not what I would anticipate historically. I too would give a huge bow of respect to Audience. Their recent series of cable however is expensive. But I guess this is a moving target for any of us and personally used cable is better than new. Value pricing with value added burn in.
I have Audience front row speaker cables. In my system they bested Shunyata sigma, Purist Neptune, Tara labs SX, Wireworld Gold 7 and 8. Amazing cables. Focus and speed, tight textured bass, great airy highs and mids. They need at least 200 hours to show their best. I'm done looking for speaker cables. I think the front row power cords may be equally impressive also. I have yet to try them but 6K for 1.5m is too pricey.
M
mauidan
Guest
- Thread Author
- #4
Published on July 12, 2019 Miguel Castro
Hifi Live Magazine
https://hifilivemagazine.com/audience-frontrow-3/
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I follow the products of the American company Audience for many years, despite never having possessed one
of their own. Winners of prizes to the best sound and present for many years in the list of components
recommended by Stereophile magazine, I have always thought that they could be the dream that all fans of
high fidelity look for. I am referring to those components that we think can look from one to the other to the
absolute references of their sector, but for a fraction of the price of these. A bargain, or buy a teacher, or
whatever you want to call them, you understand me ... The fact that many international writers in the sector
have them in their sound systems, has always helped me to reaffirm my assumptions.
The previous flagship series of the firm, the Audience SX, I heard in the room of the former distributor of the
firm in our country with very favorable impressions. This coupled with a few months ago Audience has
launched a new top-of-the-range series, and that according to contrasted references exceeds its long
predecessor, I have "forced" to ask their current distributor in our country, Ultimate Audio, a set of said model
to be able to test them thoroughly. Due to its absolute novelty, and the demands that the distributor has to
support now in this product, I received a set consisting of speaker cable and an RCA interconnection pair, with
which I can make a well-founded idea of its benefits, although I cannot completely connect my system with
them.
Received in a beautiful semi-rigid case with the Audience logo in the center, they stand out for following a
design very different from the usual high-end cables. They are very thin, light and not rigid. A few years ago, I
remember conversations with audio distributors in which they commented that a cable must necessarily have a
considerable section. It seems that this way of thinking is overcome today with comfortable, practical and
solvent realizations in the same way. It is clear that an extremely high wire section is not necessary to transmit
all the musical content of a recording, and only an arduous work of damping and screening can justify a large
cable diameter. In this case with a frankly moderate section.
To perform the test I installed the speaker cables at the same time as the interconnection pair, which I decided
to use to connect the DAC with the line preamplifier, because I think that at that point its influence and sound
personality is more evident and palpable.
First of all, the sound offered by the Audience frontRow cables is elegant. It shows a control over the whole
spectrum of frequencies - and especially in the most severe - exemplary. I have had the opportunity to listen to
them both with boxes of important size and weight as the Kroma Audio Norma, as with the smaller monitors
of the Mimì model brand. In both cases keeps the boxes at bay, always leaving in my mind the impression that
in boxes of great power and benefits are more favored by that domain of the situation they show. I cannot
recommend only this model for large boxes, because with the small "in size" Mimì sounded fabulous, but its
control and precision in the way of showing the serious makes them ideal for large realizations of acoustic
boxes.
The level of detail of the frontRow is frankly high, and that was something special in the previous model. I
recently listened to the Au24SX in a demo with the YG Acoustics Sonja 2.2 boxes, where this aspect seemed
impossible to overcome, but this new series represents a further step in resolution, even matching the most
important brands in the wiring world, no matter the price level A level of detail of such caliber almost always
alerts certain fans who relate-erroneously-detail with harshness or even coldness. In this case, this is not the
case at all. I have already referred to my first impression of elegant sound - impossible to perceive harshly -
and of control, but to this I have to add the one of extremely faithful in the timbral reality of each instrument or
voice that we listen to. If a timbre is the correct one is not possible that we find hardness in it, only a
deformation of the reality or emphasis in certain aspects that break their balance can show us that defect. It is
not the case…
Elegance, control, fidelity to the original are aspects that define a great achievement. But are these the cables
that I can openly recommend for any sound system? To affirm that a product fits 100% in any audio
equipment, is not only risky, it is a lie, without more. Everyone must take into account personal tastes and
synergies before deciding, and these Audience frontRow are very high-end cables in performance for systems
of a level according to their performance. We do not seek to equalize our system with them, they will not give
us a sound with more filling or density in medium-serious or hotter in general, it is neutral and will give us the
best of what we have in our room. If it is a sound of quality and balance, it will raise the level,
At the end of the day, is not that characteristic that every good amateur should try to reach in his cables? We
had not been in which the cable that better sounded was the one that did not add anything to the sound? Well
here we have it, reproducing the music that our beloved components give, but with control, without
interferences or resonances, without any detail being lost along the way and with elegance and class.
We can only influence the vital aspect of the dynamics. No limitation will be perceived in this aspect -both in
the micro and in the macro-, being fully satisfactory and enjoying the complete dynamics of any good
recording. What happens is that sometimes we can confuse cables with a good dynamic with others that
directly throw the music to your face with quite coarseness. The frontRow always keep the music tidy and
when the pounding of a "crescendo" comes as God intended, go if you feel it. Only a real dynamic can be
perceived by keeping the noise level as low as possible, and from that silent background we will have the
greatest possible dynamic range to our service: just what these frontRow do.
Conclusions
Years ago, having dinner with an Italian manufacturer of products destined to the current of our systems, he
told me that he divided the brands of cables into two groups: those that contributed something to the sound to
make it hotter, or "analogical" we can say, and those that simply open the sound and with slight nuances let it
flow freely. Without a doubt the Audience frontRow belong to the second group, letting our system breathe
freely, with a great level of silence, fabulous detail and always with naturalness, control and elegance in its
sound.
Maybe we can find better cables - not many - in the market, but ... at what price? That is perhaps the most
interesting virtue of the Audience brand and of this particular model as its flagship, establishing itself again
and again, whatever the model they present, as a reference to beat in relation quality / price. They offer a
quality of sound so high that it allows them to be chosen to connect systems of absolute reference, and always
leave their owner with the satisfaction and security that has made the purchase as smart as possible. My highest
recommendation
Distribute Ultimate Audio
Audience frontRow speaker 2 meters - € 5220
Audience frontRow RCA interconnection 1 meter - € 3400
EQUIPMENT USED IN THE TRIAL
Sound boxes
• Kroma Audio Norma and Mimì
Amplification
• Preamplifier Ypsilon PST-100 MKII
• Stages monophonic Ypsilon Aelius
Source
• Transportation MBL 1621A
• DAC Nagra HD
Cables
• Stealth Audio Sakra Interconnection and Tara Labs Zero Evolution
• Digital S / PDIF Tara Labs Omega Zero
• Kroma Audio Speaker
• Kroma Audio Current
accessories
• Acoustic Revive RR-77
Hifi Live Magazine
https://hifilivemagazine.com/audience-frontrow-3/
Share on FacebookTweet
I follow the products of the American company Audience for many years, despite never having possessed one
of their own. Winners of prizes to the best sound and present for many years in the list of components
recommended by Stereophile magazine, I have always thought that they could be the dream that all fans of
high fidelity look for. I am referring to those components that we think can look from one to the other to the
absolute references of their sector, but for a fraction of the price of these. A bargain, or buy a teacher, or
whatever you want to call them, you understand me ... The fact that many international writers in the sector
have them in their sound systems, has always helped me to reaffirm my assumptions.
The previous flagship series of the firm, the Audience SX, I heard in the room of the former distributor of the
firm in our country with very favorable impressions. This coupled with a few months ago Audience has
launched a new top-of-the-range series, and that according to contrasted references exceeds its long
predecessor, I have "forced" to ask their current distributor in our country, Ultimate Audio, a set of said model
to be able to test them thoroughly. Due to its absolute novelty, and the demands that the distributor has to
support now in this product, I received a set consisting of speaker cable and an RCA interconnection pair, with
which I can make a well-founded idea of its benefits, although I cannot completely connect my system with
them.
Received in a beautiful semi-rigid case with the Audience logo in the center, they stand out for following a
design very different from the usual high-end cables. They are very thin, light and not rigid. A few years ago, I
remember conversations with audio distributors in which they commented that a cable must necessarily have a
considerable section. It seems that this way of thinking is overcome today with comfortable, practical and
solvent realizations in the same way. It is clear that an extremely high wire section is not necessary to transmit
all the musical content of a recording, and only an arduous work of damping and screening can justify a large
cable diameter. In this case with a frankly moderate section.
To perform the test I installed the speaker cables at the same time as the interconnection pair, which I decided
to use to connect the DAC with the line preamplifier, because I think that at that point its influence and sound
personality is more evident and palpable.
First of all, the sound offered by the Audience frontRow cables is elegant. It shows a control over the whole
spectrum of frequencies - and especially in the most severe - exemplary. I have had the opportunity to listen to
them both with boxes of important size and weight as the Kroma Audio Norma, as with the smaller monitors
of the Mimì model brand. In both cases keeps the boxes at bay, always leaving in my mind the impression that
in boxes of great power and benefits are more favored by that domain of the situation they show. I cannot
recommend only this model for large boxes, because with the small "in size" Mimì sounded fabulous, but its
control and precision in the way of showing the serious makes them ideal for large realizations of acoustic
boxes.
The level of detail of the frontRow is frankly high, and that was something special in the previous model. I
recently listened to the Au24SX in a demo with the YG Acoustics Sonja 2.2 boxes, where this aspect seemed
impossible to overcome, but this new series represents a further step in resolution, even matching the most
important brands in the wiring world, no matter the price level A level of detail of such caliber almost always
alerts certain fans who relate-erroneously-detail with harshness or even coldness. In this case, this is not the
case at all. I have already referred to my first impression of elegant sound - impossible to perceive harshly -
and of control, but to this I have to add the one of extremely faithful in the timbral reality of each instrument or
voice that we listen to. If a timbre is the correct one is not possible that we find hardness in it, only a
deformation of the reality or emphasis in certain aspects that break their balance can show us that defect. It is
not the case…
Elegance, control, fidelity to the original are aspects that define a great achievement. But are these the cables
that I can openly recommend for any sound system? To affirm that a product fits 100% in any audio
equipment, is not only risky, it is a lie, without more. Everyone must take into account personal tastes and
synergies before deciding, and these Audience frontRow are very high-end cables in performance for systems
of a level according to their performance. We do not seek to equalize our system with them, they will not give
us a sound with more filling or density in medium-serious or hotter in general, it is neutral and will give us the
best of what we have in our room. If it is a sound of quality and balance, it will raise the level,
At the end of the day, is not that characteristic that every good amateur should try to reach in his cables? We
had not been in which the cable that better sounded was the one that did not add anything to the sound? Well
here we have it, reproducing the music that our beloved components give, but with control, without
interferences or resonances, without any detail being lost along the way and with elegance and class.
We can only influence the vital aspect of the dynamics. No limitation will be perceived in this aspect -both in
the micro and in the macro-, being fully satisfactory and enjoying the complete dynamics of any good
recording. What happens is that sometimes we can confuse cables with a good dynamic with others that
directly throw the music to your face with quite coarseness. The frontRow always keep the music tidy and
when the pounding of a "crescendo" comes as God intended, go if you feel it. Only a real dynamic can be
perceived by keeping the noise level as low as possible, and from that silent background we will have the
greatest possible dynamic range to our service: just what these frontRow do.
Conclusions
Years ago, having dinner with an Italian manufacturer of products destined to the current of our systems, he
told me that he divided the brands of cables into two groups: those that contributed something to the sound to
make it hotter, or "analogical" we can say, and those that simply open the sound and with slight nuances let it
flow freely. Without a doubt the Audience frontRow belong to the second group, letting our system breathe
freely, with a great level of silence, fabulous detail and always with naturalness, control and elegance in its
sound.
Maybe we can find better cables - not many - in the market, but ... at what price? That is perhaps the most
interesting virtue of the Audience brand and of this particular model as its flagship, establishing itself again
and again, whatever the model they present, as a reference to beat in relation quality / price. They offer a
quality of sound so high that it allows them to be chosen to connect systems of absolute reference, and always
leave their owner with the satisfaction and security that has made the purchase as smart as possible. My highest
recommendation
Distribute Ultimate Audio
Audience frontRow speaker 2 meters - € 5220
Audience frontRow RCA interconnection 1 meter - € 3400
EQUIPMENT USED IN THE TRIAL
Sound boxes
• Kroma Audio Norma and Mimì
Amplification
• Preamplifier Ypsilon PST-100 MKII
• Stages monophonic Ypsilon Aelius
Source
• Transportation MBL 1621A
• DAC Nagra HD
Cables
• Stealth Audio Sakra Interconnection and Tara Labs Zero Evolution
• Digital S / PDIF Tara Labs Omega Zero
• Kroma Audio Speaker
• Kroma Audio Current
accessories
• Acoustic Revive RR-77
M
mauidan
Guest
- Thread Author
- #5