I took the liberty (via Google Translate):
Alexander von Humboldt was a German naturalist, explorer and geographer who lived between the 18th and 19th centuries. In the years I spent in South America I have seen his name assigned to parks, streets, buildings, and even shopping malls. There is also the famous "Humboldt Current", which flows from South to North off the coasts of Chile and Peru. The geographical maps of Central and South America owe a lot to him, even today.
So how did the Germans at Audionet choose this illustrious fellow citizen to name the integrated amplifier at the top of their product range? Easy: this machine, together with the Stern preamp and the Heisenberg monophonic amps, are part of the "Scientist" series, which means scientist. This leads me to analyze the slogan that Audionet has chosen for his company: "Scientific Magic". "Scientific magic" ... Ohibò, what will they ever mean with these two words apparently so in contrast to each other?
We find the explanation precisely in the birth of this company, in Bochum, a university city located in the Ruhr, in a garage in the basement of the University. A group of scientists and engineers, some twenty years ago, decided to try to explore the limits of sound reproduction, and they have come a long way since then. We at Audio-activity.com are curious to hear if what they promise, they deliver. Of course, to combine the words "science" and "magic" you have to make a certain effort of the imagination, first, and then technical.
Let's start by saying that a few months ago, as soon as we were allowed to travel freely, we went to Berlin, where the new Audionet headquarters is located, to create an interesting service, in which you can see a lot of photos of the company, and that you can find on this page. You will immediately realize that we are not talking about the esoteric "one man band", but about a very well organized company, technologically very advanced and of considerable size, considering the market to which it is aimed.
Audionet production is quite large. We find 2 CD players, 3 network servers that have different functions, 4 integrated amplifiers, 4 preamplifiers of which 1 phono, 4 power amplifiers and 4 super power supplies dedicated to some products (not from the Scientist series) that can be purchased separately, so as to being able to dilute the cost of components over time, improving their performance.
Audio-activity had the stroke of luck to be able to "intercept" the integrated Humboldt while it was on tour through half of Italy, so as to be able to have it on trial for a few days, enough to dissect its character, but seriously insufficient to satisfy the desire to listen to me. But we will come to this later.
Audionet Humboldt
Humboldt is, in fact, an integrated amplifier, with characteristics not common to its counterparts on the market; at these levels, both of price and of physical grandeur, the fingers of one hand are even overabundant, to count them.
Let's start with the design: someone, in the photo, criticized it a little. Those who came to me to listen to it (it doesn't often happen that I invite someone to my sancta sanctorum, but for this piece of electronics I made exceptions), found it beautiful. Of course, it is very big and the dimensions cannot be made to disappear, but personally I find the design of Hartmut Esslinger, the famous German designer who also worked on Steve Jobs's Apple, very apt for its linearity and simplicity, despite being original. The upper part of the frame, is beautiful, as it is not the usual flat sheet, and is equipped with a myriad of small holes useful for heat exchange. There will also be those who prefer more elaborate lines, and for example the D'Agostino Momentum comes to mind, another integrated which, although even more expensive than the Audionet, can be considered in a similar price range. A matter of personal taste, I would not close my door to either of them, there are other things that fascinate me in this type of "appliance".
And therefore, our Humboldt is a 61 kg monster, and measures 450x320x505 mm (wxhxd). It is a large parallelepiped made of 9 mm thick aluminum, optionally in silver or black, which houses a large color TFT display, which can have a light or dark background, at the request of the buyer.
In the center of the front, a huge knob for adjusting the volume and choosing the options provided by the electronics. One thing I have to tell you about this knob: to the touch it is wonderful. The aluminum finish is state of the art, the "weight" of the rotation, on a double bearing axis, magnetic control and optical sensor, makes it a pleasure to use, even for the sensation of turning the knob of a tank.
In addition to the knob, the large power button at the bottom left, whose circumference remains illuminated in a warm white color when the machine is on. Below the display, 4 circular keys and one, larger, triangular, allow adjustments without having to use the remote control, which is a large and heavy block of black aluminum, with flawless operation. Instead of frets, it has metal spheres (or more likely hemispheres).
The display shows the selected input, to which you can give the alphanumeric name you prefer, the volume level in dB, under which there is a blue bar that shows it graphically, and 5 small blue writings, which do not appear from a distance. They see, leaving the display "clean", to explain the functions of the keys. Even the latter, from a distance, become invisible, with an optical effect that I find perfectly fitting. The brightness is obviously adjustable, in steps of 10%, from zero to 100%. In the zero position, it lights up briefly when it receives a command, and then becomes dark again. Perfect when the Humboldt is placed under a home cinema screen, for example.
All functions are microprocessor-controlled and are definitely engineered at the highest levels. Interestingly, for example, the fact that when you change the input, the amplifier automatically mutes, and then returns to the previous volume level. Of course, the offset, i.e. the possible difference in input volume depending on the connected devices, can be programmed for each input, from -9 to +9 dB.
A brief list some of the features highlighted by Audionet:
- completely dual mono circuits and power supplies
- magnetically optimized circuits without ferro-magnetic materials
- floating panels on aluminum frame, with optimized resonances
- circuit boards optimized for controlled cooling
- galvanic separation of all analog circuits by means of optical couplers
- Furutech rhodium-plated connectors
- DC coupling of circuits without the use of capacitors or coils, signal paths as short as possible
- 4 separate power supplies for positive and negative current flows, divided by preamp and power amplification: 2 of 100 VA and 2 of 850 VA
- total capacity: 400.000 µF
- rhodium fuse.
And these are the main things, you can certainly read more on the Audionet website if you want to know more.
A look at the back: being dual mono, the connectors for the two channels are located at the ends of the panel. We have 2 balanced and 3 unbalanced inputs, one unbalanced and 1 balanced output (for subwoofer or for a bi-amp amp), the beautiful and massive connectors for the speakers, the IEC socket, a ground screw for an additional ground cable, complete with modified plug, which comes with the amplifier, two optical sockets for controlling other Audionet machines, and the socket for the WiFi antenna, through which the amplifier will automatically update its firmware. You can also control some functions via the App, but I have not made any tests in this regard.
There are various possibilities that you can set on each input, including that of By-Pass for HT systems or the possibility of filtering the DC input current (useful for example when the pre HT you use buzzes a little). There is also the possibility of balancing the channels, which is never too much.
I would add that the amplifier switched on, without signal, tends to heat up quite a lot, especially in consideration of the large heat sinks with which it is equipped, probable evidence of a rather high polarization of the output stages. It heats up a little more when it is in operation, even after discrete power demands.
The system in which the Humboldt has been inserted is the following:
Basis 2001 turntable, Graham 2.2 tonearm, Lyra Kleos cartridge, phono preamp: Einstein "The Turntable's Choice" balanced, Yamaha CD-S3000 CD / SACD player, multimedia player: Oppo 105 D, preamp: MBL 4006, power amps: Bryston 7B³, speakers: JBL 4350B, Velodyne SPL-1200 subwoofer, interconnect cables: MIT Oracle MA-X Proline, MIT Shotgun S2 RCA, Transparent Super XLR, Transparent Super RCA, Cammino PH B 2.2 Ref XLR phono cable, speaker cables: MIT Magnum MA, Vovox Initio, power cables: MIT Shotgun AC 1, Black Noise Pearl and others self-built, mains distributor: Lector Edison 230/8, mains filter: Black Noise 2500.
So we come to the listening notes.
For me, it is almost a discharge rite, that of warming up a component that has just arrived in my listening room, and also my ears, always with the same CD, with few or no audiophile pretensions: "The Best of Inti Illimani (CGD It had never happened that after 10 seconds from the start of the first song, while I was waiting for my daughter Valentina for the photographs of the Humboldt, I fell half-unconscious on the armchair, thinking that a mischievous sprite had exchanged the CD for some remastering. The volume was very low, "from heating", in fact, but a complete music came out, in spite of the isophonic curves. How was it possible? Valentina arrives, takes the photographs and then I go to dinner, a little perplexed, leaving the CD on repeat. Maybe it's the size of the amplifier that affects me, I think. A nice shower, I come back and everything passes. I go back into the room and immediately stop the CD. I double check that the impedance selector of the MIT Oracle MA cables is in position cor straight, and I sit with the notebook on my legs, to restart the record. The first piece is the wonderful "Alturas", which many of you will know (if not, I suggest you fill the gap), and this time at normal listening volume. From the first notes of guitar and charango, I immediately realize that I am not in front of an electronics like hundreds of them I have heard in 45 years of experience. Flutes, for example, are impressive. Usually, when you listen to them, you get the feeling that their sound and the breath necessary to emit music are like two things in their own right. This time it is different, you can feel the breath entering the barrel, to come out transformed into a stupendous sound (I love the Andean flute), while it seems to see the hand beating the skin of the small drum in the background. Never heard of such a thing. The guitar on the right, during the final arpeggio, almost seems to be tuned differently than usual. If I weren't a disenchanted old reviewer, I wouldn't be able to trust my ears. But then I think it takes a quarter turn on just one of the bolts of one of my drums to clearly hear the difference in sound, and I feel less suggestible.
I listen to a frequently used CD: "Lampo Viaggiatore" by Ivano Fossati and immediately I feel that the snare drum, masterfully played by Lele Melotti, is dry as usual, but the harmonic emission that I am hearing now reaches me at ear for the first time. And believe me, you don't need to focus on individual instruments to notice the new things this Audionet brings to my (and I hope yours too, if you can hear it) attention. It has creepy low-range control and depth, which doesn't make me regret the absence of my subwoofer (when I try something, I always keep it off, I don't want anything to add to it). The piece "Lampo" begins with a syncopated electronic sound, on which no reference can be made, obviously, as it is not acoustic. But in the meantime it is different, for the first time. Different but also more beautiful, if I may venture a very personal feeling.
And what about the voice of the Genoese singer-songwriter? It is placed here, among the speakers, with his breaths, with his sea and his poetry.
I switch to "Hear My Words" (SACD Chandos). The choirs are more precise, the voices seem less merged with each other, better articulated; so much so that, in addition to distinguishing themselves better, they seem suspended together with time in the silence of the pauses, when the Chapel of St. John's College "breathes" with the singers.
The dynamics of the amplifier seem unlimited, but at the same time it never "rips". It has the right climb times, without forcing, probably resulting from distortions. The speed is lightning fast but without unnatural exhibitionism or fireworks. When electronics give you the impression of "turbo-charged", they are altering the musical signal. The Humbold seems to ride the waves of dynamics in souplesse, like a 500hp car is able to overtake without disturbance on the motorway. The organ's sound is impressive for its range, dynamics and firmness on the notes held. And I realize that I have no desire to get up to change CDs, to hasten these listening tests, that I feel the need to fully appreciate everything I decide to listen to. I know perfectly well that the time for which I will have the Audionet available will be rather short (maybe a couple of weeks), but I have already understood that it will not be necessary to rush to listen to everything. The question now revolves around listening better. Quality and not quantity. I will therefore choose my favorite records, to enjoy them to the fullest, and not necessarily the best recorded ones.
Another very memorable listen was that of Ramirez's "Misa Criolla", sung by Mercedes Sosa. There were some friends here as we listened to him. In the end, no one could say a word ...
Three more plays, I want to tell you, before closing. The first is Monteverdi's "Vespro della Beata Vergine" directed by Gardiner (CD Archiv). The scansion of the voices of the choirs is, once again, superb, and at the same time natural. The arrangement of the elements is wide and the reverberations of the Church go out with the right timing and with the delicacy of someone who knows how to treat the musical signal.
Grieg's "Peer Gynt" (LP Angel), performed by the Hallée Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. Since the Overture, the immense class of recording and reproduction has been appreciated. The sound planes are scanned with astonishing precision. The "solidity" of the instruments is still unexpected, although ears and brain should, by this point, have become accustomed to the performance of the Humboldt. And the characteristic of this electronics always remains to play with rare linearity even at night listening volumes.
A "refresher" to "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd (SACD EMI), recording I know, in all the formats in which it was published, better than my pocket. Indeed ... I knew ...
What to add, in conclusion? In the meantime, I feel a bit guilty towards you for using so many hyperbole, you know it's not my style, but I wouldn't be able to describe otherwise the emotions that Audionet Humboldt was able to give me. The thing that amazed me most is his ability to materialize voices and instruments by presenting them in three dimensions, and with an absence of grain or electronic artifacts that impresses. Do you know the difference between looking at a landscape on a postcard and seeing it live? Well, after having listened to this amplifier well, the rest seems like a postcard to me. It is an interpreter of excellent class, which however does not add anything of itself. Personally, I have never heard anything like it before, in conditions that I can define as "controlled". We are truly on another planet.
At one point, it seemed to me that Humboldt looked at the world of audio from top to bottom and uttered the famous phrase of the Marquis del Grillo di Sordi, who in turn quoted the Roman poet Giuseppe Gioachino Belli: "I am me, and you are not a c ..."
The price? At these levels it is released from any practical, commercial or ethical considerations, and becomes a painful formality. As for me, I had already spoken to my bank manager because I wanted to change the bike, but I have the impression that the bike will be waiting, and that I will welcome the Audionet Humboldt. Which is not a simple amplifier, it is a time machine. You put on a record, any record, and it takes you back to the recorded event, it doesn't matter place and time, it doesn't have preferences.
This is followed by the listening note of Domenico Pizzamiglio, who has come to hear some music, while the Humboldt was stationed in my listening room, and whom I thank for this intervention.
——————
You will have already read what Angelo Jasparro wrote and therefore you will already know that he was very impressed by this integrated amplifier. I also imagine that you will not expect comments from me that may differ from his because you know, by now it is clear: Angelo and I have a rather similar approach to audio. We are not interested in the product which has its own sound, which colors, which plays, which pleases. We are looking for devices that give music back as it should be; not as we like it, but as she likes it, the music. And this amp does this. When with well-known discs - each of us has his own -, in a well-known system - it is no mystery that Angelo knows my system very well as much as I know his - and after having listened to dozens of other machines of great value and fame (and many have passed through Angelo’s room, among those some top brands) you have such a unique and surprising effect, you are in front of something that excels. Initially reluctant to go to Angelo to listen to this amplifier, partly for my own problems that I feel more and more distant from the audiophile world, partly because the price of the amp puts it far from my economic possibilities (or, to be more precise, from how today I decide to spend my income, now through more pleasant and different entertainment for me), after ten minutes of listening I was speechless. I, who pass for a talker and also a protester; in short, a pain in the ass. Silent because Angelo's system already sounded splendidly for me, alive, immediate, violent if necessary; but with this Humboldt the sound was such as to make you forget you were in front of the JBL 4350s and a number of other electronic devices and wires; in front of them were the instrumentalists. I have not read Angelo's writing and therefore I risk repeating what he wrote; but listening to the Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten for strings and bell, by Arvo Pärt, on the Naxos label, the timbral and dynamic balances were different from usual; the tolling of the bell that accompanies the piece "to death" was of a quality that I could define "tactile"; blow, resonance, silence. Perfect, silhouetted in a corner in the hypothetical scene, but still immanent, as a bell (not tubular) can be, much more perceptible than how I have heard it so far; sometimes annoying, like a bell rung in the vicinity of the ears in fact it is. I don't even mention the acute strings because they are simply very close to perfection; the incredibly controlled low strings, with decay times that with closed eyes would have deceived even a double bass player or a cellist, so much it seemed to be in a normal concert hall, in the first ten rows of the stalls, at that point where the hall does not begin to lengthen the bass a little. Colorings on some part of the audio band, none. Listening discomfort (drill effect) totally absent; with the constant desire to increase the volume. I even thought I was listening to this record for the first time in all its technical beauty (each person responds to the artistic beauty with their own emotions). Moreover, in listening I also moderately "gushed" because I have always recommended or given that recording, considering it to be of the highest quality; and listened to through Angelo's and Humboldt's machines, I was sure of it; removed the characterizations that most of the amplifications bring (some amplifications more, some less), the wonder of the recording, the feeling of real music that it brings with it, the feeling of having the orchestra in front of your eyes, has been confirmed in full. And nothing has changed in this rigorous and correct attitude with other recordings, whether they were Genesis, or Mercedes Sosa, or others. With this amplifier - and I am not citing all the recordings used because I would have to repeat the same things over and over again - the impression was double. The first of absolute admiration for a machine that actually gives you such credible instruments in their violence (the music is not pleasantly soft; that's something else) and in their timbre, as in their physicality, that you really forget that you are listening to an audio system; the second of annoyance, great annoyance, in knowing that I will never be able to buy myself such a device. Which represents, at least until I hear something that will convince me more (but so far it hasn't happened) something that has so much the flavor of Musica Vera.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
!!