TheAbsoluteSoundHigh-EndAudioBuyer’sGuide2018

AudienceAu24SEUSB$945(single-conductorversion,$895)Don’tlistentotheAu24SEUSBinyoursystemunlessyou’repreparedtoshelloutthelonggreen.TheAu24SEisexpensive,butworthit.Thefirstthingyou’llnoticeisthattheAu24SEhastwojacketedsetsofconductorsratherthanone.Onesetcarriesthesignal,andtheother,power.Frankly,there’snothingtofaultintheAu24SE.ManyUSBcables-aswitheverythingelseinaudio-forceyoutomaketradeoffs:thiscablehasbetterresolution,whileanothermayhavegreatersmoothnessandease.TheAudiencecableseeminglydoesitall;itisconvincinglysuperiorineverysoniccriterion.TheAu24SEispricedattheverytopendofthescale,butifyouwantano-compromiseUSBcable,looknofurther.(TASIssueNumber254)

AudienceOhnoInterconnect$199/1m(+$82permeter);speaker$209/1m(+20permeter)OnceyougetpasttheinitialshockofOhno’steenyprofile,you’llbeassurprisedasNGwasatitsimperturbablemidrangetonalweight,whichseemssocontradictorytoitsskinnycontours.Ohnocablingisquiet,quick,andextendedwithwell-focusedanddimensionalimaging.Sure,thereareplentyofheavyweightdesignsouttherebutnonearegoingtokicksandintheOhno’sface.Acablethatwillalsointegrateeasilyinanysmallroomordesktopsetup,andmaybe,justmaybethebestperformanceperdollarcablethatNG’sheardinsometime.(TASIssueNumber264)

AudienceAu24SEInterconnect$1290/1mpr.;$1895/1mpr.balancedAudiencecablesareeasytouseandeveneasiertolistento.Theseextremelyflexiblecablesofferasupple,refined,andweightysound.ThemostnotablevirtueofthespeakercablesisthattheyfollowtheaudioequivalentoftheHippocraticoath,whichistosaythattheydon’tdoanythingwrong.Thesearenotcablesthathaveevenatraceofetch.Norarethesaccharineorrolled-off.Rather,theyseemtoconductthesignalwithnofussormuss.Theyareaccurate,lithe,andtautwithoutanyhintoftizziness,whichistosaytheydon’tsacrificebodyattheexpenseofspeed.Attheirmodestpricepoint(byaudiophilestandards)theAudiencecablesaredifficulttosurpass.(TASIssueNumber249)

AudienceAu24SEPhono$1390/1mpr.Thisnewphonocablecanbeorderedinthreedifferentversions,witheachversionoptimizedforyourcartridge’simpedance.Afourthmodelismadeformoving-magnetcartridges.TheSEversionsportsnewultra-lowmassRCAconnectorswithtelluriumcoppermetallurgy.Theimprovementisdramatic;theAu24SEiscapableofvanishinglylownoiseandenticingtonalclarity.AnysenseofhazeisbanishedbytheAu24SEcable.Avividsenseofairinthetrebleroundsoutthevirtuesofthisoutstandingperformer.NotethatownersofthestandardAu24canupgradetoSEstatusfor$220perpair.(TASIssueNumber230)

AudienceAu24SEpowerChordLP,$1030;MP,$1175;Fullpower,$2250(5’)ThenewSEversionofAudience’salreadysuperbAu24ACcordsrenderanacross-the-boardsonicimprovement.Basedontheoriginaldesignofmulti-strandconductorsandhigh-puritymono-crystalcopper,theSEbringstothetablenewconnectorswithhigher-qualitymetallurgyandlower-massterminations.Moreover,AudiencenowofferstheSEinthreeversions,low-poweredintegratedamplifiers,andhigh-powerforpoweramplifiers.Thelower-poweredversionsnotonlysoundbetteronlow-currentconsumptionsources,theyarelessexpensive.TheAu24SEinanyconfigurationdeliversalownoisefloor,neutrality,andanalmostpreternaturalsenseofrecordedspaceandambience.Beyondthatisastrongermicroaspectthathonesinonimageswithincisivefocusandseeminglyeffortlessflowandimmediacy.Lastbutnotleast,thesecordsareoneofthemostflexibleavailable,veryhandyforangledruns.(TASIssueNumbers219,245)

AudienceAu24SXInterconnect$1800/1mRCApr.And$2400/1mbalancedpr.;speaker$3290/2.5mpr.Audience’slatestflagshipwireproducesaripemidrangeweightandsweetness,vividdynamiccontrasts,andaprofoundsensitivitytodelicatevolumegradations.Ultimately,itpossessesabrilliancethatcastlightinthedeepestcornersofthesoundstageandrestoresairandlifttoharmonics.Aparticularstrengthofallthesecablesistheoftenhard-to-achieveblendoftransient,thetactile,andthereverberant.TheAu24SXstruckafluidandnaturalbalanceofease,articulation,andimmersiveness.Superb.Flexibleandeasytohandle,too.(TASIssueNumber269)

AudienceTheONE$995TheOne,asyoumightinferfromitsname,isasinglefull-rangedrivershoehornedintoasmallbox.Thedriveritselfisthesameunit,theA3S,thatAudienceusesinitsflagship$72,00016+16speaker.(Audienceisuniqueinthisregard;nootherspeakermanufactureremploysthesamedriverinallitsspeakersfromthesmallesttothelargest.)AccordingtoAudience,theA3Shasexceptionallyflatresponse,claimedtobewithin+/-3dBfrom40Hzto22kHz.Bethatasitmay,properlysetupTheOneisthebestdesktopspeakerreviewerStevenStonehasheard.Ifyouarelookingforanexceptionalsmall-footprintmonitor,TheOneisaMust-audition.(TASIssueNumber236)

Audience1+1V2+$2345Don’tletthe1+1V2+’snearlyidenticalappearancetothe1+1foolyou;thisnewlyupgradedversionisabigleapoveritsalreadysuperlativepredecessor.TheV2+employsasignificantlyredesignedversionofAudience’sfull-rangedriver,top-levelAu24SXinternalwiring,retunedpassiveradiators,andcustomtelluriumsolderlessbindingposts.Theresultismoreresolutionanddetail(particularlyinthetreble),superiortransparency,widerdynamicexpression,andgreatermidrangepurity.The1+1V2+’smidrangeclarity,justoneofthevirtuesofacrossover-lesssingle-driverspeaker,isonparwiththatofmanyspeakerscostingtwentytimestheV2+’sprice.Thestateoftheartfordesktoplistening,andaterrificchoiceasamainspeakerinsmallerrooms.(TASIssueNumber273)

AudienceaR2p/aR12/aR12-TS/aR6-TSS$695/$4995/$8995/$6000TheaR2p,Audience’scompact,dual-outletpowerconditionerandisolationdeviceisbasedonthemassive12-outletversionsofwhichAudienceisrightlyproud.UsedwithaCDplayer,itsenhancementofsoundstaging,dimensionality,anddepthcanbeprofound.Withdemandinghigh-currentdevicessuchasamplifiers,transientsseemedalittlesoft.Anauditionisrecommended.FurtheruptheAudiencefoodchainarethe12-outletheavy-hitters.TheaR12wasfoundtobeanextremelyeffectiveconditioner,capableofdeliveringsignificantimprovementsinbassdefinitionanddepth,overallresolution,andsoundstagedepth.Itsbuild-qualityisnothingshortofexemplary.AtthetopofthehillisthenewTSSlinewithTefloncapacitors.(TASIssueNumbers162,179,186,235)

AudienceadeptResponseaR12-TSSOX$12,845(withAu24SEpowerChord)ToGregWeaver’sear,Audience’snewaR12-TSSOXpowerconditionerrepresentsasubstantialimprovementoveritspredecessors,somuchsothatitwouldbefairtosaythatitbordersonanorderofmagnitudeadvance.Thisisaworld-classdevice,deservingyourfullattention.Giveonealisten–perhapsthe6-or12-socketvariety–butbepreparedtobuyit.IfyouareanythinglikeGW,thereisnochanceitwillcomeoutofyoursystemonceitisinplace!(TASIssueNumber266)