Large Size Rooms

We define medium size rooms as more than 70 square meters, but less than 150 square meters and fairly rectangular in shape. Irregularities will make placement a bit more complex but needs more analysis at design and more attention in the speaker placement. The speaker placement is on a wall with minimum 8 meters width. The listening position should be at about 2x the distance between the speakers. The distance away from the walls depends on the solution proposed.

There are many combinations one can follow. In this case we propose solutions where the analogue is the reference source. In our test systems, as digital sources, we mostly use multiple mainstream blu ray DVD players (e.g. Pioneer Elite series) and media servers with excellent results, driving either the preamplifier directly or through a DAC.

All components outlined below are high grade, hand built, top quality components built in Denmark, Germany, Japan, Spain and Switzerland and are matched to form undisputable reference audio systems.

Analogue Source: Simon Yorke Designs, S10.

A total ‘record player’, complete with tonearm, the S10 may be configured as a ‘cutting-edge’ audiophile turntable or as a truly professional precision transcription system destined for use in the world’s largest national sound archives. Typically supplied with the S7.1 unipivot tonearm, the S10 permits multiple cartridges to be used and quickly interchanged, allowing users the ability to make rapid stylus-profile changes in archival applications and, for the audiophile, the option to make near-instant cartridge selection without the need to realign cartridge geometry.

Alternatively, Bergmann Audio Sindre, air suspended turntable and air driven parallel tone arm. The proposed cartridge is Lyra* Titan or Transfiguration* Orpheus. It offers natural reproduction with utmost detail and musicality.

Both perform outstandingly, can be listened at our studio and one should consider the personal preferences to arrive at his/her own conclusions.

Phono: FM Acoustics, Resolution Series FM 222 Phono Linearizer.

The original FM 222 revolutionized the reproduction of vinyl records to a standard never imagined - and this in the days when a huge worldwide marketing campaign hailed CD as "perfect music forever"...

With the singular features and circuits of the FM 222 it is possible to realize the wealth of detail and information lay hidden in record grooves. It is phenomenal what realism and incredible music reproduction can be extracted from the vinyl. The FM 222 is T H E revelation. Musicians, producers, engineers, libraries and collectors in many parts of the world have realized that with the FM 222 a total re-vitalization of record reproduction was finally possible. A short demonstration convinced even the most skeptical engineers and listeners. The rest is history: the FM 222 - manufactured continuously since 1992 - has become a tremendous success.

Preamplifier: FM Acoustics Resolution Series 266 MK II.

First introduced 15 years ago and is currently running in the MK II version. A unit perfected so carefully that provided a performance so far ahead that went mostly unchallenged. Never has there been anything comparable, presenting the ultimate line stage (of course with the exception of the FM 268, its larger companion with built-in Harmonic Linearizer and highly recommended).

The FM 266 is fully balanced and for inputs I,II, and III, new switchable true-impedance attenuators are provided. These are very useful with some of today’s high level components (CD/DVD players/converters, etc.) that produce excessively high output voltages - often far above the standardized level ratings. Such excessive input levels can overload input stages (not the ones of the FM 266...) and they force the user to set the Level control on the line stage to very low settings, so low that it actually works as an attenuator instead of a preamplifier. The new input attenuators of the FM 266 lower the excessive levels whilst guaranteeing perfect balancing (not an easy feat). This in turn results in optimal Level control setting (around 12 o'clock position for normal listening levels).

Proprietary Class A design, unbalanced and pseudo-balanced signals are automatically balanced right at input and the unique, true balanced outputs automatically optimize performance with balanced or unbalanced amplifiers.

Above all, superbly musical!

Amplifier: Two FM Acoustics Resolution Series FM 711 MK II.

The original FM 711 was exclusively made for Japanese music aficionados. In 2008 the exclusivity commitment has been completed and as the FM 711 is such an outstanding amplifier it was decided by FM Acoustics to continue production and make it available worldwide.

Incorporated are all characteristics that made FM ACOUSTICS amplifiers world renown, such as proprietary selection procedures for high-precision component matching, use of semiconductors that have to pass 5 different selection procedures, unmatched discrete, individually fine tuned Resolution Series analog circuitry etc. The output stages have 50% higher capability than the famous FM 611X (which it replaces) and provide unmatched linearity at highest power and at ultra-high current delivery requirements. The astounding inter-transient silence is unique to the MKII version. The FM 711-MKII provides higher resolution, higher drive capability and higher power. Amplifiers for a lifetime!

Loudspeaker: German Physiks, The PQS 402

The PQS 402 can reproduce in full realism a large orchestra, an electric blues live event or the delicate delivery of a ballad. It is for the very few that have the space and the musical awareness.

The design brief for PQS 402 was to reproduce the sound of our Loreley model in a smaller loudspeaker using similar technology and so make high performance level products available to a wider audience. The PQS 402 succeeds in this. It can play prodigiously loud – up to 118dB and it can play very deep – down to 25Hz, whilst retaining all the time the delicacy and transparency that German Physiks loudspeakers are famous for.