SOUND TRAVELS

JF developed a sense of the grandeur in music at an early age. Over the years he’s grown even more in love with the magnificence, huge scale, solid beat and intricate rhythms of his favourite music styles.

Tom Waters interviews an audiophile who loves beats and rhythms and, in the past, was a dab hand at building his own audio equipment, which informed his present purchases.

Tom Waters: Do you have a first memory, a first unforgettable musical experience that left an impression?

JF: Perhaps not a single unforgettable musical experience. My father took me to one of his friends’ home at an early age where, in particular, I was introduced to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 played on a high-end mono system. Wow!

My father could design and build everything from Fisher World Wave radios, bass guitar amps and custom-built early

TVs to ham radio transmitters and receivers.

At one stage we had more than a dozen substantial radios throughout the house and workshops. We also had a huge collection of records, including classics such as Caravan, Flight of the Bumble Bee, and so on. It was all a huge influence on me. Sadly, my father died in May 1960, just before my 15th birthday. By the way, the cabinets for those Fisher World Wave radios were actually built by my grandfather! I still have some of those old cabinets in my garage: They’re made from beautiful burled walnut.

Another memorable moment was when I was on holiday at a school friend’s uncle’s home where I heard George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess played on a Quad system. Also memorable was the pre-1970 live club rock music played in Auckland.

The joy of building and listening to my first crystal set is also a strong memory. Then later, in about 1965 (when I was maybe 20 years old) I built my first stereo amp from scratch; I folded-up and popriveted the chassis, punched all the holes and did all the wiring using a circuit provided by a former friend of my dad [ the system can be seen in the photo on page 53]. A lot of effort went into improving the sound. I even built the speaker cabinets in accordance with Goodmans’ recommendation for 10-inch Tri-Axioms. Unfortunately, I sold the amp and speakers prior to coming to Australia in April 1970.

I have had a number of stereo amps over the years including an Akai AA-5000, Quad 33/303, ME 85 amp and ME 25 preamp (I still own these last two), Arcam AVR300 (5-channel) and an Arcam AVR600 (7-channels, which I also still own).

Another significant event was attending a B&W demonstration evening at Len

Wallis Audio in Lane Cove and listening to Master and Commander on a 5.1 system

(or better?). This was a very expensive experience as it resulted in the purchase of a 5.1 Arcam AVR300 system and a large Velodyne subwoofer for starters.

This was eventually replaced with a 7.1 Arcam AVR600 which was subsequently only used for the rear and centre speakers and as a processor with the older but better Australian ME 85 stereo power amp brought back into service driving the front, left and right speakers. The ME 85 (and ME 25 preamp) was purchased to replace the Quad 33/303 to drive the glorious B&W DM70 hybrid electrostatic speakers (still own) and subsequently the B&W 801Fs

(still own). Until this year, the B&W 801Fs were used as rear, left and right speakers. The front, left and right speakers are the wonderful Legacy Focus SEs. These are six-driver, four-way loudspeakers that the manufacturer rates with a frequency response of 20Hz–28kHz ±2dB.

The most significant impact on my musical tastes was the joining of the Sydney Audio Club (SAC) as a ‘founding’ member back in 2007. SAC meetings and their inhome Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings introduced me to genres and artists I may not have otherwise considered. Having

SIG meetings at my home introduced me to music and concerts that I would not otherwise have listened to and yet enjoyed.

TW: And did that start you on the hi-fi journey or did something else start you on the audio equipment quest?

JF: If you have a love for music and appreciate the feelings generated by music and vocals, then the urge to get closer to live sound in your home becomes a strong driving force.

Listening to other sound systems at hi-fi shows, hi-fi businesses, the homes of other audiophiles and at SAC and SIG meetings can certainly generate seemingly compelling reasons to upgrade your equipment. However, the competing pressures of diminishing sound improvements and increasing costs help to ground you—and did I mention the wife’s input?

Another origin for my hi-fi journey was in Auckland when I was young. I went to a Grammar school where we had music classes. They had a big mono system which had a great sound. I really loved listening to determine which instruments were playing—that was the purpose of the class, besides an appreciation of the music.

That helped me start to discern the various instruments at a very young age. I also frequented some dance clubs in Auckland in my teens—I loved the whole aura of the sound and the feeling.

TW: Where do you think your system is going, or has it arrived?

JF: I haven’t heard anything that would drive me to make significant changes to the current system other than some room acoustic treatment. But honestly, I am incredibly happy with my current system and enjoy listening to all genres and music formats including Spotify Premium. I have been fortunate to acquire the components in my system over a number of years prior to the less affordable current exchange rates.

Another significant event was attending a B&W demonstration evening at Len Wallis Audio in Lane Cove.

TW: What is your favourite piece of equipment at the moment, something that you wouldn’t sell?

JF: That would be my Legacy Focus SEs which have worked so well with a number of amps, but particularly with the Simaudio MOON Evolution W-7M RS Series Mono power amps.

I understand their current pricing is approximately $24,000 however, in my opinion, they perform well above this price point.

TW: What do you see as being your next hi-fi purchase or upgrade?

JF: I am currently not planning on any upgrades. Nevertheless, I would not say never. Perhaps a hearing range check is needed first to see if I am likely to get value for money. If I cannot hear a worthwhile difference when auditioning new equipment at home, I would not make a purchase as I already have a significant investment in hi-fi gear. To date I have not considered installing room acoustic treatment as my system is not in a dedicated hi-fi room and the WAF is low(!). I might consider replacing my Oppo sometime, but it’s probably of lower importance considering that I use it primarily as a transport.

TW: What’s the most memorable pair of speakers (or system as a whole) that you’ve ever heard?

JF: I really think the Legacy Focus SEs in conjunction with the Simaudio MOON Evolution W-7M RS Series Mono Power Amps is a memorable system.

I have purposely not tried too hard to hear the larger Legacy speakers as they are out of my wife’s price range! In providing my opinion, please understand that I have not heard many high-end brand speakers that may be better than my current main speakers.

As well as my Legacy Focus speakers, my old B&W DM70 hybrid speakers (305 mm diameter model DW13/70 bass driver and an elevenelement electrostatic mid/high frequency unit) are still remarkably good-sounding. I might have the electrostatic panels re-skinned (with new Mylar). I don’t want to get rid of them. Way back, I wanted them re-skinned and rather than that, I swapped them with a pair the importer had at that time, plus $600. His pair had been recently re-skinned in the UK. They had a different socket arrangement on the top, but according to the DM70 aficionados I did really well because these have the fibreglass panels in them, which are superior to the panels used in my old pair. The bass the DM70s are able to generate is quite amazing.

TW: Is there any component you’ve sold that you now regret selling?

JF: Yes. My late father’s pre-1960 Garrard 301S transcription turntable with its Ortofon SPU-GTE moving-coil cartridge and transformer. Also, my SME 3009 Series 2 tone arm, which I had installed on a Technics SL120 turntable. I still have the ADC 26 cartridge (from the SME 3009) which has a Garrett Brothers elliptical diamond stylus and their boron cantilever.

TW: Do you use the same music for comparing components as you do for listening pleasure?

JF: Yes.

TW: What genre of music do you listen to mostly and who are some of your favourite artists?

JF: I enjoy a very wide range of music genres, however music with an urgent rhythm or beat certainly captures my attention, as do many different vocal styles including ‘untrained’ voices. I listen to classical, soundtracks, instrumentals, light jazz, rock, heavy metal, alternative, punk, dance/ techno, R&B, female vocals, á capella, house, electro (or electro-funk), indigenous (Australian, Indian, African)... and anything with great percussion. Some of my favourite artists include Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Wagner, Queen’s Dominion, Nickelback,

Bela Fleck, Northern Lights, Mickey Hart… TW: What would be your ‘desert island’ music albums if you could only choose, say, three works?

JF: Only three is very limiting for someone with a wide taste in music genres, but Tchaikovsky’s 1812, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Erik Satie’s Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes would likely be my three choices.

TW: How would you describe the sound you are now getting from your current system?

JF: A really listenable, non-tiring, balanced sound. It has the ability to allow you to hear maximum detail even when complex music content is present. Vocals sound great, the bass is tight with a definite heft to it and the sound is very realistic. Of course, all of this is dependent on the quality of the recording.

TW: In what way does music affect your life, your emotions and the way you feel?

JF: First of all, I love having a jam session where I can turn the volume up appropriate to the genre to which I am listening.

I would not be welcome in a block of units! Music and vocals (with and without video) can elicit a full range of emotions and enable you to suppress other undesirable life tensions that may exist from time to time. I get immense pleasure from my hi-fi and video system. It takes me to great places and really calms me down.

TW: Where do you see the high-end audio industry going in the future?

JF: I think the “middle of the road” stuff will downsize and we’ll also see multiple components combined into one box—more of the current trend in other words. But in my opinion, high-end will still be there. There will always be the desire for it, the market for it and the people with the money for it. It’s the same as we have with cars—no one thinks high-end Mercedes and BMWs will go away. If someone builds something extravagant, someone will buy it. We’re always chasing something more, so long as the wife will let us! And of course, you can’t get huge powerful soundscapes out of tiny components.

TW: Where would you like the audio industry to go or to evolve to?

JF: More and faster streaming. I am planning to have everything on a server. We’ve had lots of different formats over the years—I’d like to see firm standards defined, and better adherence to those standards. It’s good for the manufacturer and the consumer. And I’d like to see all streaming services improve and simplify. Spotify Premium, for example, is easy to use. I’d like to see it all become more affordable too. Tom Waters