Sydney Audio Club Meeting - July 2022
July Meeting Report
Following on from the May meeting which had a very interesting and successful technical talk this meeting started earlier than normal to allow for Nigel (Audio Connection) to generously provide a technical discussion on streaming.
This topic was very relevant as there has been many advances in technology and there are a range of products which have simplified the streaming of music and have also addressed the early issues with sound quality.
After a short break the regular meeting started with Arthur (Audio Connection) providing an overview on digital noise (jitter) and an overview on the design of the Grimm MU1 streamer which has been designed to minimize digital artefacts. Following on from this was a selection of music played by Arthur which of course was streamed.
The Kef Blade 2 Meta are a striking speaker with its iconic design and the combination of the Kef, the Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated Amplifier with the Grimm Mu1 resulted in an effortless presentation of music in our large meeting room. There was also a Wilson Audio LoKE Subwoofer to help enhance the bass in our meeting room which is known for its difficult bass issues.
There was much discussion between the attendees during the afternoon tea break and inspection of the Kef speakers in particular as they are a unique design compared to the traditional box speaker. The frosted blue colour of the speakers was stunning and provided an example of the options available to fit into a modern décor.
The rest of the meeting was the usual playing of members music tracks and Arthur was swamped during the break with club members requesting tracks from the almost infinite choice available with streaming from libraries such as Tidal. The streaming option allowed for a greater selection and quantity of tracks to be played as compared to the usual club meeting where the majority of music is from CDs.
Special thanks to Nigel and the Audio Connection team for providing his speakers, associated equipment and taking the time to prepare and present to the club on technical aspects of streaming. The change in format was well received by the members and the club is planning to have more meetings with a segment on a technical subject.
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July Meeting Overview
10th July 2022: Nigel Ng, from Audio Connection, will be featuring the Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated Amplifier with KEF Blade 2 Meta speakers and a Wilson Audio LoKE Subwoofer along with a Grimm Audio MU1 Streamer supported by a Nordost QNET Ethernet Switch.
In addition to showcasing the wonderful system and streaming technology Nigel will be presenting a 'TechTalk' at 12:30pm on the topic of Streaming, Streaming Services and Devices. This interactive discussion should answer all your questions about streaming. Please arrive around 12.15 pm for the TechTalk. If you happen to be late just quietly slide into a seat and join the discussion. As our club is based on mutual respect, especially in these open presentations, let us remain respectful towards one another’s views and opinions.
There will be a break from 1.30 pm – 2 pm to grab a bite and a drink before the meeting starts at 2 pm. There will be another afternoon tea break around 3.15 pm or so.
Details of the system:
Amplifier: Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated Amplifier - Gryphon Diablo is quite possibly the most popular High End integrated amplifier of all time. Despite sales of thousands of units, its virtual absence from the second-hand market is a reliable indicator of the extreme loyalty of Diablo owners. Now, the Gryphon Diablo makes way for the Gryphon Diablo 300, a revitalised iteration of the technologies and components that made it the world’s most award-winning High End integrated amplifier. https://gryphon-audio.dk
Speakers: KEF Blade 2 Meta - Sharing the same DNA as Blade One Meta, Blade Two Meta offers all the acoustic prowess and iconic design on a slightly smaller scale. Blade Two Meta features Single Apparent Source technology with four 165mm (6.5 in.) force-cancelling bass drivers and 12th generation Uni-Q® driver array with MAT™. https://au.kef.com/products/blade-two
SubWoofer: Wilson Audio LoKE Subwoofer - Wilson Audio's smallest subwoofer that will reshape your thinking around small footprint subwoofer systems. https://wilsonaudio.com/products/loke/loke
Streamer: Grimm Audio MU1 Streamer - Worthy of the name Grimm Audio the MU1 music player is the ultimate digital music source. The Linux-based computer system brings solid data integrity. The in-house-designed FPGA interface board, which forms the heart of the MU1, offers breakthrough performance levels in format conversion and receives automatic updates, and the MU1 also features Grimm Audio's trademark ultra-low jitter clock. https://www.grimmaudio.com/hifi-products/music-players/mu1/
Following afternoon tea the second half of the music sessions will be our popular music BYO. Members and guests are welcome to offer music to share with us all. So bring along your favourite music on CD, SACD or USB thumb/flash drive. All we ask is that the music and recordings be interesting. We'll ask you to tell us a little about the artist/recording before it is played. Tracks over 6 minutes will be faded out, to give everyone a fair go.
Whether you are a novice or a seasoned veteran, you will have the opportunity to listen, learn and share your experiences with others. Feel free to come and hear the capabilities of the system, or to just share the experience with like-minded music lovers in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Guests are welcome – we are a very friendly club so you don't need to know anyone to join us for an afternoon of fine music and sound.
If you are a guest and would like to attend, please email <enquiries@sydneyaudioclub.org.au> to ensure we will not exceed the room numbers for the current Covid Guidelines.
John McEvoy
Club President
Sydney Audio Club Inc.
Following on from the May meeting which had a very interesting and successful technical talk this meeting started earlier than normal to allow for Nigel (Audio Connection) to generously provide a technical discussion on streaming.
- General comparison on the main differences between traditional analog playback and streaming in terms of the methodology and equipment required.
- Overview of the equipment available and the changing options where the “box” count is being reduced as more products are released that combine multiple functions.
- Discussion on the software available to enable cataloging of local digital library and enable streaming from services such as Tidal.
- Description of common problems with streaming in the home environment, particularly the issues with bandwidth and Wi-Fi. Suggestions were provided on simple enhancements to optimize streaming capability.
- Broad overview of the types of connections such as USB.
This topic was very relevant as there has been many advances in technology and there are a range of products which have simplified the streaming of music and have also addressed the early issues with sound quality.
After a short break the regular meeting started with Arthur (Audio Connection) providing an overview on digital noise (jitter) and an overview on the design of the Grimm MU1 streamer which has been designed to minimize digital artefacts. Following on from this was a selection of music played by Arthur which of course was streamed.
The Kef Blade 2 Meta are a striking speaker with its iconic design and the combination of the Kef, the Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated Amplifier with the Grimm Mu1 resulted in an effortless presentation of music in our large meeting room. There was also a Wilson Audio LoKE Subwoofer to help enhance the bass in our meeting room which is known for its difficult bass issues.
There was much discussion between the attendees during the afternoon tea break and inspection of the Kef speakers in particular as they are a unique design compared to the traditional box speaker. The frosted blue colour of the speakers was stunning and provided an example of the options available to fit into a modern décor.
The rest of the meeting was the usual playing of members music tracks and Arthur was swamped during the break with club members requesting tracks from the almost infinite choice available with streaming from libraries such as Tidal. The streaming option allowed for a greater selection and quantity of tracks to be played as compared to the usual club meeting where the majority of music is from CDs.
Special thanks to Nigel and the Audio Connection team for providing his speakers, associated equipment and taking the time to prepare and present to the club on technical aspects of streaming. The change in format was well received by the members and the club is planning to have more meetings with a segment on a technical subject.
-----------------------------------------
July Meeting Overview
10th July 2022: Nigel Ng, from Audio Connection, will be featuring the Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated Amplifier with KEF Blade 2 Meta speakers and a Wilson Audio LoKE Subwoofer along with a Grimm Audio MU1 Streamer supported by a Nordost QNET Ethernet Switch.
In addition to showcasing the wonderful system and streaming technology Nigel will be presenting a 'TechTalk' at 12:30pm on the topic of Streaming, Streaming Services and Devices. This interactive discussion should answer all your questions about streaming. Please arrive around 12.15 pm for the TechTalk. If you happen to be late just quietly slide into a seat and join the discussion. As our club is based on mutual respect, especially in these open presentations, let us remain respectful towards one another’s views and opinions.
There will be a break from 1.30 pm – 2 pm to grab a bite and a drink before the meeting starts at 2 pm. There will be another afternoon tea break around 3.15 pm or so.
Details of the system:
Amplifier: Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated Amplifier - Gryphon Diablo is quite possibly the most popular High End integrated amplifier of all time. Despite sales of thousands of units, its virtual absence from the second-hand market is a reliable indicator of the extreme loyalty of Diablo owners. Now, the Gryphon Diablo makes way for the Gryphon Diablo 300, a revitalised iteration of the technologies and components that made it the world’s most award-winning High End integrated amplifier. https://gryphon-audio.dk
Speakers: KEF Blade 2 Meta - Sharing the same DNA as Blade One Meta, Blade Two Meta offers all the acoustic prowess and iconic design on a slightly smaller scale. Blade Two Meta features Single Apparent Source technology with four 165mm (6.5 in.) force-cancelling bass drivers and 12th generation Uni-Q® driver array with MAT™. https://au.kef.com/products/blade-two
SubWoofer: Wilson Audio LoKE Subwoofer - Wilson Audio's smallest subwoofer that will reshape your thinking around small footprint subwoofer systems. https://wilsonaudio.com/products/loke/loke
Streamer: Grimm Audio MU1 Streamer - Worthy of the name Grimm Audio the MU1 music player is the ultimate digital music source. The Linux-based computer system brings solid data integrity. The in-house-designed FPGA interface board, which forms the heart of the MU1, offers breakthrough performance levels in format conversion and receives automatic updates, and the MU1 also features Grimm Audio's trademark ultra-low jitter clock. https://www.grimmaudio.com/hifi-products/music-players/mu1/
Following afternoon tea the second half of the music sessions will be our popular music BYO. Members and guests are welcome to offer music to share with us all. So bring along your favourite music on CD, SACD or USB thumb/flash drive. All we ask is that the music and recordings be interesting. We'll ask you to tell us a little about the artist/recording before it is played. Tracks over 6 minutes will be faded out, to give everyone a fair go.
Whether you are a novice or a seasoned veteran, you will have the opportunity to listen, learn and share your experiences with others. Feel free to come and hear the capabilities of the system, or to just share the experience with like-minded music lovers in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Guests are welcome – we are a very friendly club so you don't need to know anyone to join us for an afternoon of fine music and sound.
If you are a guest and would like to attend, please email <enquiries@sydneyaudioclub.org.au> to ensure we will not exceed the room numbers for the current Covid Guidelines.
John McEvoy
Club President
Sydney Audio Club Inc.