VIEW FROM THE HEIGHTS
Author: Nikolay Efremov

It took me quite some time to decide in which section to post this publication - Home Theaters or Audio sets. Such a thoughtfully picked out selection of components that has everything - from an audiophile’s turntable to an officially certified Auro 3D system – were met in one for the first time in my practice.

The word "thoughtful" is the keyword for this setup. Firstly, the system was assembled in a very small space, and secondly, an uncompromising sound quality has been achieved with a minimum of technical means. Well, thirdly – a thorough selection of a combination of components evaluated by the final result, taking into account the contribution of each piece. Some of them are already known to us and in such cases a very brief description will do. CD-transport - Jadis JD3 Evolution (...). There was no external DAC in the system, a converter built into the network power amplifier darTZeel LHC-208N was used instead. (...). 

For stereo mode the SV-400 four-line speakers were used, senior in the lineup of the Italian company Sonus Victor. Solid (85 kg net weight and 160 cm height) speakers in enclosures made of natural Italian walnut have a sensitivity of 92 dB and, according to the specification, are capable of reproducing bass from 20 Hz.
A pair of 30-inch low-frequency loudspeakers with cone of impregnated cardboard works in a sealed enclosure that promises an increased rate in the lower ranges. Middle ranges are also sounded by two similar speakers but of a smaller size of 20 cm. Finally, tandems of one-inch soft dome tweeters are responsible for the upper frequencies. Crossovers are made by hand, foil capacitors Mundorf carefully matched in pairs. 

Rear sound support is provided by a relatively modest in size floor pair of Sonus Victor SV250. Identical sound ideology and used materials determine the uniformity of the sound field in multichannel mode.

And here we are approaching the most interesting part - creation of a three-dimensional sound system. As we already know, Auro-3D is the so-called object-oriented format with a high-rise sound field, which is formed either through ceiling speakers, or using ceiling reflections. We have, of course, the first no-compromise option.
The heart of the system, processor Crux Auro 3D, has been jointly developed by two companies - the Belgian Auro Technologies and American Datasat Digital Entertainment. This is the first device designed for home installations, previously the alliance was developing similar ones exclusively for professional cinema. (…)
In this case, the configuration was 10.0 without the center channel speaker and a subwoofer. The duties of both were assigned to the front speakers that easily handeled the task. (…).

The feeling that the system does not just play music from a CD, but in some intangible way completely recreates it in space and time. (...)
First – a pure stereo set. We have already listened to all the components, but separately. I must admit that the combination of LHC-208 with the huge SV400 makes a strong impression. And not only due to the overall dynamics - and it seems to have no limits at all - but by the ability to delicately pick out the finest musical strokes of a three-dimensional picture.

In addition, Sonus Victor speakers demonstrate tremendous dynamic contrasts in a modest in size venue without any significant side effects. Bass is deep and very fast (sealed design!), kick drums appear like shots. Mid is so natural, that the violin and cello seem absolutely real. You can hear everything – details of string vibration, distinctive "voices” of instruments’ sounding decks, the bow colophony and the reflections of the room in which the microphones were allocated. Such a wealth of details virtually provides physicality in the most literal sense.

But most importantly, a sense that the system does not just play music from a CD, but in some intangible way completely recreates music in space and time. The performance effect "here, now and only for you" is apparent on any music genre - most notably, of course, on symphonic classics and jazz, but even drum’n’bass does not seem completely artificial and devoid of liveness.

Of course, basic recordings will sound flat and uninteresting - in this sense we should not expect miracles. Note that these subjective impressions are always based on a completely material basis: low distortion, a linear frequency response in specific conditions and perhaps most importantly - minimum phase shifts between sound waves of different lengths. From all of this (and much more) is our impression of what we heard made up.

In terms of energy the tie of LHC-208 + SV400 will not yield to a “club machine”, but even the fanciest dance floor will envy to such a sound quality. A solo on a bass-guitar sounds as through an expensive guitar stage-amp.
The illusion of huge space in behind where something is going on as well adds to the multidimensional perspective of the stage. (…).

Now the main thing, Auro 3D. Despite the absence of a subwoofer, the bass was so powerful and low that the couch standing several meters from the speaker line was physically vibrating. And what’s most valuable, that this bass range was perfectly synchronized with the other frequencies, what is not easy to achieve when combining with a separate bass system. If talk about the upper channels, the most spectacular tracks on the Blu-ray demo didn’t create such strong impressions as tranquil scenes and musical compositions.

From computer animation, where everything explodes and flies over your head you get tired quickly, but music playing in three-dimensional is really pleasant to ear. You really find yourself in the heart of the event - a concert hall, the cathedral or the studio where the recording was done. If we talk about the effect of presence, here it is almost a 100 percent. And in our case there were no typical theater compromises when quality factors are sacrificed to quantitative and the bass literally blasts the ear. Here the tonal balance is perfect and an illusion of a huge venue space with area behind where something is as well going on adds to the multidimensional perspective going deep into the scene. (…).

Original release: http://www.salonav.com/arch/2016/03/universalnaya-zvukovaya-av-sistema-auro-3d.htm