Experience report by Ulrich Nähle.
“Some time ago I had the possibility to test the SPL Phonos. I attested that the device would bring back the sonic roots of high fidelity… in the meantime I purchased some new Magnepan speakers.”
“However, these Magnepan speakers need an amplifier which provides enough power.”
“This is why I needed a new power amplifier. Oops! Which unit to choose at an affordable price?”
“Well, why roam so far afield when the good stuff is right around the corner. I asked Hermann Gier and two days later I got the SPL Performer.”
“After setting up and connecting the device as usual… I warmed up the Performer for a while.”
“When listening to music, I definitely prefer vinyl.”
“The recordings used by Wolfgang Kemper when he tested the Performer were an excellent choice, because I own these records myself.”
“If you listen to music, that you’ve been listening to for some time and on different devices, you don’t expect big sonic suprises anymore. I really didn’t think that after 45 years of experiences in hifi, I would be listening with amazement and wonder to the piano concert #1 by Prokofiev or the organ concert by Camille S.S. – who would have thought it.”
“The dynamic, which Performer and Maggie [ speakers ] offered was breathtaking.
In addition to that it perfectly delivered all tone colors – effortlessness, also in the spatial representation you can precisely hear how different strings can sound. I also noticed, as I have with the Phonos, the beautiful and clear basic tone. As already mentioned above, the Performer is able to detect and correct weaknesses of other units. It exactly amplifies what the preamp has to offer, staying neutral and transparent.”
“All my other ‘test-records’ also sound very detailed and there is always something new to discover. Whether it is Hildegard Knef, Ella Fitzgerald or a nice Folk record by Magna Carta with natural sounding voices or a guitar concert, simply put, it is an experience of dynamics and tone colors of the respective different acoustic instruments.”
“I really enjoy listening to music with the SPL Perfomer. Pretty often I had the feeling of sitting in a small concert hall. Whatever may arrive at the device, the power amplifier exactly puts it out. It really gets the best results out of vinyl and drives my Magnepan speakers to the max. My neighbors can confirm, that you can get really loud with the SPL Performer.
Well done and thumbs up to Hermann and his team at SPL!”
