Ultimate Audio held another Session in Porto, making my eardrums beg for more! Two rooms, two distinct sonic experiences, one single goal: to showcase the best that high-end audio has to offer.
Main Auditorium: The Realm of (Surgical) Precision
Stellar Setup:
- Marten Mingus Septet Diamond, Swedish high-end speakers
- commanded by the 1110 preamp precision instrument and amplified by a pair of 1151 monoblocks, both from Colorado’s Boulder.
- The digital source came from Spain, the Wadax Studio Player (a one-box solution for digital).
- The power treatment was handled by Isotek, and the cabling, in both rooms, was by Esprit and Siltech.
Imagine a sound system so precise that it can dissect every note like the best surgeon. That’s exactly what happened.
- Take Five (Joe Morello): Percussive attack demonstrating the speed, elasticity, and precision of this system. Pure Blitzkrieg!
- Jean Pierre (Marcus Miller): The diamond tweeter is absolutely sublime! Impossible not to smile from ear to ear…
- Highlight: Mariza’s live recording in Belém, Lisboa, with “Ó Gente da Minha Terra” – Every nuance of the fado singer’s performance was transmitted directly to the guts of everyone’s in the room.
The Result? Reverent silence and serious faces. Translation: I wasn’t the only one whose heart was torn apart in that moment!
Secondary Auditorium: Music Gained Body
Organic Setup:
- Revival Atalante 5 speakers (Atalante 3 review coming soon here on MoustachesToys!)
- L-507Z integrated amplifier
- NT-07 network player pumping binary code to the internal DAC from the D-07X SACD/CD player. All machines from Luxman.
If the first auditorium was precision, here organic musicality and full-bodied sound reigned. The music had a physical presence, even at moderate volumes.
- Que Reste T’il De Nos Amours (Paolo Fresu): Trumpet cutting through the musical mass like a blade.
- Se Masticó la Tragedia (Ultra High Flamenco): The physicality of the percussion was present, with speed and elasticity that surprised me for speakers of this size.
- Maria Bethânia in “Canto de Oxum” – Comfort food for the ears.
Precision vs Musicality
I Canto – Marten/Boulder/Wadax:
- Surgical precision
- Attack and speed with visceral authority
- Microscopic detail
II Canto – Revival/Luxman:
- Organic and natural musicality
- A sound that breathes and moves
- Physical, deep bass
Final Verdict: Two Sonic Paths, One Single Truth – Music Goes Beyond What the Ears Can Perceive!
The Cherry on Top
The Ultimate Audio team continues to prove that they are not just equipment sellers, but curators of musical experiences. Each Session is a journey, each system an interdimensional portal to new sonic universes.
Next Destination: The Next Session – February 8 in Lisbon!
Get ready for another journey. 🚀🎧
Disclaimer: The responsibility for the highly probable musical ecstasy is entirely yours!