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發表於 2016-10-17 16:54:11
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HI FI MAGAZINE review IKEDA KAI by David Mallen
MADE IN JAPAN” PERFECTION
It seems that the Japanese are the most qualified experts in the manufacture of pick-up cartridges. Perhaps their work philosophy makes them more apt for this kind of work with its emphasis on detail, or maybe it’s their insatiable quest for perfection. In any case, the best brands and the most lauded ones are “Made in Japan”. Now this is no attempt to upset other manufacturers but the fact is look where you may you will encounter chatter regarding the benefits of these small works of Oriental art. There surely are those who believe that there exists a commonality in the sound characteristics of these products, well, nothing could be further from the truth. Fortunately, there is an endless array of determining factors which make each totally different from the other: the cut of the stylus, the materials employed, the enclosure itself, the coil or purity of the copper, among other factors, result in considerable differences which confer a unique seal for each one of the brands. Additionally, it is an engineer, an artisan who is behind each of these creations, bestowing upon them a very personal seal.
In this case, the man in question is Mr. Isamu Ikeda, creator of this marvel. His name is linked to a professional career wholly integrated to the search for perfection in analogue reading ever since his incursion in the sector back in the 1940s. Initially, he worked for other brands, but in 1964 he founded his own company, the renowned Fidelity Research Inc., where he ended up creating some of the best known products for lovers of analogue sound. Some of these include the FR-24 tonearm, the MC FR-1 phono cartridge from 1967 or the FR-64 tonearm and FR-7 phono cartridge from 1978. Many of the advances promoted during these years were due to Mr. Ikeda, including the development of the first phono cartridges for Winding Mobiles, the use of a silver cable and high-performance magnets. The company went on such a roll that it was even listed at one point on the Japanese stock exchange, though mitigating circumstances including the appearance of the CD and its subsequent rapid ascent resulted in the closing of Fidelity Research Inc. in 1985. That same year, Isamu Ikeda founded a new company bearing its current name, Sound labs, a small firm wholly devoted to audio and the continuation of his investigative research. It is worth mentioning the refinement of such innovative products as the Ikeda 9MUSA U, a phono cartridge without a cantilever. Presently, the catalogue of this brand is made up of five phono cartridge models (Kai, Sai, 9TS, 9TT and 9mono), three tonearms of different size and finish along with other accessories, such as cables, transformers, headshells and so forth.
Craftsmanship versus Technology
In October, 2012, the Kai, Ikeda’s product of reference, was launched on the market, the result of labor covering more than four decades in the design of phono cartridges. It represents the culmination of work which joins craftsmanship and technology in equal parts; it is one of Mr. Ikeda’s greatest achievements and one of the most outstanding products on the current market.
One must bear in mind that Isamu Ikeda is credited with many patents as far as analogue reading systems is concerned, unique for the character of its sound, but also because of the technology employed. The external aspect of this phono cartridge, an attention-arresting intense blue, hides a true work of engineering, above all, with regard to the materials employed: The enclosure is manufactured from a special aluminum alloy, while the upper cover and base are made of titanium, the cantilever which holds the diamond is made of boron, the nucleus is from Permalloy, a compound of nickel and iron possessing high magnetic permeability, the coils are of low impedance and come with a samarium-cobalt magnet which offers great resistance to demagnetization. The output voltage is 0,19 mV and the coil impedance is of 2.5 ohms, the frequency response is 10 Hz a 45 kHz and the separation of channels is over 27 dB. The phono cartridges are mounted by hand and inspected one by one under a strict control protocol with the aim of guaranteeing maximum quality.
Thanks to the generosity of the importer, Ultimate Audio, I have been able to enjoy this gem for a considerable period. Initially, I had the good fortune of trying it out with a Trinity phono, a truly seductive combination, as any enthusiasts who were present at the Ultimate Sessions in Barcelona and heard the same tandem will attest. After the Trinity’s departure, the Kai remained with my veteran pre-amplifier, the Cadence phono; at first, I was hesitant about choosing one versus the other; however, once these technical questions were resolved, I was able to center my attention on what is really important, the music.
Sensitivity and precision
For such an exquisite guest product, the choice of recordings has been very particular, though as already mentioned, it has been in my possession long enough for me to enjoy many of my preferred discs. Its sound is attractive and transmits a peace and sensitivity which I had never experienced before. I must admit that it is a component of reference capable of leaving in our system a special aura.
There is a piece by Ravel which I favor especially: It is the Tombeau de Couperin, written originally as a piano solo and subsequently orchestrated by the composer himself. I have chosen for this occasion an Andre Cluytens recording for EMI in the splendid re-release by Testament. It is a recording that is really beautiful, inundating the soundstage with endless detail, a record which fits like a glove for our guest product, It is one that is capable of restoring effortlessly every single one of the wind instruments in its various positions, marking the different sound levels in depth and, best of all, with a surprising clarity and acuity which only serves to reinforce the realism of this interpretation. “Rigaudon” is noteworthy in the beginning with its combination of horns and trumpets as well as the central passage where during the pizzicato of the strings, the oboe initiates the exposition of a sweet melody which picks up the English horn, one of those moments which overwhelm with their natural simplicity. With the Kai, this movement is fresh and detailed, the music is truly alive, it manages to move us, and thus, enjoyment is guaranteed.
The current revision of the Ikeda has coincided with the arrival of the first LPs from Reference Recordings, thus, I cannot resist jotting down a few notes on some fragments. The first of these is Mussorgsky, the dance of the Persian slaves which is an extract from the opera Khovanshchina. What exquisite music! I have no idea what it is about the Russians that renders their music so absorbent and exciting; it goes straight to the heart. In this case, the melody is evocative, it invites us to dream of faraway places, exotic locations; to achieve this level of concentration/emotion one has to listen to it in optimal conditions and this is the case here because the Kai reproduces with exactitude each of the timbres of this hyper-meticulous recording. It is especially endowed for recreating the atmosphere of when and where the sound was recorded, a soundstage that has ample openness and is replete with different points of emission, where the notes float delicately. Besides our invited guest product shows truly surprising body, one that is opulent and energetic, honoring the reputation of these legendary recordings. The listening has been realized at a high volume level without resulting at any time in the slightest hint of distortion or auditory fatigue. Let us change the revolutions now and pass on to the “Danza Macabra” by Saint-Saens, a recording worthy of the highest praises, the orchestra is more present than ever, the strings are extremely real, there are several violin solos which will make your hairs stand on end. Kai’s dynamic response is fantastic, the lowest frequencies are powerful, and an orchestral tutti is not necessary nor is the bang of a kettledrum, the simple pizzicato of the strings is quite significant in this regard. These are exquisite miniatures which the Ikeda Kai restores in a natural manner with a silky treble and a middle range that is decidedly sensual.
Now, let us move on to the end of the first act of Tosca, one of Puccini’s finest dramas. The scene begins with the “dong” of the tubular bells. Scarpia, confident in the success of his ruse, advances energetically through the church. Cannon bursts warning of the escape of Atavanti can be heard from Castelo di Sant Angelo. The intensity increases as the leading character advances, at a given moment the organ joins the exposition reinforcing if it possible to do so this vigorous fragment; as if this were not enough, the chorus initiates the accompaniment. The baritone elevates his voice until finally music and chorus reach the culminating point, achieving one of those great moments in the opera. Baritone and chorus in unison finish off the orchestra with thunderous blows, it is truly sublime. I have chosen this fragment because I am endeavoring to put our invited guest product on the spot. The version selected is that by Georg Solti for Decca with Leo Nucci in the role of Scarpia. It is not the best admittedly, but it is the one that best resolves this passage. The Ikeda Kai demonstrates its ability to extricate the last iota of information from the vinyl groove and it does so with a precision and realism that is hard to find in these fragments in which the sound normally tends toward saturation and stridencies. The most important virtue is that it does so with a praiseworthy sensitivity. The Ikeda Kai contributes extra smoothness to the treble part of the register, independent of the volume elevation that one is listening at.
Let us switch to another musical genre now. For this purpose, I have selected a passionate record, When I look in your eyes by Diana Krall in a re-release of Original Recording Group for the original Verve in 1999. Allow me to advance that with the Kai I not only have the sensation of the singer being present in my living room, but I can hear each of the inflections of her voice. It is a deep voice which surges from the center of the loudspeakers, achieving the right height and maintaining it immobile. “Let’s fall in love” is one of those themes which move you from the first listening, but I must admit that said sensation has improved.
In the beginning, the voice accompanied by the guitar is truly overwhelming, but when the rhythm begins with the rest of the instruments, the Kai offers a sensation of sound fullness that is unequalled. Our guest product restores the voice of Diana Krall in a powerful and imposing manner, but does not allow it to escape from its point of emission. It neither extends nor enlarges itself unnecessarily, but does so from a single point, coming at us with great force. We never lose its position; it is a sensation of hair-raising control and exactitude. The rest of the instruments are magnificent, the bass on the Kai is perfect, and the rhythm at the beat of the bass smothers you. You find your feet unconsciously tapping in a repetitive manner to the music. It is really contagious.
To conclude, one of the finest records of all time is Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Right after dropping the stylus onto the record, the dynamic and precision that follow leave us astonished. It is surprising how these three instruments elicit such a special accompaniment from the saxophone. The Ikeda Kai offers a reading of “Take Five” of absolute precision, in the saxophone’s notes we find a texture that is above-average, the timbre is exact and there is not the slightest trace of anything strident. The drums and double bass are precise and with a deep bass submitted to extreme control, there are drum solo moments of absolute delirium. The piano repeats the same notes indefinitely but it never tapers off, it is always present. The volume at which it is listened to is irrelevant, nor are the drum’s cymbals annoying, not even in the most extreme drum beating is there the most minor hint of distortion, the theme in and of itself is radical but I must admit that with the Kai my level of exigency has shot through the roof. It is a great record and an unbelievable reading!
A declaration of principles
The Kai is a decidedly spectacular phono cartridge, no one will be indifferent before such qualities, its listening is precise and warm, and precisely this sweet point in the treble is what sets it apart from the competition. It has a smoothness which is neither at odds with the transparency nor the realism, just the opposite. On occasion, the music moved me to such an extent that I could not help raising the volume to extremes in which even the best recordings begin to evidence defects; however, this was not the case with our invited guest product. Its body is powerful; the bass notes are always precise and agile but, above all, the high frequencies never saturate, they are always awash in a halo of smoothness.
I have tested it with all kinds of instruments and every type of recording and the results have always been outstanding. The piano sounds with a harmonic richness that is unbeatable, for strings there is a medium range that is markedly sensual, the voices are silky with a register that is very natural, the kettledrums are impactful and, above all, it is capable of recreating the atmosphere of the interpretation in a manner that is extremely real, even when the complexity of the signal is notable. I sincerely recommend that you listen to it and verify the veracity of what I am saying, you will not be disappointed. In my experience, the Kai has seduced me in such a way that I have had no other choice but to succumb to its charms. Initially, I had no recourse but to return it after the testing had concluded, but now it has returned to stay definitively with me.
Ikeda Kai – 6950€
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