First and most obvious was to move the power amps from their positions between the speakers to one where they could also be looped into the Monster. Next was the whole issue of what to connect where, which in the case of the Wadax components is far from straightforward, In the end I settled on the grounding points on the DAC’s power supplies and the transport, an unused output from the transport and an unused input and USB service port on the DAC. The CH was far simpler: The L1 chassis and signal grounds were tied together and connected to both the Monster and the parallel AC ground. The A1.5s had both their chassis and redundant inputs connected to adjacent sockets on the Monster. The star-grounding terminal on the QB8 was hooked up to the spare connection in the Monster’s analogue bank. Finally, as all the AC sockets in the Music Room are dedicated audio feeds, I ran an extension lead in from a separate ring to power the Monster. This final change was a huge step up in the context of this system, elevating the overall performance to a new high for this familiar combination of equipment.
Being diligent, I duly ran many of the tracks I’d been listening to in the smaller, Reading Room system, but one example will suffice in this instance. The Polski Radio live concert recording of Górecki’s Symphony No. 3 ‘Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs’, conducted by the composer (PR SACD 2) is another long-time favourite. It is powerful, stately, majestic and emotive, from its measured opening to its shattering climaxes. It is also beautifully served by a recording that captures the acoustic space, but more importantly the atmosphere and sheer humanity of the event. From the shuffling incidental noises of the orchestra settling, to the coughs and fidgets in the audience, their applause and the intensity of the performance itself, this system has never produced such a palpable sense of presence, of being there, of vivid colour and emotional connection with a performance happening in front of me. Intending to play the first movement, I sat through the whole disc. Then I sat stunned for quite a while. And then I pressed play all over again…
This is about total musical coherence. It is about generating an innate sense of rightness that allows you to stop questioning what you are hearing or what it represents and simply enjoy the musical experience and the emotional response it generates. It shortens the distance between you, the performers and their performance to the point that, with the right system and the right recording it pretty much eliminates it – at least to the point where your experience and imagination can do the rest. It doesn’t re-make the original event. It doesn’t fool you into thinking you are there. But intellectually and emotionally you might as well be…
That’s what the Telos Monster CAN do. It can take a great system and extract the sense of life and presence and human agency in the recordings you play. It can bind together all the great qualities your components possess into an artistic whole that’s so much greater than the sum of its parts. In fact, it mines the very qualities that I find so elusive in so many audio components and systems. But I say CAN, not DOES – and I say it for a number of reasons.
