Lisa Batiashvili’s familiar but still gripping reading of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (Barenboim, Staatskapelle Berlin, DGG 479 6038) encapsulates the musical advantages of the Mk. III perfectly. Not only are those opening bars more purposeful and direct, more present and powerful, but the instrumental colours are richer, the instruments have more body and the performance has more impact. The carefully stepped orchestration builds with a clear intent, preparing the ground and clearing the way for the dramatic solo entry. And what an entry: This is clearly a violinist at the top of her game, more measured, controlled, poised but above all, more emotive than before. Which is really the whole point of the QB8 Mk. III: it elevates the performance, releasing more of the recording and making more of the music – whether that’s music that’s new to you or an old favourite, a classical piece or some new Americana album. Sonically the difference here are clear, but swap out a QB8 Mk. II for the new version and it’s the music you play that wins. All of it…
And talking of Ella, if you want to hear just how much closer the Mk. III moves you to the music and the performers, just listen to her singing ‘Night and Day’ (Ella Fitzgerald sings the Cole Porter Song Book, Verve/DCC GZS(2) 1079). She simply can’t limit herself to the repetitive, one note structure of the verses, bringing a sinuous, suppressed and downright sexy squirm to the lyric – a squirm that this latest QB8 renders almost physical. The narrow melody of the chorus becomes sumptuously voluptuous in Ella’s hands, the song – so simple on the surface – revealing hidden depths and tumultuous emotions: not unlike the QB8 Mk. III itself!
When it comes to sense and sensibility, musical communication and affect, these are not small or insignificant differences and, once you’ve got used to the benefits, it’s no fun trying to adjust to life without them. If Nordost promotes the notion of system infrastructure and Foundation Theory, the QB8 sits at the very base of that foundation, defining its stability and its potential. It makes a fundamental contribution to the musical, temporal and dynamic coherence of your system, the music you hear from it and the enjoyment you derive. Outwardly so similar to the previous model, the more you listen to the Mk. III, the more you realise that not only is it very different under the skin, once heard it’s hard to do without.
Starting right…
The latest evolution in the QB8’s long history maintains its position in the front rank of audiophile distribution blocks. It’s sheer simplicity conceals its cleverness and attention to detail and for anybody looking to upgrade their system infrastructure, either improving on what they have, or starting over with a whole new AC topology, buying into the Nordost family or simply looking to improve the performance of an existing loom from some other source, the QB8 (and an appropriate cable to link it to the wall) is an excellent place to start.
