atelier 13 audio
AUDIO CONSULTING
ANALOG SERIES
SWITZERLAND
As one reviewer aptly summarized his experience with an AC system : “For lack of any other way to put it, this is a system that has to be heard to be believed".
Another comment : "In its totality, it is not like anything else I have heard before".
Yet another : "My entire point of reference just went out the window".
Finally : "This is a review about the pure listening experience, because an Audio Consulting system can only be heard, not criticized"
AUDIO CONSULTING METEOR
MC STEP-UP TRANSFORMER
This new level of Silver Rock MC Step Up Transformer allows for the highest possible quality impedance match and voltage gain when using MC cartridges with phono preamplifiers. It uses unusual high tech magnetic materials together with Audio Consulting's own silver wire. Cotton insulated silver wire is used for the windings, while specific coil geometry is enabling further hum rejection.
The shape of the new Meteor cabinet is intended to increase immunity towards air born vibrations. It is made of woods that are carefully dried. The transformer is assembled using wood only, while high tech shielding foils avoid interference from external magnetic fields.
The new “Meteor” Silver Rock MC Step Up Transformer features :
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High tech “Meteor” magnetic material
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Silver wire, cotton sleeved and cryo-treated
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High tech shielding materials
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Wooden case for optimum vibration behavior
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Organic oil treatment of wooden case
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Low loss RCA connection plugs
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Gain +20 dB, or +26 dB directly available through separate RCA connectors
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Cartridge impedance: from 2 to 40 Ohms
$15,500
Special Order
AUDIO CONSULTING METEOR SILVER ROCK TOROIDAL
PHONO PREAMPLIFIER
The Silver Rock Phono was made available in 2003. It has been a very successful Phono stage that the press and many of our customers have accepted with great enthusiasm.
The basic topology was quite simple, while the complexity was included in the 4 inductive elements per channel.
MC step up at the beginning, followed by an active device including inductive RIAA crossover, and finally an output transformer, which together reached a comfortable 70 dB of gain @ 1KHz.
Over the last 5 years we have developed several products containing new toroidal core transformers (MC step up, Meteor AVC, Mipa Reference).
We gained knowledge in this specific field and decided to improve the already excellent Silver Rock Phono Amplifier, replacing all 4 inductive elements with toroidal cores.
The power supply capacitors as well as the resistive elements were also improved while working on this “no compromise” Silver Rock Phono Amplifier.
Further research in the field of airborne and ground transmitted vibrations lead to a “Meteor” version, which was presented to the public in May 2015.
An oval cabinet that is milled out of a piece of wood the same way we produce our AVC “Meteor” cabinets was the beginning of this new version of the Silver Rock Toroidal Phono Amplifier. This avoids standing waves and contributes to a substantial improvement in noise reduction.
In order to fight ground-transmitted vibrations, we decided to use the brand new Gyrotension VEGA Vibration Isolation Devices by Nasotec.
They are built into the Meteor cabinet.
Further vibration control for the 8 magnetic elements (silver wire transformers and inductors) are also being used in the form of natural damping materials.This technology totally excludes the use of any type of toroidal coiling machine. Thus all magnetic elements are hand coiled.
Imagine several thousand turns applied by hand…
Product Features:
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Solid state circuit for 43dB gain and L-R RIAA equalization
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Toroidal Silver Rock MC step-up transformer at the input using cryo silver wire
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RIAA equalization is achieved with resistors and toroidal silver wire inductors
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Toroidal Silver Rock output transformer using cryo silver wire
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Gain: 70 dB
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Lead/acid batteries as power supply
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Very low production of heat
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Power consumption: idle 0.5 watt
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Several type of cabinet finishes are available
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Size: 65cm x 35cm x 21cm
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Weight: 23 kg
$ 67,000
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 1 - Absolute Sound
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 2 - Stereophile
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 3 - Absolute Sound
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 4 - HIFI Statement / Germany
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 4 - 6 Moons
AUDIO CONSULTING METEOR TUBE PHONO
ALL TUBE PHONO PREAMPLIFIER
The Silver Rock Phono was made available in 2003. It is a solid-state phono preamplifier. The Meteor version went further in perfecting parts even more. Both are very successful Phono stages that the press and many of our customers have accepted with great enthusiasm.
The basic topology is quite simple, while all the effort, as usual, goes into the parts that are being used. MC step up at the beginning, followed by an active solid state device including RIAA crossover, and finally an output transformer, which together reach a comfortable 70 dB of gain @ 1KHz.
Over the last 5 years we have developed several products containing new toroidal core transformers (MC step up, Meteor AVC, Mipa Reference). Customers that know Audio Consulting know that we are tube enthusiasts. The present new tube phono preamplifier uses only two tubes per channel to achieve +60dB gain @1KHz.
In order to design a battery powered tube phono preamplifier, one has to find a solution for the anode voltages that can be several hundred volts DC. It took us two years to find a DC/DC converter that provides the HV for the anodes and that is good in sound. A Lithium battery pack not only provides the heater voltages but also powers the DC/DC converter.
Anode voltages are filtered using exclusively film capacitors with several hundred microfarads per tube.
A toroidal Silver Rock MC set up (hand coiled) is used at the MC input. RIAA is of the “all in one go” topology using only four passive elements, where two are silver electrode capacitors. The latter are being produced to specs and are of a level of resolution that is much higher than what can be achieved with inductors.
Further research in the field of airborne and ground transmitted vibrations lead to a “Meteor” chassis version, which was presented to the public in May 2015. It is an oval cabinet that is milled out of a piece of wood the same way we produce our AVC “Meteor” cabinets, or the R-evolution Stealth turntable chassis. This avoids standing waves and contributes to a substantial improvement in noise reduction. In order to fight ground-transmitted vibrations, we decided to use the brand new Gyrotension VEGA Vibration Isolation Devices.
Product Features:
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Toroidal Silver Rock MC step-up transformer at the input using cryo silver wire
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Gain : 60 dB @1KHz
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100% tube circuit
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Lithium battery power supply
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RIAA equalization is achieved with only two resistors and two custom silver electrode capacitors
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Optional XLR input and output
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Optional absolute phase switch
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Optional Toroidal AVC or TVC
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Size: 65cm x 35cm x 21cm
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Weight: 22 kg
$ 100,000
AUDIO CONSULTING
R-evolution MINIMA Turntable
This turntable represents Audio Consulting’s entry-level turntable. It features the same highly optimized direct drive set up and axle assembly as the R-evolution Stealth.
While highly sophisticated from a vibration point of view, it is smaller and simpler than the Stealth.
The platter is made of wood for optimum sound performance. Like all Audio Consulting products, it is powered by battery, thus totally immune to mains supply born perturbations.
From an ecological point of view, we point out that it uses only 2 watts of power during operation.
The “R-evolution Minima” turntable features :
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Direct drive motor; less than 2 w of power consumption during operation
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Axle/shaft assembly weights 8 Kg (without platter) and is made using high tech steel, bronze and ceramics
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Battery power
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Wooden platter
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Leather mat by Jean Hiraga
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Wooden chassis for optimum vibration behavior
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Natural oil treatment of wooden case
Veneered natural wood plinth
Delivered with customized cocobolo arm base
$55,000
For more photos go to :
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 1 - Absolute Sound
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 2 - Stereophile
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 3 - Absolute Sound
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 4 - HIFI Statement / Germany
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 4 - 6 Moons
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 5 - Audiopjile Magazine / France
MUNICH HIGH END 2015 LINK 6 - You Tube / Michael Fremer
AUDIO CONSULTING THALES TONEARM
Thales tonearms of Switzerland created a unique geometry for vinyl LP audio reproduction.It combines the pivoted tonearm with the tangential one in a simple and yet elegant way.
Read more about Thales tonearms here: http://www.tonarm.ch/
After using this tonearm here at our development centre and at shows we were really impressed about its performance.Never before have we hear such resolution from deep bass to the highest trebles.
Soundstages are totally new in clarity and positioning of the instruments and performers. The overall resolution has reached levels that we would never have expected from vinyl LP reproduced sound. That is why we have decided to offer this arm to our customers in an Audio Consulting slightly modified version. We chose to use the Thales Easy.
These modifications consist of :
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The use of our cryogenically treated silver wire litz for internal wiring of the tonearm
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Complete cryogenically treatment of all metal parts before the arm is assembled
The arm is called “Audio Consulting Thales Tonearm”
$ 9,500
