Lejonklou Källa Network Player

Comparisons

In many areas such as linearity, neutrality, articulation, and resolution, the Källa (fed directly from the iPad Qobuz app) is quite similar to the much more expensive Aqua combo (from a UPnP stream either via Bubble UPnP and Qobuz), which is quite something to achieve by a single box unit that costs significantly less.

Where the Källa’s sound diverges most notably from the Aqua combo, is in terms of bass and the overall solidity. Whereas the Aqua components provide a more robust, and well-rooted sound in addition to being very linear, the Lejonklou Källa has more of a light-footed approach. It focuses more on fluidity and flow than on achieving the maximum in terms of earthiness and solidity. Secondarily, the Aqua combo manages to represent the music with deeper tonal saturation while remaining every bit as neutral and linear as the Kalla.

Although the Källa appears a little lean in comparison to the Aqua combo, its bass is just as precise and articulate and actually remarkably well-formed with absolutely excellent mid-bass performance and good extension if missing a little pressure at the lowest frequencies. With the Källa, there is just no overhang whatsoever which I personally feel is definitely preferable to the overt thickness or blur that plagues some DACs.

By the way, as far as I can make fair comparisons, the COS D10 appears to have a more explicit and concentrated sound than the Källa, with even tighter bass. From what I can discern by extrapolating the influence of the Audio-GD Master 1 preamp versus the COS D10’s built-in preamp, the latter is even more expressive and precise but is also positioned more on the analytical side of things. It’s important to note that the Källa, for all its precision and neutrality, retains a sense of flow.

More comparisons

The Antipodes K50 server has a seductively lush and relaxed sound and majors in deep tonal saturation while being relatively less endowed in terms of articulation and precision. In many ways, and even with the ideal placement, switch, and power cable, the Källa has a sonic presentation that could be said to be diametrically opposed to the Antipodes K50’s presentation. But as it follows, the Källa majors precisely in the areas where the K50 is less accomplished, which are articulation, resolution, and overall precision.

The Grandinote Volta offers a large acoustic with rich bass and a smooth and colorful midrange. Emotionally, it is immediately captivating and initially, it seems to offer a more satisfying experience than the Kalla. But it is also less linear and transparent, its bass is a little soft, and it has a definite character of its own. The Källa, on the other hand, has more articulate and more precise bass, is more refined, and has higher resolution.

Between these two network players, I’m actually hard-pressed to pick a favorite. On the one hand, my desire for linearity and precision, especially in the bass, leads me to the Kalla and it is, without doubt, the more neutral source. On the other hand, the Volta offers a less factual and harmonically richer presentation, even if it is clear that the unit has a definite character.

The Grimm MU1, finally, is less lush than the K50 and the Volta and indeed more neutral while being more highly resolving than both. The server only works with Roon but offers the best sound quality that I have heard with RAAT. When comparing the Källa (with the Qobuz app) to the Grimm MU1 (using Roon), both using the same Qobuz source, I was amazed at how close the Källa comes in terms of the overall balance and tonality. Once again, it is clear that Fredrik’s painstaking tweaking has paid off. However, as well-balanced as the Kalla is, like the Aqua combo, the Grimm offers a more rooted sound with deeper tonal saturation, which ultimately leads to a more complete and convincingly realistic experience. But to be fair, the Grimm costs 10.000 euros and that excludes storage, and more importantly, a DAC!

Apps

Because there were already more than enough variables in relation to a device that is seemingly as simple as the Källa, I’ve saved this section for last. As Fredrik indicates, the Källa’s sound is influenced by the control point and app that it is used with. Without going overboard on this subject (apparently, one can go as far as to make distinctions between various models of the iPhone and iPad), I have tried the methods that were directly available to me.

Qobuz app on iPad Pro 11 (first gen)

Right off the bat, I will unveil that the native Qobuz app on my iPad Pro 11 inch (first gen) sounded best to me and this is what I used for obtaining my impressions for this review. It is with this method that the Källa sounded most articulate and robust, and most expressive.

Spotify Premium on an iPhone 6

This produced a softer, less distinct, and less powerful sound than the preferred Qobuz method and was the least preferred method.

Apple Music on a Macbook Air M1 (first gen)

This is easily the second-best method, sounding considerably fuller and more robust than Spotify and being just as detailed, open, and effortlessly fluid as the preferred Qobuz method, yielding to it only in terms of ultimate solidity and dynamic impact.

Qobuz web app on a Macbook Air M1 (first gen)

Interestingly, Qobuz sounded incredibly similar to the Apple Music app on the same device. The differences that I think I heard were too little to worry about. It seems that in this case the host hardware and its OS are more decisive for the end result than the streaming source or even the music file format.

Roon

Although the Källa is not compatible with Roon, Roon offers compatibility with nearly every format out there, and it also works with the Källa. In line with earlier experiences, Roon offers a superlative interface but it produces a sound that is fuller and richer yet also softer and less well-defined than when using the same streaming source directly via the Qobuz app. I would rank this method third best, better than Spotify but not as good as Apple Music.

Stability

Strangely, at first, the Qobuz and Spotify apps frequently lead to stuttering and sometimes a track cutting out altogether, while Qobuz in Roon and Apple Music worked 100% stably. Interestingly, all the instability was resolved once I had swapped my own switch for the recommended Netgear switch. Peculiarly, I never had any stuttering before, but perhaps Roon RAAT and UPnP streams place different demands on the network. In any event, even if the notion of sonic differences among network switches raises some eyebrows, it’s irrefutable that they make a difference in terms of stability and reliability.

Limitations

While the Källa can be controlled using a wide range of Apple devices, and can even be used on Windows when using Roon, there are some limitations. The Spotify and Qobuz web apps and the Qobuz application on Windows did not provide any means of connecting to the Källa. However, the Qobuz web app on the Macbook Air did work, and sounded really great, too!

Conclusion

With the Källa network player, designer Fredrik Lejonklou made a very conscious decision to focus on Apple control points for the device’s native compatibility (although it also works with Roon which runs on Apple, Windows, Linux, and Android). The primary objective was to achieve the most involving and thrilling sound possible while minimizing the potential for external influences such as 3rd party software or necessary updates to ruin the experience or the sound quality.

The Källa has an engagingly crisp, fast, rhythmic, and upbeat presentation. It is exceedingly neutral and sounds very linear and transparent, with a fabulously high resolution of fine detail and it is great at discerning the various layers of which a soundstage is composed. Whereas high precision and neutrality can sometimes lend a clinical feeling to the music, the Källa actually strikes a great balance between articulate precision and expression on the one hand, and refinement, fluidity, and flow on the other.

Is it the ideal network audio component for everyone? My bet is that its simplicity will make it ideal for one group while not appealing to another group. Such is life. But no matter which camp you find yourself in, I can say with confidence that the Källa is among the best-sounding network players that I have heard at its price.

Associated Equipment

External Links

Distributor for the Benelux, UK, and Germany: hexagonaudio
Manufacturer’s website: Lejonklou

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