{"id":26960,"date":"2020-12-18T16:20:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-18T14:20:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=26960"},"modified":"2022-05-03T22:19:26","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T20:19:26","slug":"wolf-von-langa-son","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/review\/loudspeaker-reviews\/loudspeakers-passive-reviews\/wolf-von-langa-son\/","title":{"rendered":"Wolf von Langa SON"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review sample supplied by Callas Audio<\/a>
\n<\/a>Retail price in the NL including 21% VAT: 14.990 euro<\/h4>\n

Callas Audio<\/h3>\n

Callas-Audio started in 1998, based on the ‘wohnraumstudio’ concept. A rebellious action in the Netherlands at the time, back then, Callas Audio was one of the forerunners. Managed by Ron Ploeger, still every bit as enthusiastically today as back then, Callas-Audio represents brands that convey, first and foremost, the message of the music.<\/p>\n

I first met Ron over 20 years ago, well before the turn of the century. This was at the point in time that I had not yet started with my review work. Ron is relaxed, patient and soft-spoken yet highly knowledgable, and he was like a fountain of information for me. Propelled forward by his enthusiasm and encouraged by helpful bits of advice spread over time, I went on to listen to every piece of HiFi-equipment that I could get my hands on while building my personal knowledge. Looking back, Ron was one of the important motivators for me to start what would eventually become HFA.<\/p>\n

Recently, an audio buddy wanted to purchase a CD transport from Callas Audio’s Audioccasion branch. Realizing that it had been far too long since I last spoke with Ron, I decided to hop along. As is common for any component that you purchase from Ron, he prepared a nice demo. The equipment used was familiar – with one exception. What were those strange-looking speakers?<\/p>\n

Well, these were, of course, the WvL SONs that would eventually turn out to become the subject of this review. During that visit, however, none of this was planned just yet.<\/p>\n

I’ll leave my listening impressions for further below but I must mention right now that mere moments after Ron hit “play” I was deeply impressed<\/em>. What followed was a pleasant listening session and an afternoon that flew by. Ron did share his enthusiasm for the SONs and mentioned that they were shaping into the end of his quest for finding the ideal speakers.<\/p>\n

A month or two later, Ron was happy to announce that he had indeed found his destination loudspeakers\u00a0and<\/i> he went on to unveil that he had also added Wolf von Langa to the Callas Audio portfolio to represent the brand in the Netherlands. Would I be interested in doing a review? You bet I was!<\/p>\n

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Maria Callas pier Paolo Pasolini during the filming of Medea<\/em><\/p>\n

Wolf von Langa<\/h3>\n

WvL was founded by Wolf von Langa and is operated from Neunkirchen, Bavaria, Germany. The company has been designing and building field-coil loudspeakers for 10 years and are quite unique in doing so.<\/p>\n

What’s interesting to note is that the WvL product range is not based on the commercial idea of increasing the price for bigger speakers in predetermined steps. Varying prices are based solely on manufacturing costs, meaning that even the smallest system is capable of all the big sounds. Quality is always the main driver and all the WvL\u00a0products are built for a lifetime.<\/p>\n

WvL rightfully mentions that “Human ears are different, and the personal liking of each of us might differ”. This has led them to produce a range of speakers with slightly different sonic perspectives by using various driver combinations from model to model that are nevertheless all made with cutting-edge techniques.<\/p>\n

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WvL SON<\/h3>\n

The WvL SON is a 2-way speaker with an AMT (Air Motion Transformer) Jet tweeter (made by Mundorf on WvL specification), an FC-HRP (Field-Coil current-controlled) woofer and a passive high-strength aluminum radiator on the rear operating according to the Helmholtz Resonator Principle.<\/p>\n

With a frequency response of 25 Hz to 30.000 Hz, the SONs are true full-range speakers, despite their relatively modest dimensions of 404 mm wide, 872 mm tall and 300 mm deep. And given that they have a quoted efficiency of 95dB (1W\/1m) combined with a continuous power handling of 150 Watts and a crazy-high 1500 Watts peak-capability (for 10ms), one might be forgiven for assuming we’re talking about the company’s top-level loudspeaker, rather than the entry-level model.<\/p>\n

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The handsomely-sized cabinet is made from acoustically inert high-density fibreboard with a double-sided PMMA coating. The speakers are available in ultra-gloss white, ultra-gloss black and Bamboo veneer (as reviewed here), which has a color and appearance similar to natural oak.<\/p>\n

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The AMT tweeters are soft-mounted in a translucent acoustically inert material so that they not only appear to be floating above the speaker, in a way, they really are<\/em> floating. The high-frequency modules can be positioned freely on the low-frequency module but are very cleverly held in place by powerful magnets hidden underneath the veneer. WvL specifies a starting distance of 13cm from the speaker baffle to the high-frequency module. A neat trick that Ron showed me is to simply use a CD case for spacing. When using the case’s narrow side, lined up to the edge of the cabinet’s wood section, this results in a 13,5 cm distance from the tweeter module to the most protruding black section of the baffle.<\/p>\n

While this construction is meant to find the ideal timing alignment that ties in with listening distance and ear height, in practice, one can of course also freely position the modules according to personal taste. In my listening tests, simply stated, the high frequencies become a little bit more forward when the module is positioned closer to the listener and vice versa. In addition, in doing so, one can also adjust the precise balance in the upper bass and lower midrange where a position further away from the listener tilts the balance to reveal more of the woofer’s upper bass while a position closer to the listener will tilt the balance such that the tweeter’s lower midrange becomes more prominent. The ideal position, in most cases, will be in-between these two extremes. Worth noting is that all this does is adjust the relative balance between the two drivers, the tweeters never actually<\/em> sound forward in an annoying manner, not even when positioned too close to the listener.<\/p>\n

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The low\/mid-frequency unit is what this speaker is all about. Mounted in the SON is the WvL AC-2676 Field-Coil driver with an effective cone diameter of 258 mm. This would translate to a 10-inch driver but given that most manufacturers include the surround in their measurements and sometimes even the cage edge, it’s closer to a typical 12-inch driver. The cone is made from a proprietary hydrophobic paper material that is very stiff but extremely light, consisting of polysaccharides and silk fibers. The driver uses an underhung voice coil (to obtain the best linearity) that is made of edge-wound copper-coated flat aluminum wire. Rather than using a standard pressed- or cast metal cage as nearly all other drivers have, the WvL driver’s soft textile surround is attached directly to a 40×40 cm square aluminum baffle while the heavy motor assembly is mounted via three milled metal rods. The assembly is aerodynamically vented yet extremely sturdy and wobble-free.<\/p>\n

On the loudspeaker cabinet’s rear side is a massive high-strength aluminum passive radiator that is matched to the active driver on the front. Unlike with bass-reflex ports, this should lead to the absence of flow noise and other port-related artifacts. Additionally, the passive radiator is pivotal for the SON’s amazing quoted 25Hz bass output at +\/-3dB which would not be possible with a passive driver in a fully-closed cabinet of this size.<\/p>\n

The internal crossover consists of separate high-frequency and low\/mid-frequency sections to enable bi-wiring and bi-amping and uses pure copper air inductors and high-speed low loss film capacitors. The crossover point is at 800 Hz. The excellent WBT NextGen pure copper terminals (as I see being used on more and more products) are used for all speaker cable connections and they allow the use of bi-wiring or bi-amping. Two jumpers are required for single-wire loudspeaker cables and, normally, WBT Power Bridges come supplied. In my case, they were accidentally left out which gave me the opportunity to experiment with different jumpers and connection methods. I’ll explain all about this further below.<\/p>\n

The review samples did not come with feet but successive units will be delivered with rubber feet and threaded inserts on the bottom to allow the use of any coupling devices. However, as Ron mentioned, the speakers work best when used with a compliant coupler such as Sorbothane-like materials. Spikes or other hard couplers can of course be used but tend to offset the delicate balance between the low\/mid unit and the high-frequency unit. I took Ron’s advice to heart and used the moderately compliant Artesania Neoprene pads with great results.<\/p>\n

The SON’s main feature, however, is of course the current-controlled magnetic field that is the heart of the Voice Coil driver.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Field Coil transducers<\/h3>\n

WvL Loudspeakers differ from nearly all other existing loudspeakers in their use of the field coil drive unit. The core of a WvL Drive Unit revolves around unique electromagnets, which are, by principle, superior to every permanent magnet and WvL electromagnets are among the strongest magnets available. The difference is that they are controlled dynamically and are not only static, like a permanent magnet that is charged only once. The control for the WvL Electromagnets is provided by an especially developed Power Management system that results in more precise control of a voice coil than any static magnet.<\/p>\n

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The WvL Field Coil Current Source Power Management unit connects to the speakers via 4m-long, thin and flexible cables.<\/em><\/p>\n

Of course, there is much more to mention on the topic of Field Coil loudspeakers and the electromagnetic principles but since this article is becoming a little long already and I’ve not even started on describing my listening impressions, I’ll refer those who want to get to the bottom of this to the below Wikipedia links to pages with detailed information.<\/p>\n

Lorentz force<\/a>
\nMaxwell stress tensor<\/a>
\nEddy current<\/a>
\nElectromagnetic field<\/a><\/p>\n

Setup<\/h3>\n

The SONs behave similarly to other speakers that I used in this room in that they prefer to be positioned free from the side- and rear walls. With the Magicos out of the way but with the Logans still in place, the SONs were not yet completely happy. While the Magicos behave entirely linearly when in-between the Logans, no matter how I positioned them the SONs’ bass was boomier and less crisp than I recalled it from Ron’s place. This meant that the Logans also had to be moved out of the way. With that done, I repeated the SONs’ positioning process, only to find that, ultimately, they landed pretty much in the same positions as to where the Magicos were. Now, well-free from all walls, the SONs were performing beautifully.<\/p>\n

That the Magicos worked so well in-between the Logans while the SONs do not has a lot to do with the Magicos being a closed design and them having a considerably leaner balance. Actually, compared to the SONs, MANY speakers will sound lean. In this room, bass-reflex designs have always preferred free space all around them and although the SONs are no bass-reflex design, their unusually potent bass sounds purest and cleanest when they are positioned free from walls and other objects.<\/p>\n

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Without exception, so far, the speakers that I used in this room sounded ideal with only a moderate amount of toe-in. The SONs are different and sound best when pointed at the listener’s shoulders, such that the speakers’ inner side panels can just<\/em> be seen. There’s a perfectly understandable explanation for this. Regular tweeters and other small drivers are usually not very directional but the larger a driver’s diameter becomes, the more directional the driver is. Although the crossover point is specified at 800 Hz, there’s still a good portion of the lower midrange coming from the bass unit and since that driver has a very large diameter, it’s simply more directional. The logical consequence of this is that the sound will have a dip in the lower midrange unless the speakers are toe-in properly. Of course, this can also be used to tailor the sound to personal liking as long as one realizes that deviations from the ideal will offset the speakers’ even balance.<\/p>\n

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The AMT units are not directional at all, at least not in the horizontal sense. They provide an even distribution of their entire frequency range over the entire width of the 4-seat listening area and that includes the separate seat that is positioned even further to the side. And the tweeters’ range extends even beyond that. Right now, as I am typing this review sitting at a desk in the adjacent kitchen area, I am enjoying an open and articulate, near full-range sound, with only the very top slightly attenuated.<\/p>\n

Like ribbon tweeters, the AMT’s do<\/em> exhibit beaming in the vertical plane and the treble does indeed drop in level when standing up and walking around. But even then, it only concerns the top section. I’ve owned many Apogee speakers and can tell you that, due to their length, and perhaps an even lower crossover points on the MRTW units, these drop off much more severely when you’re standing up.<\/p>\n

As the manufacturer mentions in the online documentation: “Just as a singer\u2019s voice has little to do with the size of his body, the physical size of the brand new SON has little to do with its sound…\u00a0 at only about 90 cm high, the SON is soundwise among the biggest.” In terms of power, dynamics and soundstage width and depth, I could not agree more. The only reservation that I can add is that, due to their relatively low height, the soundstage projects lower to the floor than with taller speakers.<\/p>\n

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Power<\/h3>\n

The Current Source Power Management unit came supplied with two 4-meter long DC cables to connect to the speakers. This was easily long enough for the unit to be positioned close to the power outlets. Do note that the default length for these cables is 3 meters but any additional length can be ordered as desired for 59 euros per extra stereo meter. The manual mentions that their length has no influence on the sound but I did find that the placement of the unit does matter and so does the power cable that connects the unit to the mains.<\/p>\n

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Don’t worry, the unit works just fine when placed on the floor and the speakers strut all the magic that they’re capable of but placing it on top of an equipment platform will result in audible differences. For instance, I found that placement on an Artesania Modular Floor Platform<\/a> provides a more incisive, more upbeat sound with tighter bass, which I preferred in this system. Depending on the setup, however, the more relaxed perspective of floor placement might also be preferred.<\/p>\n

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Likewise, I wouldn’t say that there is an ideal<\/em> power cable per se but it is good to be aware of the differences that can be incurred by the choice of cable. For instance, the majority of my listening was done using an unshielded stock cable and that sounded absolutely fantastic. However, when I later exchanged the stock cable for a Belden 19364 with Bals Schuko and Oyaide C-004 IEC connectors, the sound became very noticeably fuller, a little darker and more sonorous. However, since the SONs have plenty of bass in this room even with the stock cable and they are otherwise every bit as transparent and revealing, I actually preferred the stock cable in this case. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.<\/p>\n

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Jumpers and wire connections<\/h3>\n

As mentioned, the SONs came without jumpers but my speaker cables are all single-wire. Thus, I dug up the only jumpers that I have and made a rooky mistake in the wiring: I connected the speaker cable to the woofer connector and used the jumpers from there to the tweeter connector. From earlier experiences, I already knew that this was not ideal, but somehow, apparently, that part of my mind wasn’t working this time. The resulting sound was impressive but not yet as linear and transparent as I remembered it from Ron’s place.<\/p>\n

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Then, it struck me: the connections had to be reversed! With the speaker cable connected to the tweeter sections and the jumpers between tweeters and woofers, the sound was immediately much improved. I knew that these jumpers were a little smooth-sounding but it had never been as severe as it was this time. As I would learn later, these speakers are considerably<\/em> more revealing of such relative subtleties as most other speakers.<\/p>\n

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Now, the speakers were beginning to sound as they had done at Ron’s place albeit still a little rounder and fuller in the bass. But before I’ll finally start divulging my listening impressions, there was one final tweak in store: Jena Labs SpeakEasy jumpers with Cardas Rhodium-plated spades.<\/p>\n

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Yes, that<\/em> was the missing link. With the Jena Labs jumpers in place, the bass aligned fully with the upper midrange and the sound became faster, tighter, more articulate and more transparent but most importantly, it was now entirely coherent. Now, we were cooking with gas!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Review Context<\/h3>\n

Listening started with the most resolving components that I have available which are the CH Precision C1<\/a> DAC and A1.5<\/a> power amplifier, interconnected using CH Precision Balanced Link XLR cables and Jorma Trinity<\/a> speaker cables and with an Antipodes CX<\/a> running Roon<\/a> via HQPlayer<\/a> to the Aqua LinQ<\/a>, connected via Jorma AES\/EBU<\/a> cable to the C1 DAC. In a later stage, I will involve the Vinnie Rossi L2i hybrid tube\/transistor integrated amplifier and the Ayon Spirit III<\/a> integrated full-tube amplifier.<\/p>\n

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Listening<\/h3>\n

In this setup, the WvL SONs are absolutely stunning with superlative speed, immediacy and resolution. With the Magico S1 MkII’s and, to a lesser extent, the Martin Logan ESL15A’s<\/a>, I am used to high levels of transparency and hearing deep into the mix but the SONs are simply on another level. Not only do they reveal more about the upstream components and the source signal but they also present the music in a highly communicative fashion with new levels of purity and realism. There’s a refreshing absence of filtering-effects and not a trace of artifice. And irrespective of their immense analytic capabilities, if there’s one thing the Sons make absolutely clear, it’s that they are all about getting the listener closer to the music.<\/p>\n

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In playing track after track, it soon became clear that the SONs are musical omnivores. In any conceivable genre there were tracks that blew my mind with the amount of realism and expression. For instance, Melody Gardot’s The Rain was rendered with more intimacy than ever before, Yosi Horikawa’s Bubbles finally had all the dynamic immediacy that the track deserves and ((( O )))’s track Nature Joint on the album ((( 1 ))) was so captivating that it left me breathless. And when I then played Rutter’s Requiem for chorus & Orchestra, I was simply floored with the extent to which the system convinced me that the singers were actually in the room with me. It’s not just about reach-out-and-touch imaging but also about the sense of listening to real flesh and blood musicians along with their instruments, all fleshed out right before you.<\/p>\n

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The big ESL15A Logans with their individually-powered dual 12-inch woofers can produce seriously deep and powerful bass but even in this field, the SONs managed to amaze me. They may not sound quite as powerful as the 15A’s but they do reach very nearly as deeply and, I kid you not, they go just as loud. If you want to blow the roof off, the SONs will not let you down. I am serious: these speakers are simply unflappable. Meanwhile, the SONs’ bass feels speedier with clearer definition and better pitch accuracy and, overall, there’s a measure of coherence in the bass and lower midrange that will spoil a person to such an extent that many other speakers will sound somehow indirect, indistinct or even blurry.<\/p>\n

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The SONs are also incredibly punchy and dynamic, considerably more so than either the Logans or Magicos. In fact, during my initial listening sessions, their communicative directness and lightning-fast transients much reminded me of a certain speaker with a very different working principle: the AvantGarde Uno G2’s<\/a>. Mind you, minus the “horniness”. Like the Unos, the SONs are capable of startling dynamics but unlike the horn speakers, they absolutely never<\/em>, and I mean NEVER sound aggressive. That’s quite a skill to have since that would normally require forgiving speakers which, inevitably, round things off and present a version of the truth and not the actual truth. Yet, the SONs are in no way rounded, smoothed or forgiving. If the recording sucks then these speakers will let you know about it. But, all the same, I have yet to encounter a recording in my collection that is unplayable. Such is their enthusiasm and energetic behavior that they make the best of whatever they are fed, even if the recording quality is so-so.<\/p>\n

Musicality. It’s a pretty meaningless word when trying to describe the performance of a piece of audio equipment but I can’t help but use it this time as it most definitely applies to the SONs. Mind you, it’s not in the manner of Sonus Fabers or other speakers that have a very distinctive character and a certain euphoric coloration. Rather, it is a unique combination of direct honesty and unrestricted musical flow. I hasten to add that this should also not be interpreted as the SONs injecting the music with extra liquidity or creaminess for, truly, they do not. If the recording is dry as bones, that’s what the SONs will relay. But they will always do so in a manner that makes musical sense.<\/p>\n

In terms of frequency response, the SONs seem to be very flat, no single frequency range taking precedence over another. The AMT unit sure can be spicy if that’s in the recording, but it will never make itself heard. Likewise, the woofer has prodigious power but when the speaker is placed correctly, the bass is perfectly balanced and more linear and more natural than with many other speakers that I have owned. But that’s not to say that the SONs are entirely neutral<\/em>. There is a paper-like, slightly nasal quality in the lower midrange that is likely induced by the bass driver material. It’s not at all severe and certainly multitudes lower than any Fostex or other brand full-range drivers that I heard. Also, it’s not evident with all music. I’m most aware of this when playing music that I know well and have played many times across many speakers and systems and specifically with smooth jazz and fusion that contain lots of synthesizers and electronic processing. When playing purer music that is made using acoustical instruments, the effect is typically not nearly as noticeable. Typically, when I hear it at the beginning of a listening session, I find that I have forgotten all about it after a few tracks. After that, the mind apparently adjusts and the speakers’ countless other qualities simply suck you in.<\/p>\n

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The grilles snap on via strong magnets. For the most open sound, in particular with respect to articulation and transient sharpness in the midbass and lower midrange, they are best kept off.<\/em><\/p>\n

Of course, all<\/em> loudspeakers add some sort of coloration. Even those without cabinets. With Martin Logans, it is a slight synthetic quality and a leanness in the lower midrange that becomes less and less as the foil width is increased, which is part of the reason why I went with the 15A’s over the 11A’s. With other speakers, it’s tweeter glare or -spikiness, midrange wooliness, cabinet resonances or what have you. The Magicos are the most linear speakers that I have heard in my room so far. And in terms of frequency curve and lack of character, I’d say that they are indeed more linear than the SONs. However, the Magicos sound considerably more restrained, both dynamically as well as in pure impulse behavior. They sound comparatively a little processed and the upper treble, while highly refined and of very high resolution, is just not quite as pure and direct or as energetic as that of the SONs. And, of course, the S1’s can’t begin to match the SONs’ incredible bass range down to 25Hz.<\/p>\n

Without briefing him in any way, audio buddy JW heard it the same way: the SONs have more coloration than he is used to from his Apogee Duettas but after a while, he got used to it and he didn’t notice it anymore. Full-range Apogees do not have the punch of dynamic loudspeakers but they do<\/em> have very clean bass and virtually no coloration. Still, even JW had to admit to really digging the SONs’ many talents and especially the immediate and ultra-pure quality of subtle percussive sounds in familiar recordings that most definitely<\/em> sounded more subdued on his system.<\/p>\n

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Something else that ribbon drivers tend to do very well is decay, the sense of reverbs slowly diminishing rather than disappearing abruptly. The SONs not only excel with speedy impulses (transient behavior), they also produce decays with amazing clarity and, when the recording contains a reverb that goes on forever<\/em>, the AMT unit will do likewise.<\/p>\n

Amplifier Swapping<\/h3>\n

Being very efficient, the SONs really don’t need<\/em> all of the A1.5’s power but at the same time, there was absolutely no sense of the amp overpowering the speakers or of it exerting too much control. In fact, so perfect was the match with the CH components, that I almost felt that I could conclude the review without further comparisons.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the SONs’ high efficiency makes them great partners for lower power amplifiers and, of course, tube amplifiers. As regular readers will know, the KT150-equipped Ayon Spirit III has been my trusted default amplifier in the secondary setup and it will be a prime candidate for the SONs. But before I get to this, I’ll kick-off the amp swapping with the Vinnie Rossi L2i Signature Edition integrated amplifier which has kindly been dropped off by Marco of Hexagon Audio<\/a> to get a taste of.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

The Vinnie Rossi L2i is a hybrid amplifier with a direct-heated 300B tube preamp section and a FET power amp section. In many ways, this integrated amplifier is the result of a combination of the company’s L2 Signature Preamplifier and L2 Signature Monoblocks into one chassis. At a still to be determined price point between 12K and 14K in euros, it is considerably<\/em> less expensive than the CH pairing but double the Ayon’s price sticker.<\/p>\n

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The Vinnie Rossi L2i (above) is a very special amplifier, but, alas, it does not work synergistically with the SONs. Likewise, the Classe Delta stereo (below) is an impressive amp with the Magicos but it is not ideal for the SONs.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Contrary to expectations, perhaps, the L2i, still fed from the CH C1 DAC, evoked a remarkably impactful and dynamic sound from the SONs. With 300B’s in the input section, one might expect a liquid and lush sound, but instead, it sounded more like a very<\/em> potent transistor amplifier. But besides sounding remarkably powerful and dynamic, there was a marked step back in resolution and treble openness. Further, it occurred to me that rather than hearing the best of tubes and transistors, it felt that the tubes were hindering the transistors in their low bass control while the transistors, in turn, were preventing the tubes from sounding fully liquid.<\/p>\n

The CH A1.5 has a uniquely refined sound, not only for a transistor amplifier but in general. In addition, it is extremely linear and ultra-transparent. Not many other amplifiers (tube or solid-state) sound quite as lithe and fluid and yet so articulate and well-controlled. Given the Swiss beast’s elevated price tag it’s no shame to find that the Vinnie Rossi was less ultra-finely resolved but it’s interesting to note that I only heard this now, and not at all when I listened to the amp using the Xavian Perla Esclusiva speakers in the other room where I compared it with the Ayon amplifier. Quite the contrary, actually. But that’s for another review.<\/p>\n

It was at this point, that I truly<\/em> grasped the extent of the SONs’ exemplary revealing nature.<\/p>\n

Since I did not really hear any benefits of the 300B section, or, at least not in the way that you would expect, without bloom or warmth, the focus was moved to transistors’ typical strengths, and this is when I noticed that the sound was also a little uneven. Somehow, the balance between bass, midrange and treble seemed off<\/em>. Additionally, the treble seemed to be missing the last bit of air while the lowest bass lacked the ultimate tightness and precision that one expects from a transistor amplifier. But what I couldn’t quite get my finger behind was that, somehow, the sound just didn’t fully gel. The rendition was perceived in parts rather than as a coherent whole. And, again, none of this was heard this way in the other setup, where the Vinnie had sounded tight, upbeat and utterly coherent.<\/p>\n

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Above photo is of the Ayon Spirit III in a earlier setup as I apparently forgot to take a picture of it when driving the SONs<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Thus, I connected the Ayon Spirit III integrated amplifier. Fully expecting it to be just as rounded at the frequency extremes as the Vinnie, potentially more so because, unlike the L2i, it contains output transformers, the Ayon took me by surprise by immediately turning in a massively<\/em> musical performance. It took only seconds to realize that, indeed, the Ayon presentation did<\/em> gel and all the musical elements worked together synergistically to produce energetic, powerful, robust, palpable, free-flowing, liquid, well-textured and pleasingly harmonically-rich music.<\/p>\n

In my book, Ayon products in general and amplifiers in particular, produce superb bass. In the other setup with the Perlas, the Spirit III has actually outperformed several transistor amplifiers in terms of bass performance and the same seemed to happen this time around. While the Ayon could, understandably, not match the CH’s agility and articulation, its bass was remarkably robust and retained an even level of articulation and control all the way to the very lowest frequencies. In that respect, the Ayon was more linear than the Vinnie, which was actually mostly a transistor design. Go figure! Of course, in the wonderful world of audio, everything revolves around finding the ideal match and, evidently, the Vinnie was not ideal for the SONs.<\/p>\n

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The NuPrime AMG-STA hybrid Class-A\/Class-D power amplifier also had its turn and sounded remarkably fluid and refined and decidedly non-“digital”. Not a true substitute for a nice tube amp nor a CH beater but it comes closer than it should have any right to given its price class.<\/em><\/p>\n

Apparently, besides being remarkably revealing, the SONs also lay bare the undercurrent of what actually constitutes music, which is more than just the individual parts of which it consists. It’s the art of weaving it all together into a communicative and emotionally appealing whole, to the point where the message of the music comes across in a way that makes one forget all about the technicalities involved.<\/p>\n

By the way, the Ayon did not reveal any more airiness in the treble than the Vinnie, rather, it had a slightly darker presentation and in terms of resolution, the Vinnie also easily topped it, but none of this mattered because, all said and done, what the Ayon produced with the SONs was pure music<\/em>. As I’ve said so many times, system synergy is everything.<\/p>\n

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Analog<\/h3>\n

At Ron’s place, I had already heard both digital and analog replay, the latter courtesy of his Platine Verdier turntable and, at that time, both formats sounded absolutely great. Now that I had fully formed my opinion of the SONs in my own system, I figured it was time to invite audio buddy JW again, this time to indulge in a session of analog seduction, courtesy of the Origin Live Calypso mk4<\/a> turntable. But it wasn’t meant to be.<\/p>\n

Remember when I mentioned the first moment that I fully grasped the extent of the SONs’ exemplary revealing nature? Well, this moment marked the consolidation of this.<\/p>\n

The ViRa Aidas Rainbow cartridge was never the airiest or brightest-sounding cartridge, but because of its many other talents, that aspect had never bothered me, until now. With the SONs still connected to the Ayon amplifier, the turntable sounded robust and powerful as always, but this time, we noticed straight away that there was something wrong with the sound. Not only was the treble dark but it now also seemed to have a glaring lack of resolution, resulting in an overt dryness. JW and I looked at each other in disbelief. How was this possible? Even the simplest and cheapest turntables that we heard have always been fluid and the Origin Live, in particular should be superbly fluid. Furthermore, the cartridge’s fine line stylus was actually found to be particularly capable in terms of unveiling subtle details. So, clearly something must have been wrong. But what?<\/p>\n

No amount of cable swapping or component changing would cure the issue and so, disgruntled and all out of ideas, we called it a night.<\/p>\n

The next day, while checking the cartridge clips I suddenly noticed that the arm’s VTA was slightly off. Instantly, I knew what had caused this. It was a tweak that I used, involving loosening the VTA ring after fixing the hex screw, in order to get precisely the desired sound from the turntable. Unfortunately, this fixation was not secure enough to withstand the repeated manual pressure via the armlift over time. Apparently, this had resulted in a slow and – previously – unnoticed continuous lowering of the arm that in turn slowly dispositioned the cartridge further and further away from its ideal alignment.<\/p>\n

After re-tightening the VTA ring, all that it took was one more turn to brighten up the sound and get the fluidity and air back in there, along with a smile on my face. Clearly, the SONs are so utterly revealing that the turntable just did not sound right until it was calibrated just so<\/em>. Worryingly, in my usual setup with the Logans, I had indeed also felt that the turntable sounded a little darker lately but because it sounded otherwise just fine and not dry at all, I had not given it a second thought. Apparently, the Logans have a tendency to sweeten\/fluidify the treble whereas the SONs simply present the truth.<\/p>\n

Such is the extent of these speakers’ amazing resolution that they will reveal the quality of other equipment to a higher degree than I have been able to with any other speakers and that includes not only the Logans but to some extent, the Magicos as well.<\/p>\n

I took the lesson to heart and used the situation to super-fine-tune the VTA as well as the Azimuth. Never before has that been easier to do by ear than with these speakers. Needless to say, once the settings were as they should be, the turntable sounded fabulous and I enjoyed record after record, jumping around and singing along, in broad daylight no less!<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Hearing the Wolf von Lange SONs for the first time at Ron’s place immediately primed me for something special. But it wasn’t until I had used them in my own system that I truly and deeply understood the extent of their superlative performance.<\/p>\n

When set up ideally, they reward with superlative speed, immediacy and resolution, all combined in an utterly cohesive whole. Especially remarkable given their modest size is that they offer superb bass performance, both in terms of depth and precision and if you want to blow the roof off, the SONs will simply oblige. More important than range and precision is the immediacy and expression that the Field Coil design delivers. Furthermore, this AMT unit may be the very best tweeter that I have heard. There really is something inherently better about this principle over regular flat ribbons.<\/p>\n

There is superb imaging and very wide and deep soundstaging and very little coloration. What coloration there is consists of a paper-like quality in the lower midrange. Call it a moderate amount of character. But that’s no sin. Precious few speakers truly are totally neutral and those that approach this ideal tend to lack expression and more often than not, musicality.<\/p>\n

The SONs provide a unique combination of very pure and direct honesty with unrestricted musical flow. I hasten to add that the SONs do not inject the music with extra liquidity or creaminess. If the recording is dry as bones, that’s what the SONs will relay. But they will always do so in a manner that makes musical sense.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Associated Equipment<\/a><\/p>\n

External Links<\/h3>\n

Distributor and dealer for the Netherlands: Callas Audio<\/a>
\nAlso available at A10 Audio<\/a> in Amsterdam
\nDealer for Belgium: Alpha High End<\/a>
\nManufacturer’s website: WolfvonLanga<\/a>
\nManufacturer’s alternate site: state-of-the-art.design<\/a><\/p>\n

www.callas-audio.nl<\/a>
\n<\/em>Lelystad 8241AK
\ninfo@callas-audio.nl<\/a><\/p>\n

CHRISTINE VON LANGA
\nROEDLAS 54
\n91077 NEUNKIRCHEN
\nGERMANY<\/p>\n

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