Here is a link to one song played on the Tidal Akira with the new top of the line Tidal La Assoluta amps during the latest Munich high end show. Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/vJ9QI9cerl0
https://youtu.be/vJ9QI9cerl0
Tidal Akira
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For those who are interested a link to a review of David Robinson of a complete Tidal Audio system in Positive-Feedback: http://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/impressions-reference-system-tidal-audio/
Here is a quote from TAS. Jonathan Valin describes his experience with the Tidal Akira loudspeakers at the Axpona 2017 show: "On to the 3rd floor, Doug White of The Voice That Is was showing Tidal’s gorgeous, second-from-the top floorstanders, the ten-driver (30mm diamond tweeter, 127mm diamond mid/woof, three 190mm black-ceramic woofers, and five 190mm black-ceramic passive radiators) $215k Akira, driven by Tidal electronics (Prescencio Reference preamp, Impulse monoblock amplifiers) and sourced on the digital side by an Aurender N10 server with Bricasti M1se DAC and on the analog side by a TW Acustic Raven AC-3 turntable with Transfiguration Proteus D cartridge. This fabulous system came closest to what I hear at home from the various LPs I brought to the show: gorgeous color, very deep well-defined bass, no added edge or sibilance in the treble, superb soundstaging and lifelike imaging, tremendous transient speed and dynamic range—a sound as smooth, lovely, and iridescent as shot silk. As I had nothing to critique, the Tidal rocketed to the top of my Best of Show contenders list".
He concludes: "JV's Best of Show
Best of Show (cost-no-object): Tidal Akira with Tidal electronics and TW Acustic Raven AC-3 record player with Transfiguration Proteus D cartridge".
He concludes: "JV's Best of Show
Best of Show (cost-no-object): Tidal Akira with Tidal electronics and TW Acustic Raven AC-3 record player with Transfiguration Proteus D cartridge".
Maurice Jeffries of Positive-Feedback website writes the following: "My other BOS pick in the ne plus ultra category provided, for me at least, a more introspective, soul-searching experience. While not as dramatic as the VSA/VAC room in terms of raw scale and grunt, it rivaled and perhaps bettered the former in its ability to capture the underlying dramatic tension and electric currents embedded in the music. If one were to equate the VSA/VAC experience to receiving a bracing splash of crystal-clear, ice blue water in the face in the early morning hours (the proverbial "wow" moment), then the Voice That Is/Tidal experience, my next pick, felt a bit like one feels when you wake up in the middle of the night and finally get—and I mean really get—what that difficult conversation you had with a close friend, lover or parent twenty years ago was all about (the proverbial "ah-ha, now I see" moment).
A Malcolm Arnold Lyrita LP sounded simply superb, with 3D imaging and staging. Tonality boasted classic Tidal values—speed, liquidity, finesse and slam. I commented to the irrepressible Doug White that the Akira's were the finest sounding Tidal's I had heard to date and he didn't try to argue the point. If you have the scratch, this baby will cure your itch. From minimally recorded classical to densely layered, highly processed pop and soul, the Akira revealed all, but in a seductively inviting manner that drew one into the recording and the recorded space. On cut after cut, the Akiras elicited from me that elusive "ah-ha moment of clarity", that point in the performance where I felt I could genuinely divine the deeper intent of the musicians, recording engineer, and composer. Think of the Akiras as $219,000 time machines that defy the Laws of Physics by taking you back to the recorded event across multiple intersecting vectors. A stunning achievement (and my personal show favorite)!"
A Malcolm Arnold Lyrita LP sounded simply superb, with 3D imaging and staging. Tonality boasted classic Tidal values—speed, liquidity, finesse and slam. I commented to the irrepressible Doug White that the Akira's were the finest sounding Tidal's I had heard to date and he didn't try to argue the point. If you have the scratch, this baby will cure your itch. From minimally recorded classical to densely layered, highly processed pop and soul, the Akira revealed all, but in a seductively inviting manner that drew one into the recording and the recorded space. On cut after cut, the Akiras elicited from me that elusive "ah-ha moment of clarity", that point in the performance where I felt I could genuinely divine the deeper intent of the musicians, recording engineer, and composer. Think of the Akiras as $219,000 time machines that defy the Laws of Physics by taking you back to the recorded event across multiple intersecting vectors. A stunning achievement (and my personal show favorite)!"
I would just like to add that Doug White, of "The Voice That Is" in Philly is someone I have known for almost 40 years. (We used to hang out as audiophiles back in the day). Doug is one of the finest individuals I have ever known, and is a multi-talented engineer with keen audio chops. I'm thrilled he now has the opportunity to represent what is a universally acclaimed product in the US. Tidal should know they hooked up with a super guy to represent them and consider themselves fortunate indeed.
Marty
Very nice comment, Marty. I know Tidal is fully aware of Doug's qualities as (i) a person and (ii) their representative. Doug and Jorn - ceo of Tidal Audio - have been very good friends for many years. So I suppose the appreciation is mutual!
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Hello Rudolf, many thanks for sharing the various reports. Just wondering if you have compared the Tidal cables with other brands and if so, what were your thoughts? Wonder what Nordost Odin 2 would add/take away from this full Tidal system? Also, wondering how this Tidal Akira based system sounds at low volumes...say 60-65dB? Best Regards, Ash
Hi Ash,
Before Tidal introduced their cable line pretty recently I had already invested significant amounts of money in the Taralabs top of the line Grandmaster series. I am still very fond of the grandmaster series and therefore I did not buy any Tidal LA loudspeaker cables and (only) one Tidal LA ic. But I do use quite a few of their reference pc's and one LA pc. The LA series is Tidal top of the line (silver) series and they are - as their reference series btw - very impressive indeed. I would say the Tidal LA pieces can compete with the Tara grandmaster pieces. The Tidal cables add to the quality of the Tidal diamond range of loudspeakers: liquid, refined and smooth but at the same time very revealing.
I have no experience with Nordost Odin cables whatsoever in any of my systems so I am sorry but cannot comment on (i) how their top of the line cables compare to the Tidal and Tara cables I am using and (ii) how the Odin 2 cables would sound in combination with the Akira's. But I suppose any high quality cable will be a good match with the Akira's.
I am playing with the Tidal LA loudspeakers at home. And although the Tidal Akira's are imho beautiful and very impressive sounding loudspeakers indeed, the Tidal La Assoluta transducers are playing at another level (as they should be given the price difference; the LA's cost more than twice the price of the Akira's). I have no experience with playing the Akira's at home but I play my LA's most of the time at (very) moderate levels in order to not disturb my neighbours. What keeps me amazing the most - also at moderate loudness levels - is the purity of the music reproduction. It is so utterly 'clean', transparent and grainless.
I believe I mentioned somewhere before that I have always loved my Genesis loudspeakers due to the 'freeness' of their mids and highs reproduction. This 'freeness' is probably largely a consequence of the absence of cabinet colourations. Due to the very high quality of the LA/Akira cabinets and (diamond) drivers these conus loudspeakers are the very first imho that sound (nearly) as pure as transducers without cabinets. This 'stressfree' or pure/grainless presentation of music can (also) easily be recognized if you play the LA's - and I suppose the Akira's - (rather) softly. Really amazing.
Hope my comments give you some idea as regards your questions, Ash.
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Julie Mullins writes in TAS: "Best Sound (Cost No Object)
Given the size of this year’s show, there wasn’t adequate time to allow for in-depth listening (let alone tie-breaker listening), so I’ve decided to list a few contenders:
The Voice That Is demo with the gorgeous $215k Tidal Akira loudspeakers, Audio Presencio preamp ($77,600) and Impulse Monobloc amplifier ($64,900), both from Tidal Audio, with TW Acustic Raven AC-1 turntable ($15.5k) analog source and Bricasti Design M1sp dual mono DAC ($10k) digital front end. Smooth as silk, yet rich in dimensionality, definition (even in its deep bass), and dynamic range. This system was simply beautiful in its blend of verisimilitude, swiftness, and expansive soundstaging."
Given the size of this year’s show, there wasn’t adequate time to allow for in-depth listening (let alone tie-breaker listening), so I’ve decided to list a few contenders:
The Voice That Is demo with the gorgeous $215k Tidal Akira loudspeakers, Audio Presencio preamp ($77,600) and Impulse Monobloc amplifier ($64,900), both from Tidal Audio, with TW Acustic Raven AC-1 turntable ($15.5k) analog source and Bricasti Design M1sp dual mono DAC ($10k) digital front end. Smooth as silk, yet rich in dimensionality, definition (even in its deep bass), and dynamic range. This system was simply beautiful in its blend of verisimilitude, swiftness, and expansive soundstaging."
Hello Rudolf, many, many thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed response which is very helpful indeed and much appreciated. Seems like these are very special diamond drivers and speakers. Your LAs must sound totally amazing with your Kondo amps. Hopefully I will get to hear the Akira at some point. Happy listening. Cheers, Ash
Hello Ash, you are most welcome. Any change you can make it to the Munich 2017 high end show? Tidal will be demoing the La Assoluta loudspeakers this year in private demonstrations.
I think the LA/Kondo combination is special indeed albeit that Jorn of Tidal - clearly - prefers a LA set up with Tidal electronics.
Unfortunately at present it looks like I will not be able to make it to Munich this year. Have fun there if you manage to go to it. Cheers.
Here is a quote from Stereotimes relating to the Akira set up:
"By this time, breakfast was long gone and I felt an urge to grab a quick bite to eat for lunch. After some tasty chicken wings and soup at the hotel restaurant and now with my energy restored, I made my way to the exhibit hosted by Doug White, The Voice That Is. I was quite anxious to check out this exhibit since the sensational Tidal Akira speakers were in place and essentially for their debut appearance at a U.S. Audio show. Back in January, I had the distinct privilege of hearing these fabulous speakers at Doug’s dealership near Philadelphia. See this link for a full report of this visit: http://www.stereotimes.com/post/the-voice-that-is-a-visit/
In previous years and at various shows, including Axpona, Doug has managed to consistently put together some of the best sounding exhibits at these shows. This year was nothing less than stellar and even better than what he accomplished last year. Of course I should mention that the Akira speakers are quite a step up, both in price and design, from the pair of superb sounding Tidal Agoria loudspeakers that were used at last year’s show. In fact – we’re talking a major difference of $109,900 for the Agorias and $215k for the Akira loudspeakers. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Fit and finished of these speakers is simply exquisite with that stunning Midnight Gloss Black quite an eye-catcher. Pictured in this photo is Jorn Janczak, founder/president and chief designer of Tidal standing beside the Tidal Akira loudspeaker.
Helping to make these outstanding loudspeakers sound great and really deliver the goods, Doug has assembled a system of components including the following: Tidal Presencio Preamplifier (with phono stage), Tidal Impluse Monobloc Amplifiers, Bricasti Design Ml SE DAC, Aurender A10 Music Server, Tidal interconnects and speaker cables as well as Dynamic Design Neutron SW16 power cords. The electronics were placed on a Stillpoints ESS rack and the room was treated with various Stillpoints Aperture Panels and Isolators. Included in the mix was the superb TW–Acustic Raven AC turntable with Transfiguration Proteus MC. All components were connected to the Signal Projects Poseidon S40 Power Conditioner. In terms of the sound – it was simply magical with a hallmark transparency to die for. This speaker releases sound so effortlessly yet with solid impact and big time dynamics, outstanding delicacy and cohesive sound from the very deepest lows to the highest highs. Special features include a very special diamond midrange driver and tweeter. These are proprietary drivers produced solely for Tidal by Accuton. Whether analog or digital as the source – the sound was always beautifully musical. Definitely a very special exhibit."
"By this time, breakfast was long gone and I felt an urge to grab a quick bite to eat for lunch. After some tasty chicken wings and soup at the hotel restaurant and now with my energy restored, I made my way to the exhibit hosted by Doug White, The Voice That Is. I was quite anxious to check out this exhibit since the sensational Tidal Akira speakers were in place and essentially for their debut appearance at a U.S. Audio show. Back in January, I had the distinct privilege of hearing these fabulous speakers at Doug’s dealership near Philadelphia. See this link for a full report of this visit: http://www.stereotimes.com/post/the-voice-that-is-a-visit/
In previous years and at various shows, including Axpona, Doug has managed to consistently put together some of the best sounding exhibits at these shows. This year was nothing less than stellar and even better than what he accomplished last year. Of course I should mention that the Akira speakers are quite a step up, both in price and design, from the pair of superb sounding Tidal Agoria loudspeakers that were used at last year’s show. In fact – we’re talking a major difference of $109,900 for the Agorias and $215k for the Akira loudspeakers. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Fit and finished of these speakers is simply exquisite with that stunning Midnight Gloss Black quite an eye-catcher. Pictured in this photo is Jorn Janczak, founder/president and chief designer of Tidal standing beside the Tidal Akira loudspeaker.
Helping to make these outstanding loudspeakers sound great and really deliver the goods, Doug has assembled a system of components including the following: Tidal Presencio Preamplifier (with phono stage), Tidal Impluse Monobloc Amplifiers, Bricasti Design Ml SE DAC, Aurender A10 Music Server, Tidal interconnects and speaker cables as well as Dynamic Design Neutron SW16 power cords. The electronics were placed on a Stillpoints ESS rack and the room was treated with various Stillpoints Aperture Panels and Isolators. Included in the mix was the superb TW–Acustic Raven AC turntable with Transfiguration Proteus MC. All components were connected to the Signal Projects Poseidon S40 Power Conditioner. In terms of the sound – it was simply magical with a hallmark transparency to die for. This speaker releases sound so effortlessly yet with solid impact and big time dynamics, outstanding delicacy and cohesive sound from the very deepest lows to the highest highs. Special features include a very special diamond midrange driver and tweeter. These are proprietary drivers produced solely for Tidal by Accuton. Whether analog or digital as the source – the sound was always beautifully musical. Definitely a very special exhibit."
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The Tidal Akira room of Doug White gets the vote of best sound of the Axpona 2017 high end show in parttime audiophile.
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017/05/27/axpona-2017-rafes-highlights-sounds-thoughts-and-wrap-up/
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017/05/27/axpona-2017-rafes-highlights-sounds-thoughts-and-wrap-up/
Here is a quote from David Robinson that can be found on the positive-feedback website.
"In The Voice That Is room…spectacular! Superb!
Doug White has been doing excellent jobs at audio shows over the past several years. This year was no exception, as he featured quite an exception collection of top-notch gear in his room. These included:
TIDAL Audio Akira Loudspeaker, $215,000/pair
TIDAL Audio Presencio Preamplifier system (3 components), $77,800
TIDAL Audio Impulse Monobloc Amplifiers, $64,900/pair
TIDAL Audio cables, price varies
TW-Acustic Raven AC-1 Turntable, $15,500
TW-Acustic Raven 10.5 Tonearm, $5,500
Transfiguration Proteus Diamond Cartridge, $10,000
Bricasti Design M1sp Dual Mono DAC, $10,000
Aurender N10 Reference Music Server, $8,500
Stillpoints ESS Racks, Aperture Panels, and Isolators, price varies
Signal Projects Poseidon S40 Power Conditioner $9,995
Dynamic Design Digital Cables, price varies
Signal Projects cables, price varies
This is all first-rate high-end gear. I’ve previously reviewed TIDAL Audio back in Issue 88, which you can read here. It was stellar in my listening room then: the same electronics as in the room at AXPONA, except that I heard the Agora loudspeakers.
But AXPONA was the American debut of the new Akira loudspeaker, with its massive diamond tweeter and a driver array downshifted from the no-holds-barred Assoluta. The results were simply brilliant. The TIDAL Audio gear, with its supporting cast of players, produced a sound from any source that was truly crystalline in its transparency, effortless in its dynamics, and quite authoritative. I had loved the Agoria, but the Akira was clearly outpointing that lesser sibling. I had a new TIDAL love!
I got a chance to meet Jörn Janczak, the honcho of TIDAL, while I was in the room, and compliment him on the amazing new Akira. He was pleased that I liked them so much…and how could I not?
Within seconds, I knew that it was an Audio Oasis! Award room".
"In The Voice That Is room…spectacular! Superb!
Doug White has been doing excellent jobs at audio shows over the past several years. This year was no exception, as he featured quite an exception collection of top-notch gear in his room. These included:
TIDAL Audio Akira Loudspeaker, $215,000/pair
TIDAL Audio Presencio Preamplifier system (3 components), $77,800
TIDAL Audio Impulse Monobloc Amplifiers, $64,900/pair
TIDAL Audio cables, price varies
TW-Acustic Raven AC-1 Turntable, $15,500
TW-Acustic Raven 10.5 Tonearm, $5,500
Transfiguration Proteus Diamond Cartridge, $10,000
Bricasti Design M1sp Dual Mono DAC, $10,000
Aurender N10 Reference Music Server, $8,500
Stillpoints ESS Racks, Aperture Panels, and Isolators, price varies
Signal Projects Poseidon S40 Power Conditioner $9,995
Dynamic Design Digital Cables, price varies
Signal Projects cables, price varies
This is all first-rate high-end gear. I’ve previously reviewed TIDAL Audio back in Issue 88, which you can read here. It was stellar in my listening room then: the same electronics as in the room at AXPONA, except that I heard the Agora loudspeakers.
But AXPONA was the American debut of the new Akira loudspeaker, with its massive diamond tweeter and a driver array downshifted from the no-holds-barred Assoluta. The results were simply brilliant. The TIDAL Audio gear, with its supporting cast of players, produced a sound from any source that was truly crystalline in its transparency, effortless in its dynamics, and quite authoritative. I had loved the Agoria, but the Akira was clearly outpointing that lesser sibling. I had a new TIDAL love!
I got a chance to meet Jörn Janczak, the honcho of TIDAL, while I was in the room, and compliment him on the amazing new Akira. He was pleased that I liked them so much…and how could I not?
Within seconds, I knew that it was an Audio Oasis! Award room".
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