Giles M, Sheffield, England

In the last few issues of Hi>Fi+ magazine, Alan Sircom has been running a series of analysis pieces, basically discussing systems architecture issues. He went right back to the very basics with this work, but also asked readers to join in with the experiments and feed back the results. Well Alan did get reader's support with this, and Giles M from Sheffield wrote a very extensive letter back to Alan. Alan was so impressed with Giles' work that he published just that one letter in the letters section. He also thought Giles deserved something by way of thanks for making such effort, so asked if Vertex could donate a completely unannounced prize, one which would allow Giles to do more experimenting too. So we sent him a Silver Jaya mains filter.

Below is an email from Giles, sent to us, after receiving his prize.

What a remarkable device the Silver Jaya is! While my expectations had been raised by what I had read, the reality easily exceeded them. Rather than reiterate what far more competent people have observed, having experienced the effect, perhaps it suffices to say that within 15 minutes I'd brought the speakers a foot further into the room and increased the toe-in by about 5 degrees. Subsequently I've raised the speakers by 6". Having read round about the impact of Vertex AQ components, I'd expected that some revision to system set up might be necessary, and had reviewed the speaker manual in advance. While the expected benefits to Bass and HF extension where as anticipated, as things stood the mid range had suddenly become very lumpy, but repositioning the speakers more or less cured this, thought there remains an element of thickness to the upper bass / lower mid, which I hope will be resoled in due course. Your observations as to how energy gets re-routed round the system made fascinating reading, and were readily demonstrated. But it's the improvements to the accuracy of the dynamic envelope, particularly on the leading edges, that seem to lead to the most significant improvements in the reality of instrumental timbre, which don't seem to be simply down to a reduced noise floor, though this is clearly apparent. The reduction in intermodulation effects must be a significant component. However I've run out of maths by which to try and understand it.

What I should say is that while the experience listening to CD was incredible, when I moved on to vinyl it was nigh on indescribable. My rather 'front end first' biased purchase of my first system, lead by a Sondek 20 years ago, has always been the standard to beat in my system. At present I rather feel like the character in Captain Corelli's Mandolin, after he's had the pea removed from his ear which has been there since childhood. The improvement in the sound nailed me to my seat. Admittedly I was nearly in tears to start with! The increase in resolution was such that the surface noise was so detailed, and accompanied with a strange subsonic phenomenon, that I thought something was seriously amiss. However, I quickly realised the latter arose from a slight warp on the record and once the signal appeared, it became very apparent that the effect delivered to CD line level signals is significantly increased with respect to the amplitude of the phono signals, with equally significant improvements in the sound quality!

I must admit that I'd not considered Vertex AQ equipment in the context of my own system, despite the reviews, perceiving such products as biased towards the high-end before you could appreciate their effect. However, this experience has been one of those 'throw the book away' moments, where everything you thought you understood gets turned upside down. I'm now firmly of the opinion that even relatively 'basic' systems would benefit enormously from the Silver Jaya and anyone who hasn't tried one doesn't know what they're missing. I'm now looking forward to adding further Vertex AQ components to my system.

Once again many, many thanks for your generosity.

Giles

Steve J, Andover, England

Received via email 1 August 2010.

The Vertex gear must have passed its 48 hour run in and yes it sounds great, certainly a substantial improvement.

Overall a significant improvement in clarity, with better bass definition, timbre to instrument presentation and overall spacing of instruments. Yes, it is still surprising the difference equipment that does not actually create any of the music can make, but difference it has. Indeed, I would say the improvement to the system is probably greater than when I replaced the Mira amp with the Supernait - at overall less cost.

The vinyl production has also improved although I would say not to the extent of the CD.

Best wishes

Dave C, Bath, England

A rather unusual Vertex solution this one, and a fantastic example of the huge benefits of lowering RFI and microphony in digital circuits. Dave is using a high-end CD transport directly feeding a pair of digital/active Meridian speakers using ethernet. This bespoke requirement was for 2 long Vertex HiRez ethernet leads, with each lead having an acoustic absorption/RFI absorption box at each end (rather than just the one normally fitted to a shorter digital lead). The leads were used to daisy-chain the digital feed - taking it from the transport to the first speaker, and then from the first speaker across to the second. Don't worry if this sounds odd by the way, the Meridian system is designed to do this and everything is properly synchronised.

This email was received via The Right Note on 25 November 2009 and has not been edited. Note the significant burn-in process!

Dear Jeremy,

Yes, the sound I was hearing by Sunday night before I scarpered off to the Smoke again was heading in the direction of pretty gorgeous.

As you know, I got a scare when I first put the cables in on Friday lunchtime - I knew they wouldn't give of their best out of the box, but was a bit shocked to hear what felt like a step backwards in some respects. Timing seemed to fall apart - both on the rhythm and bounce side and on imaging. Another strange effect was that the music sounded toned down and almost too laid back.

So I knew it was time to set some music playing and walk away for a few hours. By Friday night, things were much better. By Sunday night I was thinking this had been a very good way of spending £3,500. Biggest change is that there's a gorgeous, completely natural 'thereness' in voices now. It's completely, utterly un-digital and its what my ears have been craving ever since I got into serious hi-fi. At first it feels like something is missing, as the sound is so un-forced - as if the cables have rolled off the top end. Turns out the opposite is the case - there is oodles more detail, but its not about previously quiet detail being louder - more about new bits of the music being there.

That's the bit I really love, but there are other good things. Timing has gone from crap to sublime - very bouncy and infectious now, and the imaging is back on form and more. There is much more space and sense of the place where the music is being played. Reverb, notes holding on. Soundstage is up higher, wider, deeper etc. Bass is deeper, more tuneful and, I think, a bit stronger, but bouncier at the same time. And there's a big improvement in how the system plays the difference between quiet and loud. This crept up on me, but its fundamental when you spot it. Piano is so much more expressive, vibrato in voices is so clear and lovely now. There's more scale now from the dynamics - nothing to do with soundstage, the sound is just bigger, as if the speakers can now play with scale and really go very quickly from delicate and gentle, to big wallop. Reviewers call this dynamics, but the music just sounds more real and there to me.

So I'm liking it a lot, but I have a strong feeling that there is more to come... Please thank John at Vertex for his efforts building these things.

Regards