EWA pfm tour: ABCaudio demo kit
Hi Ian,
Good to hear from you! We are okay, became parents and now life is hectic
Yep, still enjoying the Belles maybe a little less regularly given the circumstances but it's a great little thing. In fact one of the things I would like to try is the Claymore as a preamp and compare it against the Belles.
And how about you, how's your audio adventure going?
Cheers
Ivelin
Good to hear from you! We are okay, became parents and now life is hectic
Yep, still enjoying the Belles maybe a little less regularly given the circumstances but it's a great little thing. In fact one of the things I would like to try is the Claymore as a preamp and compare it against the Belles.
And how about you, how's your audio adventure going?
Cheers
Ivelin
flutteringwow
She called me baby, like an old romantic
Slight differences? The difference between my amp and the Claymore was fairly massive. Maybe it's because your original amp has a similar sound to the Claymore?
Hi Ian,
Good to hear from you! We are okay, became parents and now life is hectic
Yep, still enjoying the Belles maybe a little less regularly given the circumstances but it's a great little thing. In fact one of the things I would like to try is the Claymore as a preamp and compare it against the Belles.
And how about you, how's your audio adventure going?
Cheers
Ivelin
Congratulations to the both of you, very pleased for you.
I've just added a Bluesound Node as after trialling the speaker leads I realised the difference between my vortex box and the cd player. I will be posting my thoughts on the cables very soon, life gets in the way sometimes. The node is pretty damn decent into the lyngdorf, a very slick way to enjoy streaming.
https://www.vollenweider.com/en
https://www.google.com/search?q=And...BAg8EAI&biw=2004&bih=956#imgrc=YgjqaT1SzMN48M
This is good for image and tonal sounds and peaks, deep bassn tinkle top ends give it a go.
https://www.google.com/search?q=And...BAg8EAI&biw=2004&bih=956#imgrc=YgjqaT1SzMN48M
This is good for image and tonal sounds and peaks, deep bassn tinkle top ends give it a go.
Great! Thanks!
rag987
pfm Member
My feedback on the miscellaneous cables. I tried the XLR, power and USB cables. Note that the differences I speak of are not huge - subtle at best, but definitely there are repeatable in my system.
XLR cable was my first test. Bryston SP3 processor to Bryston 4BSST power. I had to haul the power amp from between my speakers and next to the processor for this test.
First impressions - sounds very bright and hyper-detailed, whats going on? So I added the USB and power cable to my system and let it all run for 24 hrs before I did any more listening. Having done this, my tests were essentially based on listening while I removed the new cables and replaced with my old ones.
Biggest difference came from the USB and power cables on my media player: SOTM SMS200 to Bryston SP3
The treble became sweeter, I lost some of the sharper edges e.g. cymbals, whilst still retaining the sparkle and long decays. Really enjoying it. The other thing of note was that the soundstage shrunk slightly - both height and width were a bit smaller, but retained strong positioning within that space.
I them removed the EWA PC - still as above though soundstage widened a bit. So USB on it's own is making a good contribution to the sweetness.
Move PC to processor and next to my power amp. Not hearing any differences compared to existing PC (note that my existing PC are 15A round pin and fuseless, so this is not a like-for-like comparision as EWA PC is 13A fused. But for both tests the sockets were connected to individual spur sockets, not part of any ring main).
Finally XLR. Now I cannot hear any big difference, but the excessive brightness from first test is gone. Potentially the EWA has more sparkle, but difficult to say it my imagination or real.
For more system context see my profile.
These are good cables and definitely one to think about. I also like the appearance e.g. fist class components, fit and finish. XLR plugs are getting close to bling - lovely. And I do appreciate that you have dispensed with throw-away plastic and are using draw-string cloth bags.
Many thanks @ABCaudio for the generous offer of the loan. I am still tempted to try the m50 power amp, still scratching my head re my need for XLR connections.
XLR cable was my first test. Bryston SP3 processor to Bryston 4BSST power. I had to haul the power amp from between my speakers and next to the processor for this test.
First impressions - sounds very bright and hyper-detailed, whats going on? So I added the USB and power cable to my system and let it all run for 24 hrs before I did any more listening. Having done this, my tests were essentially based on listening while I removed the new cables and replaced with my old ones.
Biggest difference came from the USB and power cables on my media player: SOTM SMS200 to Bryston SP3
The treble became sweeter, I lost some of the sharper edges e.g. cymbals, whilst still retaining the sparkle and long decays. Really enjoying it. The other thing of note was that the soundstage shrunk slightly - both height and width were a bit smaller, but retained strong positioning within that space.
I them removed the EWA PC - still as above though soundstage widened a bit. So USB on it's own is making a good contribution to the sweetness.
Move PC to processor and next to my power amp. Not hearing any differences compared to existing PC (note that my existing PC are 15A round pin and fuseless, so this is not a like-for-like comparision as EWA PC is 13A fused. But for both tests the sockets were connected to individual spur sockets, not part of any ring main).
Finally XLR. Now I cannot hear any big difference, but the excessive brightness from first test is gone. Potentially the EWA has more sparkle, but difficult to say it my imagination or real.
For more system context see my profile.
These are good cables and definitely one to think about. I also like the appearance e.g. fist class components, fit and finish. XLR plugs are getting close to bling - lovely. And I do appreciate that you have dispensed with throw-away plastic and are using draw-string cloth bags.
Many thanks @ABCaudio for the generous offer of the loan. I am still tempted to try the m50 power amp, still scratching my head re my need for XLR connections.
Peter Williamson
Member
LS 40 speaker cable arrived today, just listening at the moment, sounds similar to my NVA LS6 which is a good thing. I will need to play some of my favorite music before I make any kind of comment, but I will say it sounds good, Thank you for the chance to try it out. A few hours in now and what can I say more space around the instruments, sound stage is just as wide as before but it just sounds soo right, on all types of music format. the greatest change has been to the audio from my pc sound card, it sounds brilliant, and that is using the cheapest interconnect from NVA. I think I need to start saving my money up.
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Thanks Ian!
Bluesound note seems to be a good choice for streaming, I've read positive reviews. I am not into streaming though so haven't got the slightest idea what's the deal
Will be interesting to read your thoughts on the cables. They appear to please many people.
flutteringwow
She called me baby, like an old romantic
What were you comparing the EWA's to?
rag987
pfm Member
XLR: mogami 2549 with Neutrik terminations
PC: DIY braided 12ga silver-plated copper multistrand with teflon insulation with MK 15A plug and Iego Gold IEC
USB: Furutech ADL formula 2 and also to Ghent audio cable
flutteringwow
She called me baby, like an old romantic
Peter Williamson
Member
Well what can I say these cables really are amazing, the only way to explain it, is they sound so right, Bas,Mids and Treble all sound so sweet, and lol just right. Sorry for not using HiFi terms. These speaker cables are a keeper, I hope no body wants to try them out too soon.
Hello all,
I would like to thank Alan and Colin for organizing the EWA tour and also @flutteringwow for sending the amp so quickly. The Claymore arrived earlier this month very well boxed (actually the box is much larger than I expected). I’ve been too busy with work and family and didn’t manage to spend as much time listening to music as I wanted.
Let me give you a quick introduction to my set up – for source I am using Marantz cd6003 and the speakers are Tannoy xt8f. The main music style is rock and its many variations. The room is untreated living room so just furniture really and hard floor.
Once everything was set up and the first cd was playing something stood out, the Claymore reproduced music very clearly and with lots of detail. Then several days later I manage to compare it to: Naim 5si, Onix oa21s and Onix oa601. However I did use only 5 tracks from a cd I know extremely well. Here are my thoughts about how it all sounded.
The Claymore is very open, it has wide dynamic range and the bass is fast with lots of slam. The mid range is at a different level – it is clear, airy and certain passages of the music just flow with ease. The soundstage has depth and width to it, the instrument separation is excellent and the voices come across incredibly well defined – you could hear how close the singer is to the microphone. The highs are excellent with no obvious sibilance. It was mentioned upthread that the amp is easy to listen to; I totally agree with this but only when it is low to moderate volume levels i.e. up to 70dB 2m away from the speakers (I checked this on my phone). I noticed that when the volume is increased the Claymore becomes too forward, that pronounced mid range suddenly is too much and starts to feel a bit shouty and harsh. Maybe this is very different with other music genres and speakers.
In comparison the Naim 5si is a bit dry, voices are not as clear, and there is less clarity too. I think it has more of a “V” shape spectrum and the bass is kind of fast but not as fast as the Claymore. Listening to loud music is less harsh than the Claymore. Overall I prefer the Claymore.
Another amp that I tried was the Onix oa21s. This was interesting because I just got the amp back from Jez Arkless and it sounded really good. The soundstage is great and the voices are nice and clear. The amp is very listenable at low and high volumes. However it has this rolled off sound character – compared to the Claymore it has narrower dynamic range with a bit less resolution. The bass didn’t have that slam which I really liked about the Claymore. Again I think I preferred the Claymore.
The last amplifier was the Onix oa601 with a Tisbury passive pre. That’s where things became challenging. The oa601 has dynamic range like the Claymore, there is clarity, the bass got slam but not as fast as the Claymore but still good, the highs are maybe a bit better than the Claymore and the soundstage is as good as the Claymore. I think the mid range is less pronounced but the instrument separation is great. Here I prefer the Onix which also when pushed loud is not so forward as the Claymore.
I then tried changing the preamps for the oa601 and using the Claymore as a pre gave the same result as the Tisbury which I guess is a good thing since many say that the Tisbury is quite transparent. I also tried Belles Soloist as a pre and I think I preferred either the Tisbury or the Claymore. The differences are small but in a way clear enough to spot. I am thinking if it would be possible to have an EWA pre amp with remote and high/mid/low tone controls?
It is worth mentioning that the Claymore buzzed thorough the speakers (did not change with source, cables, volume) and in the middle of the night when no music is played I could hear it in the room. I read upthread that this is going to be taken care of in the next generation which is amazing.
To conclude, listening to music with the Claymore is a great experience and is an amplifier worth considering if one is looking for a change. I wonder what the m50 sounds like?!
Once again I would like to thank Colin and Alan for this great opportunity and also I would like to tell them that they have created great products. Thanks guys!
I hope you’ve all enjoyed my overview!
Cheers!
Ivelin
I would like to thank Alan and Colin for organizing the EWA tour and also @flutteringwow for sending the amp so quickly. The Claymore arrived earlier this month very well boxed (actually the box is much larger than I expected). I’ve been too busy with work and family and didn’t manage to spend as much time listening to music as I wanted.
Let me give you a quick introduction to my set up – for source I am using Marantz cd6003 and the speakers are Tannoy xt8f. The main music style is rock and its many variations. The room is untreated living room so just furniture really and hard floor.
Once everything was set up and the first cd was playing something stood out, the Claymore reproduced music very clearly and with lots of detail. Then several days later I manage to compare it to: Naim 5si, Onix oa21s and Onix oa601. However I did use only 5 tracks from a cd I know extremely well. Here are my thoughts about how it all sounded.
The Claymore is very open, it has wide dynamic range and the bass is fast with lots of slam. The mid range is at a different level – it is clear, airy and certain passages of the music just flow with ease. The soundstage has depth and width to it, the instrument separation is excellent and the voices come across incredibly well defined – you could hear how close the singer is to the microphone. The highs are excellent with no obvious sibilance. It was mentioned upthread that the amp is easy to listen to; I totally agree with this but only when it is low to moderate volume levels i.e. up to 70dB 2m away from the speakers (I checked this on my phone). I noticed that when the volume is increased the Claymore becomes too forward, that pronounced mid range suddenly is too much and starts to feel a bit shouty and harsh. Maybe this is very different with other music genres and speakers.
In comparison the Naim 5si is a bit dry, voices are not as clear, and there is less clarity too. I think it has more of a “V” shape spectrum and the bass is kind of fast but not as fast as the Claymore. Listening to loud music is less harsh than the Claymore. Overall I prefer the Claymore.
Another amp that I tried was the Onix oa21s. This was interesting because I just got the amp back from Jez Arkless and it sounded really good. The soundstage is great and the voices are nice and clear. The amp is very listenable at low and high volumes. However it has this rolled off sound character – compared to the Claymore it has narrower dynamic range with a bit less resolution. The bass didn’t have that slam which I really liked about the Claymore. Again I think I preferred the Claymore.
The last amplifier was the Onix oa601 with a Tisbury passive pre. That’s where things became challenging. The oa601 has dynamic range like the Claymore, there is clarity, the bass got slam but not as fast as the Claymore but still good, the highs are maybe a bit better than the Claymore and the soundstage is as good as the Claymore. I think the mid range is less pronounced but the instrument separation is great. Here I prefer the Onix which also when pushed loud is not so forward as the Claymore.
I then tried changing the preamps for the oa601 and using the Claymore as a pre gave the same result as the Tisbury which I guess is a good thing since many say that the Tisbury is quite transparent. I also tried Belles Soloist as a pre and I think I preferred either the Tisbury or the Claymore. The differences are small but in a way clear enough to spot. I am thinking if it would be possible to have an EWA pre amp with remote and high/mid/low tone controls?
It is worth mentioning that the Claymore buzzed thorough the speakers (did not change with source, cables, volume) and in the middle of the night when no music is played I could hear it in the room. I read upthread that this is going to be taken care of in the next generation which is amazing.
To conclude, listening to music with the Claymore is a great experience and is an amplifier worth considering if one is looking for a change. I wonder what the m50 sounds like?!
Once again I would like to thank Colin and Alan for this great opportunity and also I would like to tell them that they have created great products. Thanks guys!
I hope you’ve all enjoyed my overview!
Cheers!
Ivelin
ABCaudio
Trade: ABCaudio, representing EWA
Right, time to catch up a bit!
@IVELIN What a great review, thank you for taking so much care over that. At the end of the day, It is all about fun and it looks like you had some! We are just glad to have helped. I am not entirely familiar with the amplifiers you compared Colin's Claymore to, but I think the little Claymore seems to have held it's own and I am happy with that. It's only a £1300 amplifier, and a good part of the build cost has gone into the exceptional phono stage. That, and the new small revision that removes hum, will make it a solid proposition I feel. I was most interested that you compared the pre-amp stage to dedicated units though, that is very enlightening!
Future EWA products will probably feature a remote control, Colin is still cogitating over this. He has a very specific set of goals, which we trying to find a cheap way to achieve! So, both EWA pre amplifiers (which are significantly better than the pre-stage in Claymore) will likely be available with remote control in future - but no tone controls though. That said, it's easy enough with DSP these days.
@Peter Williamson You are last on the list for a while, no one else is waiting for LS-40 just yet, so just enjoy them for a while! I have used and appreciated most of the NVA range in the past, so I found your impression interesting. The LS-40 is actually our mid-range cable, which often get's overlooked; it's never disgraced itself though.
@flutteringwow I hope you enjoy yourself with your box of goodies! @rag987 your feedback is really appreciated. Again, worth noting the IC-25 is a mid-range design but it does demonstrate what Colin was working towards. It's great to read how it performs in different systems, as the results in different systems are so unpredictable. You are on the M-50 list now.
@S-Man You are next for the little M-50. It will come back to Colin first just in case it attracts any import costs - we would rather handle that than you have to! We will get it to you next if that's OK?
@IVELIN What a great review, thank you for taking so much care over that. At the end of the day, It is all about fun and it looks like you had some! We are just glad to have helped. I am not entirely familiar with the amplifiers you compared Colin's Claymore to, but I think the little Claymore seems to have held it's own and I am happy with that. It's only a £1300 amplifier, and a good part of the build cost has gone into the exceptional phono stage. That, and the new small revision that removes hum, will make it a solid proposition I feel. I was most interested that you compared the pre-amp stage to dedicated units though, that is very enlightening!
Future EWA products will probably feature a remote control, Colin is still cogitating over this. He has a very specific set of goals, which we trying to find a cheap way to achieve! So, both EWA pre amplifiers (which are significantly better than the pre-stage in Claymore) will likely be available with remote control in future - but no tone controls though. That said, it's easy enough with DSP these days.
@Peter Williamson You are last on the list for a while, no one else is waiting for LS-40 just yet, so just enjoy them for a while! I have used and appreciated most of the NVA range in the past, so I found your impression interesting. The LS-40 is actually our mid-range cable, which often get's overlooked; it's never disgraced itself though.
@flutteringwow I hope you enjoy yourself with your box of goodies! @rag987 your feedback is really appreciated. Again, worth noting the IC-25 is a mid-range design but it does demonstrate what Colin was working towards. It's great to read how it performs in different systems, as the results in different systems are so unpredictable. You are on the M-50 list now.
@S-Man You are next for the little M-50. It will come back to Colin first just in case it attracts any import costs - we would rather handle that than you have to! We will get it to you next if that's OK?
ABCaudio
Trade: ABCaudio, representing EWA
Amplifiers: The Claymore is an anachronism in the EWA range. It is based on the design of Colin's original Claymore, made by Inca-Tech. It's a forty year old design that was exceptional in it's day. Claymore exhibited absolutely no second order harmonic distortion and just a little third order - it caused one technical reviewer to question firstly whether his test kit was broken, then how this was possible? It was stupendously good for an amp with FETs and for it's time. It is still a fine thing by any standard and Colin is servicing and upgrading old Claymores.
The EWA Claymore is Colin taking the original design, and updating it to take advantage of modern precision components. It also has transistor outputs as more is possible with these. That said, it is recognisably a Claymore in every way and stays true to the British hifi minimalist school. It was reviewed a while ago here: Enjoy the Music. More information can be found here: ABCaudio
All other amplifiers by EWA are based on a different circuit. From the baby Q-20 to the giant M-100 series, they share the same heritage as A/B amps that push hard in class A. Sometimes up to forty Watts. The driver stage is Single Ended Class A (SECA) in order to give that class experience, even with the M-50 which broadly an A/B amp (but it can do over ten Watts in A). Slightly more information here: ABCaudio.
The EWA Claymore is Colin taking the original design, and updating it to take advantage of modern precision components. It also has transistor outputs as more is possible with these. That said, it is recognisably a Claymore in every way and stays true to the British hifi minimalist school. It was reviewed a while ago here: Enjoy the Music. More information can be found here: ABCaudio
All other amplifiers by EWA are based on a different circuit. From the baby Q-20 to the giant M-100 series, they share the same heritage as A/B amps that push hard in class A. Sometimes up to forty Watts. The driver stage is Single Ended Class A (SECA) in order to give that class experience, even with the M-50 which broadly an A/B amp (but it can do over ten Watts in A). Slightly more information here: ABCaudio.
ABCaudio
Trade: ABCaudio, representing EWA
Cables:
I suppose I should resurrect the webshop blog-thing for announcements, but that's a job for another day.
A new budget range is planned for release soon, likely by September: EWA Starting Point. It is an extremely limited range (two products!) of an RCA only interconnect and a loudspeaker cable. We are trying to demonstrate the EWA approach as cheaply as possible, and hope to get close to LS-25 with the 'speaker cable. prices TBA.
A new flagship interconnect range: EWA IC-40. Analogue interconnect (RCA & XLR), Digital Coaxial interconnect and USB interconnect. These are triple shielded and extremely high performance - they sound rather spectacular in development. The analogue interconnects might be available to ship soon, the digital versions need a little more time as their active circuitry is not yet here. These will be flipping expensive as far as I am concerned, but then they are likely superior to anything out there at ten times the cost. A pre-order rate is available for a short time until final costs are in (then the price really will jump). Some details here at ABCaudio.
The current range of cables have recently been measured and assessed for accurate specification (sans termination) on an AIM LCR databridge 401. These confirmed specs will be added to the site very soon.
I suppose I should resurrect the webshop blog-thing for announcements, but that's a job for another day.
A new budget range is planned for release soon, likely by September: EWA Starting Point. It is an extremely limited range (two products!) of an RCA only interconnect and a loudspeaker cable. We are trying to demonstrate the EWA approach as cheaply as possible, and hope to get close to LS-25 with the 'speaker cable. prices TBA.
A new flagship interconnect range: EWA IC-40. Analogue interconnect (RCA & XLR), Digital Coaxial interconnect and USB interconnect. These are triple shielded and extremely high performance - they sound rather spectacular in development. The analogue interconnects might be available to ship soon, the digital versions need a little more time as their active circuitry is not yet here. These will be flipping expensive as far as I am concerned, but then they are likely superior to anything out there at ten times the cost. A pre-order rate is available for a short time until final costs are in (then the price really will jump). Some details here at ABCaudio.
The current range of cables have recently been measured and assessed for accurate specification (sans termination) on an AIM LCR databridge 401. These confirmed specs will be added to the site very soon.
S-Man
StrivingON
Absolutely fine. No rush from my side.
I just received a new pair of EWA LS 25 speaker cables three days ago and I have to say they are superb!
I have had Townsend Isolda,Supra ply,Telurium Q Black and others but these LS25’s are by far the best I’ve heard,Stunning even ...Music is much more open, transparent and with better extended top & bottom end frequencies. Honestly I have been shocked at the improvement and for such a relatively modest cost.
A big recommendation then , truly superb cables.James
I have had Townsend Isolda,Supra ply,Telurium Q Black and others but these LS25’s are by far the best I’ve heard,Stunning even ...Music is much more open, transparent and with better extended top & bottom end frequencies. Honestly I have been shocked at the improvement and for such a relatively modest cost.
A big recommendation then , truly superb cables.James