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German Physiks HRS-120. With the NuForce-modified Oppo's lower output voltage, fully clockwise here produced a real mute. During play I also got the volume control just a bit higher than before. That said, Crayon's CFA-1.2 integrated was the clearly better fit. As a true omni—360° Walsh-type widebander on top, downfiring woofer below—this speaker is made to energize the ambient field. You hear more reflected than direct sound. For my tastes the 'grease-cutting' action of a very fast amp like the Crayon or Job best compliments that. Hence for this system the CFA-1.2 is the designated driver. Whilst the Clones surprised once more with very grippy and extended low bass (I still couldn't quite comprehend how they did that), I had to play them louder than desired before they overcame the inherent 'drag' or thickness of the HRS. Which was no blemish on their score. A number of far costlier amps including various FirstWatt and class D models haven't been ideal either. Plus, don't unconditionally enthusiastic reviews seem a bit suspicious? Running across a less than ideal match-up equalized that. Time to move back downstairs and set up Ivette's W5 in the living room.


This I expected to again be a most simpatico pairing and it was. Though the li'l Swiss are more hung than they look, to properly horse around wants <50Hz subwoofer assist. And once again the AP1's second pre-out came handy. Vaguely related to the paper-driver tone of the Lithuanians but with a far freer more out-of-the-box gushing demeanor where they're related to the soundkaos, the W5 has its small widebander operate to well below 600Hz before it hands over to the sidefiring woofer. (That latter part was recently stricken from the Peerless catalogue to where Boenicke had to negotiate for high volume custom runs and deal with 60-day lead times plus sea freight.) The ultra narrow profile, solid wood cab and higher 'omni' radiation for the mid/woofer combine for wonderful built-in tonefulness. That's obvious already with drier leaner solid-state. Mirror imaged to allow for woofers in/out choice, this mini is super unfussy to set up and similarly unfussy about electronics.


This setup had so much oomph, color intensity, gargantuan staging and tone mass that my wife spontaneously sat down in the hot seat, breakfast sandwich and chai in hand, giggling with obvious pride that these were hers. In her smaller studio they're spaced far closer to not blossom this huge. It sounded so gripping that she forgot to ask that I change the gipsy band Bratsch which isn't her favorite. At €5'000 for the system—still add source, cables and sub—this frankly would give many trade show systems where the power conditioner alone costs as much the fantods. In our digs it challenges the €7'660/pr Lithuanians driven by €5'000 monos and wins by a clear margin. Manse dwellers could have different needs.


Reviewers dream of such fortuitous hardware constellation particularly at prices the average punter can contemplate without a dizzy spell. Guaranteed satisfaction out of the box is hard to come by when most piecemeal their system by mail order or based on store demos which don't duplicate the final mix. The Clones/Boenicke combo is a rare bull's eye which due to its simplicity will work virtually anywhere and not require funky tweaks or silly cables to sing. It'll give you a very big serving of the type of presence and tonal chunkiness shoppers of <€2'000 Chinese valve integrateds pursue but zero hassles with amplifier noise, tube aging, bias drift, limited bandwidth or loose bass. Today's wasn't a system review but as an unexpected find along the way includes this capsule reco. On that note, those looking/asking for an affordable preamp whilst thinking passive should consider the €549 Clone. It's priced like a good passive from Khozmo but has none of the impedance vs. loudness and drive issues. Its low gain too fits that picture.


Wrap.
In a world where beryllium this, nano that and DSD256 thot can feel like hustling con artists, it's reassuring that as proven a recipe as the trusty chip pre and power amp is still relevant. Companies have come and gone who gussied up such chip kit in upscale boxes, attached exclusive mystique and concomitant pricing. Others like Audial who hold true to the value proposition of the circuit's simplicity are still around. Today's chipsters pursue top value and bullet-proof build with zero pretensions at bling. Compared to the also very fine value of the $1'695 globally delivered Goldmund/Job 225 amplifier, the €1'448 Clones trio is more complete and versatile. The Job's wide bandwidth DC-coupled circuit warrants more advanced speakers which can deal with its level of speed without getting lean. The Clones kit is more forgiving. Like the Boenicke W5 speakers I'd called everything 90% of all listeners will ever need, the AP1+55pm set is also that. On the retail floor it should be a very easy sell. To make the profit of just one deep-pocket transaction will of course require many more sales. Some sellers may not want to work that hard. It's good then that Funjoe also ships direct from Hong Kong.


If I were still in retail, I'd combine these Clones with a compact floorstander from Amphion for a very punchy crystalline honest sound; or a Sonus faber Venere for a slightly cushier warmer ride. To suit a very modern décor I'd pick a pair of wall-mount Gallo Strada 2 plus TR-1D subwoofer for an ultra-spacious hi-rez presentation. A personal tone+space fave is Boenicke's W5 with a small sub. But your options are wide open. As grippy as these monos dealt with my beefy 3-way towers, I think little within reason will be beyond their grasp (whether that includes Magnepans I don't know). I'd not think once about outsourcing preamp duties to elsewhere. Funjoy has clearly worked hard to tune his mini circuits as a team. I doubt you'd do better for anywhere near this coin. And yes a remote does still lack but is on the books for later this year. The only thing I'd like changed is the present volume taper. It gets too loud too quickly. And now without further ado, our realsization award. That's not a misspeller. It's a contraction of realization and downsizing as suggested by a reader who talked of realsizing. That should be crystal. Do more with less. Refuse features, power or build quality you don't need. Downsize, get ahead and save money. That goes beyond value. It includes conceptual economy as an aesthetic, stylistic savvy and a generally more enlightened attitude towards this hobby. Doesn't excess lack for elegance? Here's an antidote to excess that works like a charm...
Clones Audio website