Consonance by Opera CDP 5
Reviewer: Srajan EbaenSource: Bel Canto PLayer PL-1A; Zanden Audio Model 2000P/5000SPreamp/Integrated: ModWright SWL 9.0SE; PrimaLuna ProLogue 3 [on review]Amp: FirstWatt F1; FirstWatt F2 [on review]; PrimaLuna ProLogue 5 [on review]Speakers: Zu Cable Druid Mk4; Zu Cable Method Cables: Stealth Audio Indra; Zu Cable Ibis; Crystal Cable Reference power cords; Z-Cable Reference Cyclone power cords on both powerline conditionerStands: 1 x Grand Prix Audio Monaco four-tierPowerline conditioning: 2 x Walker Audio Velocitor SSundry accessories: GPA Formula Carbon/Kevlar shelf for tube amps; GPA Apex footers underneath DAC and preamp; Walker Audio SST on all connections; Walker Audio Vivid CD cleaner; Furutech RD-2 CD demagnetizer; WorldPower cryo'd Hubbell and IsoClean wall socketsRoom size: 30' w x 18' d x 10' h [sloping ceiling] in long-wall setup in one half, with open adjoining living room for a total of ca.1000 squ.ft floor plan and significant 'active' cubic air volume of essentially the entire (small) houseReview component retail: $3,000 BY 6moons audio.
With balanced and single-ended outputs as well as an RCA-carried S/PDIF digital output, the specs claim a S/N ratio of 100/115dB respectively for the RCA and XLR paths, suggesting true balanced operation of the circuit. A "special super-clock" is said to drive down clock jitter to less than 14ps. Converter resolution is given as multi-level sigma-delta 24-bit-192kHz. The Crystal 4398 chip handles asynchronous upsampling as well as the remote-controlled attention on both (variable) outputs. The RCAs output 2.3V
.Just like expected, listening confirmed that the Droplet's output stage is a de facto single-input preamp such as you'd find on the excellent Audio Aero Prima SE (which is a DAC/pre with two additional analog inputs).As is true also for the $3,500-direct Resolution Audio Opus 21, the Consonance CD player can be used in variable-out mode without suffering "passive preamp" depression of white-washing tonal colors, flattening out the soundstage or subtracting dynamic drive to become anemic and listless.Yes, a really good separate preamp will add just a bit more image density and perhaps even macrodynamic scale but in the same gesture, you could also notice a reduction in transparency (as with the PrimaLuna), this contingent on the pre's ultimate quality.For the average listener who -- I'll cheekily assume -- will be attracted to the Droplet's value factor and ability to render a preamp unnecessary, this is a non-issue. To do better to any significant degree would entail at least a doubling of the Droplet's asking price and thereby defeat the entire purpose. Banish all common wisdom that might pertain to this subject then and look at this mighty kidney as a transplant for the usual preamp in a single-source digital system.As an ex-clarinetist and to get started, I picked Brahms' famous Clarinet Quintet in B-Minor Op. 115, planning to cue up three different recordings thereof: my former classmate Sabine Meyer with the Vienna string sextet [EMI Classics 7543042]; Jazz monster Eddie Daniels who plays classical just as well [with the Composers String Quartet on Reference Recordings RR-40]; and Kjell Fagéus, the former principal player of the Stockholm Opera, here with the Zetterqvist Quartet [Opus 3 CD 19301]. Fagéus and Daniels play on clarinets with the Boehm fingering system, Meyer plays the German Oehler system. Tonally, Daniels' Buffet-Crampon is the leanest and most lit up, Meyer's Wurlitzer the fattest and dynamically most endowed, her choice of string partners and how they were recorded the keenest.Inexplicably, the Droplet refused to recognize Daniels as a participant of equal chops. The player displayed "err" and "no disc" no matter how often I tried. This happened with a few other CDs as well, pressings my Zanden Audio Model 2000P transport on one end of the price spectrum and my Eastern Electric MiniMax player on the other end read without issues. While on this intermittent transport issue, the Droplet's metal CD well and suspended rather than hard-mounted CD spindle get very hot, making one appreciate the relative imperviousness of our silver discs to sun stroke while removing a crisply baked CD from the machine after play.Informal reports from the field have recounted similar read-error issues with Sony transports used by Shanling. Does Sony sell inferior runs of raw transports to China? Whatever the cause, Consonance has to look into this issue promptly even if it means identifying a new vendor who doesn't sell unreliable merchandise to fellow Pacific Rim manufacturers.That said, the machine resolved the kind of player technique details that would only occur to other clarinetists. It properly differentiated between the dissimilar overtone content of the two players it would read and elicited absolutely glorious string tone especially from the Viennese soloists, with clearly delineated soundstaging cues and plenty of ambient information as it pertained to the recording venue. Unlike the sub $1K MiniMax, the Droplet's use of tubes doesn't incur a slightly opaque layer in exchange for tone. For the extra cash, you get tone and superior resolution just as it should be.After the phenomenal Lagrimas Negras album that juxtaposed an octogenarian Cuban piano ace with a virile young Spanish Flamenco singer, I was committed to finding at least one of the other El Cigala albums the web said this Gipsy singer had cut in Spain. Undebel [Crysalis 7243 4 94808 2 7] is my first catch on that particular fishing expedition, catapulting Ramón Jiménez Salazar 'Dieguito' straight to the top of my personal Flamenco heap next to Duquende, El Pele and El Potito. The Droplet player showed itself fleet of foot, finely articulated on Marcelo Fuentes' bass, superbly differentiated between El Cigala's' lead on the title track and Paco Ortega's intersecting background vocals. None of the vocal peaks got hairy though their glitter of metal shone through uncut - perfect balance between leading edge and bloom. Different recording locations and microphone placement came across with superb visibility as I progressed from track to track. Ditto for the different guitars of Tomatito, Paquete, José Carbonell, David Amaya and Manuel Parilla who appear on subsequent numbers. This type of fiery music deliberately walks on the edge especially with its vocals. Any diminishment of fervor and intensity in favor of playback pleasantries is a move in the wrong direction. It's one the Droplet clearly wasn't guilty of. No rounding off, no blunting, no prettification. Yet no exaggeration either, no artificial sharpening. In other words, no thickness, fuzz or fog, no drag in the rhythmic department, no plumminess in the bass.There's apparently good reason -- other than marketing distinction -- for the nickname "super tube" the 6H30s have garnered nearly as a model designation. As implemented in the Droplet, they remind me very much of the 5687s in my ModWright preamp. Unlike the more romantic 6SN7s -- the octal bottles of the big tone -- the 5687s and 6H30s major in dynamic drive and linearity. They do do tone (no doodoo here) but with a small rather capital "T". It's a faster, tighter, far more modern tube sound than those diehard notions keep equating with valves. Where we cash in on preconceptions is with the heightened dimensionality and plasticity of soundstaging and performer presence.
From the top loader to the unusually stout construction; from the XLR analog and RCA digital outputs to the amp-direct functionality; from the designer cosmetics to the valve-powered output stage; the Consonance CDP 5.0 is heavy on sonic and visual impact but -- relatively -- light on the sore pocket book. In fact, for the money asked and what it buys you, this is a very high-value proposition and luxury item. The most obvious competitors are the Lector, BAT and Cary machines, none of which offer the Droplet's outrageous styling cues. That's solid company to be sure. How the Chinese upstart would compete head-to-toe remains for someone to write about who owns one of those challengers. Unlike Chinese-sourced machines without proper distribution, Consonance/Opera Audio enjoys the kind of right stuff customers should insist on with anything that has moving parts and tubes: domestic service support.For the usual at-a-glance summary you can find elsewhere, let's recap today's story. The Droplet cues up in 4 seconds once the massive lid is in place. It doesn't make any whirring noises nearfield listening would frown upon. The remote has good off-axis response. The player is a high-definition affair with nicely developed though categorically not overdone tone. It offers the body and weight we expect from active preamps but don't always get with CD players run amp-direct. It has no problem with realistic dynamic scale or complex passages. It has a special fondness for well-recorded string tone particularly of the bowed variety. Vocal lock and presence is typical of valves, i.e. excellent. Despite uncompromised detail retrieval, this player presents music in a holistic fashion full of tonal color and textural density.As we expect from proper power supplies and output stages, this machine has drive and control which translates into solid bass extension and definition without sloppiness or unnatural ripeness. Except for the occasional read error -- no skipping of any sort but simply an outright refusal to read a few discs which other resident players will read just fine -- there's nothing here that would require caution on part of a prospective buyer. Quite the contrary. If $3,000 is within your budget -- and especially if you've always wanted tubes but exposed power tubes don't appeal and even a preamp is low on your list of must-haves -- the Consonance Droplet CDP 5.0 is one of those creations you must face to feel good about having done due diligence on your needs and what would best satisfy them.
While the digital output here is a de rigeur item, purchasing the Droplet as a stand-alone transport is sheer heresy. It pays for but then throws away the very reason you'd want this player in the first place - for its exceptional analog output stage and ability to render a preamp mute and passé. For sheer performance for the money, this player would deserve one of our carefully administered Blue Moon Awards. What precludes it at present is the transport issue and the lack of volume up/down controls on the chassis proper to prevent a misplaced or malfunctioning remote equating
with a shutdown of systems in which the Droplet controls playback levels. All in all, a mighty debut for Consonance's top-tier product category which has clearly taken lessons from US and European design to not only compete on price but now also firmly on luxury cachet and sonics. Besides the already launched Droplet turntable, expect a 6H30-based hybrid amplifier of about 120wpc and an El-34-based remote-controlled integrated at roughly 45 watts per channel.
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BY Internet:
I must agree with Bazza, as I have had my unit for only one week now, but am absolutely stunned at the beautiful sound that has been coming from my Gallo Ref IIIs via the Droplet, direct to a pair of Channel Islands Audio D-100 Class D amps. I am using the single-ended outputs and cotrolling volume via the Droplet's remote.
The first thing that struck me was the terrific portrayal of harmonic structure and tone. Second was the amazingly deep and articulate bass. Even after only about 120 hours, the player is so balanced ... to me, even now, it offers all the audiophile goodies - soundstaging, extension, detail and dynamics, all mated with a beautifully musical portrayal.
I will try to go a bit deeper after another week ... and will, early next week, be trying the combo with a Sonic Euphoria PLC
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It was only an interest in SACD that motivated me to begin a search for a new high definition player. I was not unhappy with my Meridian 588. In fact it has been a wonderful improvement over the BAT VK5 24-bit machine that it replaced.
During my research of SACD players I began to realize that purchasing one would necessitate replacing many of my cds with sacds not to mention that most of the new music that I buy is not available on the sacd format. Combining this with the recent news that there are 2 new formats coming I became convinced that finding the best PCM CD player would serve my needs best although I was worried that it would be difficult to better my Meridian (they have been in this business for over 20 year with Class A ratings and recommendations from many reviewers). I had read that upsampling creates good sound so it was on my list of features.
My research gathered data and reviews on Audio Research, Cary and many other manufacturers including Audio Opera from China. Knowing that many high end companies are having their products made in China I was confident that quality would not be an issue. Recently I replaced my Audio Research phono stage with one made in Hong Kong at 25% of it's price that blew it away so this added to my level of confidence with the far east manufactured Consonance Droplet 5.0. The Droplet was so uniquely good looking to me and the technical specs were equally impressive that it drew me in and I purchased it through Audiogon.com.
Before sitting down for this serious evaluation I burned the unit in for 200 hours. Initial sound was very good but after the break in it became excellent. I used the balanced XLR outputs for this review.
First off - the bass power and articulation struck me immediately. It was better than the Meridian and considerably better than the BAT. Rythmic power without bloat! Detail on string bass combined with a harmonic richness! It must be the over-built power supply and the 6H30 Supertubes.
This is not a rolled off tube unit. Dynamics in the high frequencies could have a bite when it was on the recording but never sounded "digital". Cymbals shimmer appropriately so never are projected forward in the soundstage like done on lesser machines. The detail retrieval is excellent. In fact it slightly bettered the CD Rom based Meridian 588 that was the best that I had heard before this. There is no grain at all.
The midrange exhibits such beautiful harmonics (not the distorted tube type) that I am drawn into the music with a feeling of warmth throughout my body.
Frequency balance is the best of any player I've heard. Before break-in the highs could be a bit strident but this disappeared after 200 hours. This perfect balance initially confused me as being a lack of dynamics. After critical comparison I realized that because the Droplet doesn't emphasize any particular frequency I had misjudged it. When I positioned the volume level appropriate to the type of music there was plenty of both macro and micro dynamics.
The soundstage width and height are on par with the Meridian and much better than the BAT. Images are pinpoint while maintaining a sense of "air" around them. Even more important than this to my ears is the decay of notes that has never been a strength of digital playback. The Droplet 5.0' decay is so close to an analogue LP that I wouldn't consistently be able to differentiate them. There is absolutely no noise from the tube output so the background is blacker than the solid state 588. Quite a feat for a tube unit. Must be those Russian made Supertubes!
What more can be said about the Consonance Droplet 5.0? It is stunningly beautiful and unique with state-of-the-art Sony top loading and Delta Sigma DACs, a super clock with ultra low jitter, over-built power supply and fully balanced 6H30 tube output. The sound is very musical without grit and grain or a sacrifice in detail retrieval. I can listen to this detailed and tranparent presentation for hours without any fatigue.
At less than 75% of the cost of the Meridian 588 and half the cost of the BAT VK 5 24-bit this is a bargain especially considering that it is a better machine overall. I know that this will be my last PCM player. I can now happily wait for the years that it will take for a new format, past SACD, to be adopted.
Highly Recommended to all lovers of music!
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I have now put over 250 hours on the Droplet 5.0 and it's soundstage has really opened up. I believe that break-in is complete. The bass is really outstanding. So much power and articulation. My Mirage BPS-400 subwoofer seems to have deeper notes to resolve. Considering that I love vinyl and normally find it less involving to listen to digital it says alot about the Droplet for me to admit that certain music I now prefer to listen to on it rather than my VPI Scout. This machine's performance is top notch and if made in the US, Canada or Europe would probably cost over $5000.00.Happy listening.
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elevato rapporto qualita'/prezzo: 
Questo funziona bene! low cost!
