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Gerätebeschreibung
Sharp / SM-SX100 (Gebrauchtgerät)
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| Produktgruppe: | Digital Vollverstärker |
| Funktion: | einwandfrei |
| Optik: | guter Zustand |
| Zubehör: | komplett mit OVP |
| Farbe: | Silber |
| Neupreis: | 16360 EUR |
| Alter: | |
| Garantie: | |
| Serien-Nr: | |
| Preis: | 3.599,00 EUR |
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| Beschreibung: | Maßstabsetzender Verstärker mit quasi-analoger SACD-Bitstream-Technologie.
Superneutral, impulsschnell und absolut klar - dabei zart und gefühlvoll. Erinnert an einen hochtransparenten Single-Ended-Röhrenverstärker, aber mit bis zu 2 x 180 Watt.
Der Lohn: 58 Stereoplay-Punkte, damit besser als die teuersten Accuphase, Burmester, usw...
1/04: "Der fantastisch edel verarbeitete Japaner, der das Bitstrom-Prinzip der SACD auf die Leistungsverstärker-Technik überträgt, vollzieht eine Synthese aus Transistor- und Röhrenklang. Er vereint Präzision mit äußerster Lebendigkeit."
AUDIOphiles Höchstbewertung: State of the Art, mit vollständig grünem Bewertungsbalken.
Weitere Supertests in englisch weltweit...
Noch höher hinaus geht es gebraucht erst deutlich jenseits der 5000 € mit getrennten Vor-Endkombis oder dem Krell FBI weiter.
Profitieren Sie von weiteren Vorteilen, wie dem vergleichsweise geringen Platzbedarf und niedrigen Stromverbrauch, sowie seinen zusätzlichen Digitaleingängen, welche DVD-Player, SAT-Tuner, usw. deutlich aufwerten. Auch Investitionssicherheit/Service ist gegeben.
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stereoplay-Auszug:
... Sorgte nun vor dem soweit klangerfahrenen Publikum ein im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes cooler, zunächst noch versteckter Flachmann für Furore, freuten sich die Tester zunächst über die vermeintlich famose Röhre. Irrtum! In Wirklichkeit spielte der welterste serienreife 1-Bit-Verstärker SM SX 100 von SHARP. Und er bewies, dass der High-Ender ... ab sofort auf eine neue Technik umsatteln kann.
Beim Hören wird es den meisten ergehen wie stereoplays nüchternem Laborleiter. „In jeder Schwingung, Falte und Maserung zum Drumrumfassen plastisch, und so lebendig pulsierend“, schwärmte Peter Schüller, „der Sharp bringt ja eine neue Bassqualität.“ „Und Piano, das kam noch nie so behend, so poliert, so glockenrein.“ Weil bei SACDs oder auch schon guten CDs nie etwas in Schärfe, sondern in Pracht ausartete, und weil jedes Klangfünkchen beliebig weit unversehrt dahinfliegen durfte, wurde den Hörern nicht kühl, sondern immer wärmer ums Herz.
... wie ein Präzisionsinstrument aufgebauter Sharp ...
... Dank des superben Wirkungsgrad von über 90 Prozent wird der SM SX 100 insgesamt höchstens handwarm und nie heiß. Aus dem Messlabor: Hohes Leistungsniveau bis 182 Watt pro Kanal an 4 Ohm. Günstig abfallendes Klirrsprektum; kein Netzstöreinfluss.
... traumhaft das Konzept ... ein quasi-analoges Signal – ohne jegliche störanfällige Spannungsverstärkerstufe – mit digitaler Präzision bis hin zu den Boxen zu übertragen ...
... konnten die Tester beim Sharp keine akustischen Nachteile entdecken. Er lief selbst mit dem Elektrostaten von Logan, dessen Impedanz bei 20 Khz bis auf 1 Ohm absinkt, hervorragend.
Gesamtwertung: Absolute Spitzenklasse, 58 Punkte.
Bis auf schiere Power ... neue Maßstäbe setzender Bitstrom-Verstärker. Völlig müheloser, luftiger und plastischer, bei der SACD-Wiedergabe noch verfeinerter Klang.
Preis/Leistung: SEHR GUT, bei 16.000 € (!)
Fazit: Weiss der Himmel, bei wie vielen Verstärkern der Tester schon Hurra und Heureka gerufen hat! Und mit Recht. Um den neuartigen Klang des Sharp SM SX 100 gebührend zu preisen, fehlen ihm nun fast die passenden Worte. Der High-Ender muss den 1-Bit-Verstärker probehören!
... Eingefleischte Röhrenverfechter haben es ja gewusst: Die guten Vertreter waren, wie jetzt die klangliche Ähnlichkeit mit den Digitalamps beweist, quasi ihrer Zeit voraus.
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AUDIOphile-Auszug:
Der SM SX 100 wird die Konservativen letztlich doch zur Verzweiflung treiben, denn er hört sich ohne Wenn und Aber fantastisch an.
... so sehr sieht sich der geneigte HiFi-Fan genötigt, bei einer guten Jazz-CD nicht nur Teile eines Tracks, sondern sie vom Anfang bis zum Ende und die nächste Scheibe und dann die nächste zu hören. Und dabei überkommt ihn die Lust, den Sharp weiter und weiter aufzudrehen, weil die Musik nie lästig wird.
... wunderschön harmonisch abfallendes Klirrverhalten ...
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Ein schweizer Magazin:
State of the Art
Wohin das Auge blickt, herrscht Freude. Die Front präsentiert sich sehr schlicht und übersichtlich. Die Gehäusequalität ist phänomenal ... Fast überflüssig zu sagen, dass alle Bauteile von höchster Qualität sind und der ganze Aufbau einen durchdachten Eindruck hinterlässt. Die Verarbeitungsqualität darf man denn auch getrost als State of the Art bezeichnen.
Definierter Klang
Bereits mit konventionellen, hochwertigen CD-Playern offenbart er einen Klang, der vom ersten Moment an fasziniert, begeistert und auch über längere Zeit zu entspanntem Hören führt. Das Geheimnis liegt hier in einer unerhörten Feinzeichnung über den gesamten Frequenzbereich.
Diverse zum Test zur Verfügung stehende Lautsprecher legten derart an Klangdefinition zu, dass man sie eine Qualitäts-Klasse höher einstufen musste. Absolut faszinierend ist die Stimmwiedergabe, welcher jegliche unnatürliche Kehligkeit fehlt. Die echten Klangfarben der Stimmen kommen voll zur Geltung.
Nicht nur sogenannte "audiophile" Hörer verliebten sich augenblicklich in den hervorragend definierten, und wunderschönen Klang. Auch Normalhörer ohne High-End-Ambitionen hörten relativ rasch die Vorteile dieses Digital-Amps und waren restlos begeistert.
... wenn es um die eigentlichen klanglichen Qualitäten geht, hat der Sharp die Nase stets weit vorne.
Während längerem Hören fiel weiter auf, dass man mit dem SM SX-100 deutlich leiser hören kann, als mit Vergleichs-Verstärkern und trotzdem das Gefühl hat "mehr Musik" zu hören.
Fazit
Klanglich gehört der SM SX 100 von Sharp klar zur Topklasse. Er zeichnet den Klang auch bei allerkritischsten und sehr komplexen Klangpassagen absolut lupenrein und mit unerhörter Auflösung und Schönheit. Es ist zu hoffen, dass diese wegweisende Verstärkertechnologie vermehrt auch in preisgünstigeren Geräten Verwendung findet.
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Internationale Userbewertungen:
- Bob Greeny
This is the best amplifier that I have ever heard. Neutral, dynamic and very musical. Drive everything without problems. This is a beautiful product and worth money.
Strengths:
Neutrality and dynamics
Weaknesses:
Absolutly nothing
Similar Products Used:
Tact Millenium, Classe CA 401, Krell 350 monos, Mark Levinson H33
- michel lee
...I"d never never hear a amplifier that is so hifi and fast and musicial ... nothing I feel bad ... I"m highly recommend to all hi-end hifi fans , SHARP is not only to make LCD and mircowave oven ...
Strengths:
more power ...
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Linn
- Martyn Thomas
I regularly attend HiFi shows and listen to all the HiEnd kit that I can. I had never heard anything to compare with this. I have a pair of Chord Pre and Power Amps which I used to think were very good. To be fair they are. n Wadia 301 front end and Esl 63"s with an REL storm III sub gives the system a chance to show off it"s paces. When I replaced the Chords with the Sharp Digital Amp. I was astonished. I did not know that a sound this good was available to a listener. I have ordered a replacement pair of Quad 989"s as I do not believe the ESL 63"s are good enough now. This is an incredible statement product from Sharp. They have introduced their new technology in a no expense spaired state of the art product that defies belief. Do you like NEUTRAL, valve like top end, only better!! Slam and dynamics like transistors, without their vices. This Amp goes loud. At volume level "75" out of a possible "128" the ESL"s are in danger of disintegrating as is the best china. The accuracy of reproduced sound is uncanniloy real. A friend who has a Musical Fidelity Nuvista Integrated Amp itself a well respected piece of kit agrees that the Sharp product has raised the ceiling of what is attainable with Hi Fi. He is a professional Opera singer of international repute. I know he wants one. Unfortunately they have been discontinued and are as common as rocking horse pings. So if you ever get to listen to one be prepared to feel extremely sad and disheartened. They are very difficult to track down and who would want to part with one. I am trying to locate another to put away as a spare in case the worst should happen and in a few years time a component failure reduces me to "normal" amplification again.
Strengths:
Transients, dynamics, treble, bass, slam, and everything musical is reproduced without distortion or colour or "extras".
Weaknesses:
Exclusivity might be a plus rather than a drawback. The Sharp Name on the box??
Similar Products Used:
Quad Pre Power Amps, Chord Pre Power Amps, Musical Fidelity Integrated
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1-Bit Digitalverstärker sind die "echten Digitalverstärker". Das Hauptelement des Digitalverstärkers ist neben dem Schaltverstärker ein Sigma-Delta-Modulator. Vereinfacht dargestellt erzeugt der Sigma-Delta-Modulator ein mit dem Eingangs-Audiosignal moduliertes 1Bit- Steuersignal, das direkt den Schaltverstärker ansteuern kann. Der Clou der 1-Bit-Technologie besteht darin, dass quasi die "analoge Seele" der originalen Schwingung immer im Datensignal enthalten ist. Dies steht ganz im Gegensatz zum normalen PCM-Multibit-System, wie es im digitalen Ausgangssignal herkömmlicher DVD-Player o.ä. Quellen verwendet wird. Hier wird ja die Signalschwingung abgetastet und in einen Puls Code transferiert, welcher den direkten Zusammenhang mit der Schwingungsform verloren hat.
So eignen sich 1Bit-Digitalverstärker besonders gut zum Anschluß von SACD-Playern, da deren DSD-Ausgangssignal (Direct Stream Digital) und das 1Bit-Format des Digitalverstärkers identisch sind. Beide arbeiten mit einer extrem hohen Abtastfrequenz von 2.8224MHz und 1 Bit. Es muss also nichts mehr gewandelt werden - eine Konvertierung ist überflüssig. Das Bitstream-Signal kann also idealerweise mit Lichtgeschwindigkeit vom SACD-Player, ungebremst durch irgendwelche störenden Manipulationen, bis zur Endstufe sausen.
Digitalverstärker bringen eine Menge Vorteile, auch wenn es sich nur um Schaltverstärker handelt. Gegenüber einer herkömmlichen Endstufe im Class-A oder Class-B Betrieb hat die Schaltendstufe einen Wirkungsgrad von über 90%. Das erlaubt schon bei kleinen Baugrössen eine hohe Leistung und geringes Gesamtgewicht, da Kühlkörper und schwere Netztransformatoren nicht benötigt werden.
Digitale Verstärker sind weniger träge als herkömmliche Class-A- oder A/B-Verstärker, was sich unmittelbar auf die Klangeigenschaften auswirkt.
Statt grossem zentralen Ringkerntransformator liefert ein aufwendiges kompaktes Schaltnetzteil den Strom. Damit reduziert der Verstärker radikal die Bauhöhe. Mit dem Bitstreamverfahren, wie es bei der neuen SACD (Super-Audio-CD) eingesetzt wird, hat der Sharp rechnerisch dieselbe Genauigkeit wie der TacT Millenium. 2,8 Megahertz Arbeitsfrequenz mit einem Bit lassen sich aus allen digitalen Formaten verlustfrei direkt herleiten - ob von DVD, CD oder SACD. Auf der Rückseite findet man für alle digitalen Normen entsprechende Eingangsbuchsen, aber auch Analoggeräte wie z.B. ein Radio können direkt angeschlossen werden. Bei konstanter Versorgungsspannung liegt die Lautstärke verschlüsselt in der Dichte der Impulse, 2 x 175 Watt können abgegeben werden. Das Schaltnetzteil und eine interne digitale Gegenkopplung sorgen für eine völlig entschlackte, kristallklare Wiedergabe, transparent und impulsschnell.
Amerikanische Tests
STEREOPHILE:
Why would a sharp mind offer a $15,000 integrated digital amplifier to a reviewer who has been characterized in the audio press as the "self-proclaimed Analog Messiah" and a "hyper-Luddite"? That's the first question a self-centered reviewer asks himself. Yours might be: "A $15,000 integrated amplifier from...Sharp?" Yes. The company that failed to crack the upscale video-monitor market a few years ago with its Optonica line (but now is very successful with expensive SharpVision LCD home-theater projectors) has hopped on the last train to Krellsville with this gorgeous, revolutionary, but unlikely product aimed at...um, aimed at...well, at whom is Sharp aiming the SM-SX100? And what kind of gold does a mass-market company think it can mine from the specialty-audio killing fields?
New technology is always fun to cover. What really got me going here was the 1-bit/2.82MHz sampling rate of the SM-SX100's A/D converter and the 2.82MHz Direct Stream Digital input for SACD playback. The A/D converter is, in effect, a DSD encoder, and I thought it would be interesting to hear how vinyl sounded sampled—as an analog master tape would be for an SACD reissue. Sharp offered to lend me a prototype of their DX-SX 1 SACD player equipped with an SACD bitstream output jack, so I'd get to hear DSD about as direct and pure as possible: off the disc and amplified as a 2.82MHz digital-domain bitstream.
It's unlikely that Sharp embarked on the high-tech, high-cost SM-SX100 project because it coveted a power seat at the high-end audio table. After all, to make a profit, a company the size of Sharp must feed at the mass-market trough. So what's behind this sexy-looking, beautifully built, upscale product?
Clearly, the 100Wpc SM-SX100 is a promotional tool. It makes an "image statement" about what Sharp is capable of producing, and showcases an exciting new amplifier technology. You can bet that Sharp plans to use this technology in less expensive future products—and, more important, license it to others. Still, the vibe I picked up from the Sharpies indicates that the SM-SX100 is a real-world product, and that Sharp would be happy to sell a boatload of 'em to well-heeled early adopters.
Maybe I got to review the SM-SX100 because I live just down the road from Sharp. Whatever the reason, I was thrilled to get it, though the 12' cable run between the amplifier and preamp/sources in my setup makes reviewing an integrated amp awkward.
The Skin
The amp's dramatically Deco-ish looks are self-evident, but a photo can't convey the cool, sleek, solid feel of this compact 40-lb product. The rear panel tells you Sharp is serious: there are two pairs of ultra-high-quality WBT speaker binding posts, five digital inputs including ST link glass-optical and TosLink optical, BNC (true 75 ohm) and Neutrik RCA coax connectors, and an SACD bitstream input jack. Analog ins include two pairs of Neutrik RCA jacks (Neutrik female jacks have the same neat, spring-loaded "safety" ground rings as the male plugs) and a pair of XLR analog ins. There's a TosLink digital out and a pair of Neutrik analog outs—and, of course, an IEC AC jack. The front panel is 7/8"-thick aluminum, with a V-shaped, green-tinted acrylic window wedged in the center above the amplifier's one and only knob: a large volume control. There's a pushbutton On/Off switch and an array of seven blue LED input buttons. Switch the amp on and it defaults to the SACD DSD bitstream input. Blue LEDs indicate the ed source and a blue numeric display in the plastic window indicate volume settings from "0" to "128."
The angled side panels, finished in an ebony composite, form integral pointed feet. (The SM-SX100 is also made in Cocktail Blue and Peacock Green, but Sharp America imports only the black.) Near the center rear of the chassis bottom is a more familiar-looking conical point. Sharp provides spacer cups on which to set the amplifier.
The Guts
The SM-SX100's internal construction includes separate power-supply and 1-bit sections to minimize noise interference, hand-picked parts including gold-plated connectors and metal-film resistors, a gold-plated wire-brush volume pot, a copper-plated chassis, and gold-plated, oxygen-free-copper PCB traces.
I was honored to have Mr. Kiyoshi Masuda, the SM-SX100's chief of design, pay a visit to explain how it all works. Unfortunately, Mr. Masuda's technical brilliance far outweighed his command of English, and my mathlexia kept me from understanding and digesting the voluminous technical and conceptual information he threw at me, most of which dealt with the principles of delta-sigma modulation (1-bit digital encoding) and the SM-SX100's operation.
Fortunately, through a series of e-mails that included diagrams, I later (much later) came to understand how delta-sigma modulation works and how it is used in digital-domain amplification in the SM-SX100.
The heart of the Sharp amplifier is a delta-sigma analog/digital converter running at a very high frequency, 2.8224MHz or 64Fs, where Fs is 44.1kHz. It is not coincidence that this sample rate is the same as that used in the DSD encoding used in Sony and Philips' Super Audio CD system. John Atkinson covered the theory behind delta-sigma conversion in his sidebar on DSD in the November 1999 issue (pp.96-97).
In very simple terms, rather than use a conventional multibit PCM quantizer to describe the level of the analog signal at each clock instant, a 1-bit quantizer merely outputs a "1" if the signal is positive-going, a "0" if negative-going. The raw output of this quantizer is an ultra-high-frequency stream of codes corresponding to the amplitude of the signal, but with very high quantizing noise and very low resolution. A high-order noiseshaping feedback loop around the quantizer—Sharp uses seventh-order noiseshaping—is therefore used to increase the audioband resolution and push the vast majority of the quantizing noise above the audioband and up to the RF region. All of this circuitry is built into a single chip in the SM-SX100.
The DSD input goes directly to the seventh-order delta-sigma modulator chip, as do the analog signals. Multibit PCM signals from CD, DAT, or DSS satellite dishes (44.1, 48, or 32kHz) are sample-rate-converted into 1-bit datastreams by a Philips chip. According to the service manual, before being routed to the chip, analog and digital signals pass through separate sections of a double-ganged high-quality volume-control potentiometer that adjusts the levels of both stereo analog and digital bitstream voltages.
The bitstream output of the delta-sigma chip directly drives the SM-SX100's output stage, called by Sharp a "1-Bit Amplifier." Apparently a pulse width modulation (PWM) stage, this consists of four power-MOSFET switches controlled by a crystal-controlled driver. These MOSFETs switch between the ±32V power-supply rails, with the timing controlled by the input data. The more 1s in the input data, the longer the switches stay open at the positive voltage; the more 0s, the longer they stay open at the negative voltage. The service manual is coy about the actual switching frequency used by the output stage; according to the specification, it appears to be the same as the delta-sigma chip's 2.822MHz.
In such a circuit, the voltage rails apparently tend to droop below ±32V if there is an accumulation of either 1s or 0s. So the Sharp design uses a feedback loop between the power-switching circuit's output and the input of the delta-sigma chip. This adjusts the value of the data to compensate for any voltage in the output signal. The output of the amplifier at this point is still a ±32V pulse train, which, if fed directly to the loudspeakers, will results in high levels of RFI. The MOSFET stage is therefore followed by an initially gradual-sloped passive low-pass filter. While this filter's passband can theoretically be half the sampling frequency, or 1.41MHz (as 44.1kHz-sampled PCM's is 22.05kHz), in actuality a 100kHz passband is chosen as sufficient to reproduce any sound, musical or otherwise, while minimizing the switching noise. The filter's output then drives the loudspeakers directly. And that's it!
The Glory!
So you have a compact, cool-running (Sharp claims one fifth the heat production of a conventional analog amplifier), energy-efficient (half the power consumption), 100Wpc amplifier with a rated frequency response of 10Hz-20kHz at full output and a bandwidth of 5Hz-100kHz, +1dB/-3dB.
Hookup was straightforward. I connected the Sonus Faber Amati Homage loudspeakers and Audio Physic Rhea subwoofer, the SACD player Sharp provided, the analog output of the Audio Research Reference phono section, set the SM-SX100's impedance switch to 4 ohms, switched the unit on...and began listening.
So how did it sound?
In a word, amazing. Even digitizing analog? Yes. There was nothing digital-sounding about the SM-SX100. If this technology sounded any different from a good analog amplifier, tube or solid-state, it was in its transient and dynamic performance. Both were both stunning, especially in the rendering of bass microdynamics.
The SM-SX100 sounded fast, but not zippy or thin. High-frequency transients—cymbals, vocal sibilants—were just where you'd want them: naturally smooth, yet exceptionally detailed and convincingly non-mechanical. Shakers, gourds, bells, plucked strings—all had breathtaking clarity and detail, and no etch.
If "digital" conjures up "ringy," "glazed," "airless," "flat," "suffocating," "confused and confusing," and the rest, forget them. They had nothing to do with this amplifier. The SM-SX100 sounded open, airy (when the source material was), and, for the most part, transparent. Playing very familiar tracks like Nat Cole's "When I Fall in Love," from DCC Compact Classics' LP reissue of Love is the Thing, I was struck by the exceptional fluidity and coherence of Cole's voice. I've heard it darker and warmer in the chest and simultaneously more etched in the vocal cords, but the Sharp's presentation was about as "apolitical" and neutral as I've heard. And his voice, while oversized due to the mix, was presented in as solidly three-dimensional a picture as I've heard it. There are a few extremely deep microphone pops on the track; the Sharp's portrayal of them was about as convincing as I've heard that familiar studio glitch.
Massed strings? Solo violin? Female vocals? With these, the SM-SX100 was fast and delicate, rhythmically lithe, and harmonically proper and convincing—but don't expect the bloom and delicacy of a top-shelf tube unit. The effortless extension will sound too bright for some ears, though I doubt anyone will come up with "hard" as an adjective to describe the amp's high-frequency performance.
But, as I found out when I played Classic Records' LP reissue and an original of Jascha Heifetz's RCA Living Stereo recording of Bruch's Scottish Fantasy, the SM-SX100 did an outstanding job of reproducing the grit of bow on strings, and rendered the silky upper register with impressive subtlety. It never sounded harsh, grainy, or brittle, though the effortless top-end extension let me know what was happening with the recording and associated equipment.
Two of the Sharp's most impressive qualities were its image solidity and three-dimensionality, probably due to its pitch-black backgrounds and sure-handed portrayal of low-level bass dynamics, and its remarkable overall bass performance. And, of course, with the quiet and bass extension, you can be sure the amp's soundstage delivery is as big and deep as the recording allows. Live recordings, like Premonition/Blue Note's new 180gm vinyl edition of Patricia Barber's Companion, were presented with all of the air and space you'd want, and the image focus and solidity that give that sense of "thereness" in your listening room.
The SM-SX100 didn't need to be turned up to sound "alive." Yet when I did crank it, it never hardened or glazed over. Still, I found myself using my SPL meter—I frequently turned the volume up way too high because the amp sounded so good, and behaved so well when asked to deliver high SPLs. At high levels, the top end did get to be a bit much, but that will happen with any amplifier. What didn't happen with the Sharp was dynamic compression, image smearing, or flattening—though, of course, the Amati Homage's sensitivity is about 93dB. The SM-SX100's volume control goes to 128. I never took it above 45. So much for LP. What about SACD? The Sharp takes the SACD bitstream directly in and amplifies it in the digital domain, so you'd expect the sound to be amazingly pure and transparent.
It was. I auditioned all the SACDs I could get my hands on, including Mobile Fidelity's hybrid of Duke Ellington's Blues In Orbit, and Sony's discs of Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain and Kind of Blue. The results were transcendent. I've heard SACD criticized for being too airy and open—as if that was an artifact of the process and not part of the recording. I don't know if I can agree with that after this audition, in which I A/B'd the Classic LP and Sony SACD of Sketches of Spain. Yes, both were digitized—one before being etched in polycarbonate, one in the SM-SX100—but even taking that into account, they sounded remarkably similar.
In the end, I preferred the SACD to the LP—it was slightly quieter, purer, more three-dimensional. In fact, it was the best playback of Sketches I've heard. I turned the lights out and listened all the way through without growing bored. The amp's rendering of the castanets was absolutely riveting.
The necessity of the extra step of converting PCM sources to 1-bit was somewhat troubling, but of course that can be avoided by using your CD player's analog output, which would then be DSD-encoded by the Sharp's delta-sigma modulator. I ran the analog, PCM, and SACD outputs of the prototype DX-SX 1 SACD player Sharp lent me into the SM-SX100. The amp's input switching is configured to route both the SACD digital and analog outputs to the SACD or button on the front panel so you can listen to SACD or CD without switching inputs.
While playing regular CDs, I A/B'd the player's PCM output (which first had to be converted to 1-bit before amplification) with its analog output, which was then DSD-converted directly, and found the PCM version slightly softened and muted compared to the DSD-converted analog. If I owned the SM-SX100, I'd avoid converting PCM to 1-bit.
Conclusion
I approached the $15,000 SM-SX100 with anticipation, excitement, and deep skepticism. I was eager to hear a new technology, but how much fun would it be listening to vinyl through a digital lens, no matter how good? How long would it be before I sensed I was missing out on all that my turntable, cartridge, and phono section were capable of delivering? I wondered whether Sharp was capable of delivering high-end sound through this—or any—new technology. To the best of my knowledge, Sharp, unlike Sony, had never even tried.
I kept the amp in my system for over a month and never felt like taking it out. I never did feel like taking it out. The SM-SX100 drew the best performance out of the Sonus Faber Amati Homages that I've heard yet—especially in terms of bass extension, dynamics, and control—though the Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300 is clearly in the same league. But while I love the Amati, it's not the most neutral or analytical speaker out there; how the Sharp will fare with a "flatter" speaker—or with your speaker, whatever it is—I can't say.
For the first time ever, if you can believe it, I actually liked the idea that the analog signal from the Audio Research Reference phono section was being digitized. I felt that it was being "archived" in real time, as DSD technology was originally intended to accomplish. There would be no further degradation as the signal moved through the reproduction chain. At least, that's how I felt while listening to music.
If you're a tube guy or gal, you might find the SM-SX100 a bit dry and lacking in harmonic complexity and bloom in the upper midrange, a bit dry in the mids, and maybe even somewhat aggressive on top, especially on bright-sounding recordings. But I don't think you'll be less than impressed by its micro- and macrodynamic performance, by its rhythmic swagger and ease, by its exceptionally solid imaging, accomplished transient delivery, or overall coherent sonic performance. This is an exciting product to listen to over the short or long hauls. And if you take the time to listen at very low levels, you'll be amazed at how the amps hangs together rhythmically where many just sort of ooze.
Too bad it doesn't have a few more analog inputs. Anyone with a turntable, a tuner, or other analog sources who uses the amp with a Sharp SACD player—or any other future brand that might include an SACD out jack—and who wishes to get the best CD performance, will be continually fumbling with interconnects.
But the look, feel, and build quality of the Sharp SM-SX100 are up there with anything I've experienced in the High End. It was a pleasure to use as well as to listen to. If you're the kind of audiofool who needs to have an impressive nameplate on your gear and the Sharp logo doesn't quite do it for you, go away. If Sharp keeps building products like this, you'll be back.
linearity error plotted against absolute level is shown in fig.9. This error is very low down to -90dBFS, but then increasingly becomes positive due to the presence of noise.
—John Atkinson
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AUDIO-REVOLUTION
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Evaluation
So, do the theoretical and technical claims bear out sonically in a real world environment? In a word, YES! I found using the SM-SX100 to be an extraordinary and unexpected experience. The level of performance on all source material went well beyond any other amplifier I’ve had the opportunity to review or use on a long-term basis. It is one of those rare products that raises the bar so high that it is like listening to a good quality system for the first time. You'll want to hear what all your favorite recordings sound like on it.
For the main part of my evaluation, I was using Revel Performa F30 speakers. Now, before you go, "Oh, well, maybe it was just the speakers," I had originally hooked up the SM-SX100 to the Monitor Audio Silver 4s that I reviewed last month. I was knocked out of my chair. If you thought I liked the speakers before, had I reviewed them with this amp, I would have been crying. It was like listening to a completely different speaker system. The high frequency response was tighter, more robust and the dynamic range expanded twofold. I knew the Revel Performa’s were being delivered any day and my excitement level went up 110 percent.
Once I hooked up the Performas. the first thing that struck me was that I could stand directly in front of the speaker with the amplifier powered up and I heard…nothing. Right off the bat, the noise floor was next to nil. Only when I put my ear right up to the driver could I hear a very faint and distant hum.
Starting with the 20-bit recording Gravity (Narada Equinox) from neo-flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook, the tracks "Falling from Grace" and "Into the Dark" exhibited unparalleled depth with real to life reverberation. Not only are instruments three-dimensional, but every nuance of the instruments’ acoustical properties is out front, such as fingers on the guitar strings and the distinct vibration of the strings themselves. Each note is clear and articulate, even on fast arpeggios.
As I am not a big listener of classical music, I rarely listen to an entire composition. Mostly I listen to classical discs when reviewing products in order to provide a well-rounded assessment on all types of music. The perfectly pure and resonate cello from Yo-Yo Ma’s recording of "The Protecting Veil" by John Tavener (Sony) was so beautiful and soothing that I couldn’t turn it off, even after making my evaluation. The dynamic range of the first movement in this piece reached levels I’d more likely equate with a movie soundtrack.
The SM-SX100 goes beyond reproducing sound with an accurate tonal balance. What is even more remarkable is how this amplifier has the ability to convey the emotion and intensity of the music, allowing you to forget about the mechanics of sound reproduction and just enjoy the performance. That’s a real plus for me because, as a reviewer, I get all caught up in how something sounds and often forget about just sitting back and listening.
TakaDake is an Asian group that plays only percussion instruments made out of bamboo. On the 20-bit Asian Roots (Denon) CD, John Neptune Kaizan adds his bamboo flute (shakuhachi) to the mix. The tonal differences, as well as the various resonate qualities, of these bamboo instruments is about as realistic as you could ask for from a recording. The instruments are alive and vibrant. There is a very natural sense of performance space.
Inva Mulla Tchako’s extraordinary performance on the track "Lucia Di Lammermoor" from the Fifth Element movie soundtrack (Virgin) reveals a voice with exceptional clarity and presence. The dynamics of her voice are chilling and the tonal quality remains uncolored as she moves up the scale. In "The Diva Dance," her voice is altered electronically to indicate an ability to vocalize beyond human capabilities (since her character is alien, we can believe this). Each note was so transparent that the "real" notes just popped out because they had a certain resonance that could not be emulated by the flat digitized notes. While this probably detracted from the desired effect, to hear each note so sharply was breathtaking.
Janet Jackson releases some of the most rich and well-produced pop tunes of any recording artist. The SM-SX100 reveals the detailed and intricate layers off the tracks from The Velvet Rope (Virgin) with astounding precision and accuracy inside a well-defined and expansive soundfield. This amp rocks and pumps up the jam as good as any ultra-heavyweight amp of 200 watts or more. Bass response on "Go Deep" is fast and the resolution is really tight and expressive. It is as bone-rattling as a disco, without the distortion and excessive boom associated with those types of systems.
Conclusion
It’s pretty clear that this amp isn’t going to be flying off the shelves, no matter how impressive the sound. The real value is the promising performance from future amplifier products for various applications at a wide variety of prices. While I was told that several different types of products were in development, the only ones Sharp is talking about are the 50-watt SM-SX1 amplifier and companion DX-SX1 SACD player (which can also be couple to the SM-SX100). Both are ultra-compact and would easily fit on a shelf or desktop. The price for the combo is targeted at $7500 and scheduled to ship in July (although that could ). The DX-SX1 SACD connects to either the SM-SX100 or SM-SX1 amp for a direct bitstream coupling.
I’ve listened to a fair share of high-powered amplifiers and most have some sort of sonic characteristic that is their own, be it good or bad. The SM-SX100 adds nothing, nor takes anything away. It is just a conduit for the original recording, unaltered and unprocessed.
Call your local dealer and see if they carry the Sharp one-bit amplifier so that you can experience first-hand what will likely be the wave of the future. Digital amplifiers will ultimately replace their analog counterparts as surely as the CD player replaced turntables and DVD has replaced Laserdisc.
by Kim Wilson
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Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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Performance
A number of people listened to this amplifier, including myself, my wife, Jason Serinus, and some professional speaker manufacturers. The opinion was universal. The SX100 is an awesome-sounding product. It does not have a "solid-state" sound or a "tube" sound. It is the most neutral sound I have yet heard from an audio product. That does not mean I prefer it over everything else, but just that it does not have a defining characteristic.
For the tests, I used an Audio Alchemy transport, Magnepan speakers, and Nordost cables.
We listened to everything we could get our hands on . . . classical, popular, movie sound tracks. I could not find anything that challenged the SX100 beyond its capacity. And that was with Magnepans, which are not the easiest loads to drive. The soundstage of Rachmaninoff was impeccable (Rachmaninoff for Romance - Philips 446-851-2). The voicing of Barbra Streisand (Barbra Streisand - Higher Ground - Columbia - CK66181) and Celine Dion (Celine Dion - Collector's Series - Volume 1 - Sony Music) was articulate, yet delicate. Andrea Bocelli's "Verdi" soared (Andrea Bocelli - Verdi - UMG - 289-464-600-2). Sarah Brightman's (Sarah Brightman - La Luna - Angel Records - 7243-5-56968-2-3) soprano pierced the clouds. All the while, center soundstage was maintained perfectly.
The new CD of "Lord of the Rings" is a scary piece of music. If the rosin of the strings is not heard though, some of the impact is lost. The hair on my arms and neck was appropriately raised with the Sharp.
In the classical orchestra arena, symphonies were full bodied and detailed. Piano stood clearly with orchestra in concertos, such as Mozart's "Piano Concerto in B flat" (Philips - 400-018-2). Chamber music spread the full stage between speakers, with each instrument delineated in its proper position (Palladian Ensemble - Trios for 4 - Linn - HON-CD-5050).
Hour after hour of listening never resulted in fatigue. This is not an easy feat in digital audio. And if it sounded this good with the digital output of our conventional CD player, I can imagine what it would sound like with the Sharp SACD player's digital out (John Kotches is testing that player right now).
Conclusion
I have to admit that I went into this review not thinking that the Sharp SM-SX100 would sound like $16,000 worth of audio. Well, it does, and everyone else who heard it agrees with me. And, when you take into account that a high-performance DAC, preamp, and power amp, along with all the interconnects, could easily cost more than $16,000, and not sound as good because of a mismatch somewhere, the Sharp becomes a must-audition.
- John E. Johnson, Jr. -
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Land :
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Deutschland (29000) |
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Zahlungsmethoden :
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Barzahlung bei Abholung, Überweisung, |
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Versandoptionen :
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Käufer zahlt Versand , Versand International |
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Angebot gestartet :
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31 Jul. 10 / 15:56 |
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Angebot verlängert :
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31 Jul. 10 / 15:56 |
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Angebot endet :
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29 Sep. 10 / 15:56 |
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Angebots-ID :
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2542192908 |
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