Coda #8, Pass XA25, or Schiit Tyr to replace PS Audio M700

Congratulations on your new amplifier as a fellow Pass owner I think you made the right decision and will have many hours of listening pleasure with it.

@pryso I agree with you regarding my hearing (old) and amount of music over 17000Hz.  The data shows a draw of 0.5 Ohm dip at 17000Hz for my speakers and two different amps have had issues when the playback included sections above 17000 Hz.  The M700 put out a slight shrill (audio clipping) that annoyed me.  I believe the shrill started below the 17000 mark.  It could have initiated at 15500 Hz.  The Schiit Tyr actually blew a fuze (one side only) in the same music passage.  Fortunately these issues have led me to the XA-25 which is by far the best sounding amplifier I have ever owned.  I don't have to worry about it now.

@thriftyaudio, "the 0.5ohm above 17000Hz"!

How much musical information do you expect at that frequency?  It is higher than most instrumental overtones, so way above the fundamentals.  Also, you must have very good hearing if you are over 25-30 and can still hear that high in the range.

But then possibly if your music does include anything that high, an amp may make sounds of protest perceived at a lower frequency. ;^)

Regardless, nice to hear you found the XA-25.

Wow, am I amazed at what a difference the Pass Labs XA-25 makes compared to the Schiit Tyr, PS Audio M700, and others.  The soundstage is more of a wrap around rather than left to right or top to bottom.  The featured instruments (or voices) are distinct with depth on the stage.  

The only drawback I have is the max output with my inefficient, but amazing Acoustat 1+1 speakers, is 89 db measured at 3 meters (9-10 ft).  I use this measure since that is the prime listening location, although most of my critical listening is off to one side by three feet.  When I scale back the PS Audio Direct Stream Mk. 1 to 92, rather than 100, the peak is 86 db, but the sound is purer.  This is good for 99% of my listening.  Just can't crank it for the one or two parties of the year (then only for 30-60 minutes).  I can live with it.

The sweet spot is enlarged with this amp due to removing the speaker toe-in previously utilized.  I found the soundstage was improved without the toe-in.  This is a first.  I also lowered the sub active crossover to 80 db.  The XA-25 really bumped up the bass in the Acoustats.  The final adjustment was a -24db to the high and a -12 db to the subs.  A small but impactful difference.  The SPL Crossover really helped.  I am certain a JL CR-1 could provide similar results.

The XA-25 does run warm.  I have elevated it two inches and provide 6+" above and on all sides.  I turn it off over night, or when I am out of the house.

I thought I needed dual monoblocks for this type of soundstage.  It makes me wonder what this amp would do as dual monoblocks?  I believe I have my power amp for the next several years.  Thanks for all your thoughts and comments.

Congrats! I had XA30.8 the bass was big.  When I upgraded to X260.8 I actually had to change the interconnects as the bass was completely overpowering everything. When you’re changing amps it is a major impact to the sound of your system and might require cables changes as well as changes in speaker placement. Give the Pass amp a few days to settle and start playing with speaker placement. Pull them more into the room and consider bass traps. Room acoustics is something we often overlook but is an extremely important aspect of tuning a system. Good luck!

Received the XA25 this afternoon and connected it right away.  It is a used unit and I am the second owner.  OMG, so far this is amazing.  The bass control is so far beyond anything I have ever experienced with the Luxman 1040, NAD 7600, PS Audio M700, Nakamichi PA 7Aii, and Schiit Tyr.  I actually had to adjust the Rythmik F12SE subs to a lower crossover (from 100 to 80 Hz) and lower the gain on the subs.  The soundstage is beyond what I was hoping for and the separation of instruments is amazing.  Aaron Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man made me feel like I was in the 1st or second row center seat.  I know it is just a few hours, but wow!  This is better than anything I have ever listened too in any audio store.  

I will let the newness sink in and provide follow up later.  I also need to confirm the spectral analysis in correct.  The bass may still be a bit rich.  Time to play.

@sid-hoff-frenchman I think the fuse was due to the 0.5 Ohm issue at 17000 Hz playing at over 80db measured from three meters away.  The Schiit AI said the Tyr were not at match and the Aegir2 or Vidar could be better matches.  Without a response from Schiit I won't give them another chance.  

At least Nelson Pass has responded to every email I have ever sent to Pass Labs and the only product I had at the time was a licensed Stasis amp from Nakamichi.  I will put my trust in the Pass products.  He believes the XA25 will work well with the Acoustats and the Rythmiks.

If there is an issue, I believe Pass Labs will help me work through it.

@thriftyaudio That's too bad! I have always gotten a prompt response when I've reached out to Schiit. I don't know why you wouldn't have heard anything back. Also weird about the fuse issue. I hope the XA-25 turns out to be the ticket for you then.

@thriftyaudio Wrote:

Replaced the fuse and listened at lower levels for a few days.  Reached out the Schiit Audio six times by email without a response.  Spoke with their guy at the retail location north of LA and asked him to have someone call or email me.  He said he would pass my information along, but I have not received a response.  I wanted to find out if a different pair of amps from Schiit would do what I want.  Since they won't respond to my requests I can only do one thing.  The Tyr are being returned within the fifteen day return window and I am moving on.

I agree, in my opinion that will be the downfall of Schiit audio, poor customer service!

Mike

@deep_333 @sid-hoff-frenchman @erik_squires The Shrill went, but so did the Tyr.  Blew a fuse at 82 db from three meters away on day two.  The Tyr were very easy to listen to with decent instrument separation and a better stage than the M700.  

Replaced the fuse and listened at lower levels for a few days.  Reached out the Schiit Audio six times by email without a response.  Spoke with their guy at the retail location north of LA and asked him to have someone call or email me.  He said he would pass my information along, but I have not received a response.  I wanted to find out if a different pair of amps from Schiit would do what I want.  Since they won't respond to my requests I can only do one thing.  The Tyr are being returned within the fifteen day return window and I am moving on.

Just purchased a used Pass Labs XA25.  I have seen multiple reviews where it is suppose to be stable down to 0.5 Ohm.  I am concerned if it can fill my room.  If not, then I will need to flip it for something else.  Won't know till next weekend.

I really hope the XA25 works.  If not, then I may have to up my budget.

@deep_333

Thanks for the words regarding power conditioners. I have a great one, but may need to add a second. Still need to confirm draw at peak volume.

Regarding low ohm speakers. I have owned these speakers for 30 plus years (3rd owner). If you have never listened to true electrostatic speakers (not with a tweeter ribbon, or the abomination ones with a built in 15" driver) then you are truly missing out. The really good electrostatic speakers that I have had the opportunity to listen to have all been hard to drive. I suspect it is because of the variable ohm draw. Some speakers are just worth the extra effort to support their fantastic tone, speed, and presentation. The Tyr seem to be able to do it. I am certain the more powerful Pass Amps would do the same. The Nakamichi (Pass Stasis design) had no issue with the ohm draw. Definitely need to avoid class D with these speakers.

THANKS!

@sid-hoff-frenchman THE SHRILL IS GONE

Well the Tyrs are in place and so far so great.  Out of the box the sound stage expanded slightly (hoping for more), the instrument placing and detail improved nicely.  The high end shrill disappeared even at very high volume levels (won't be able to test completely at high volume for a few days).  There was a slight dip in bass, but I hardly noticed.  All of this is compared to the M700s. 

One thing that fooled me initially is the how loud they played.  I thought something was wrong because the volume was so much lower than with the M700.  The gain on the M700 is 30.5 and only 22 for the Tyr.  Once I adjusted for this then the comparison became clear.

I am letting the Tyr run continuously for a few days before getting more detailed.  I will also try out the higher end power cords I had to purchase for the M700 (their stock ones made my coffee maker cord look stout).  The Tyr folks say don't worry about the cord (The stock Tyr cords are heavy duty and well above most stock cords I have experienced).  

I have 15 days with the Tyr, but I believe they will be staying.  Just want to put them through the wringer right away.

@thriftyaudio , Now that you've learned your lesson, try and stay away from these Class D emperors with no clothes. Others in that list would be even some Class H crap with "shrill" SMPS, etc. If you don't see the big ol' transformer inside a power amp, run away.

Your TYRs would benefit a lot more from a power conditioner with transient current support, i.e. conditioners that hold a reservoir of current and supply it when your slamming music demands it (in addition to all the filters/clean up, surge protection, ovp, etc safety that it provides). Hence, put your money into such a conditioner, instead of expensive power cables..Plugging amps straight into the wall doesn't give you such things. The wall will also kill all your expensive things when surges and other power anomalies hit your house.

The power cable just needs to be triple shielded pretty good (or other forms of noise rejection deployed) so it doesn't leech any noise into your gear after it comes through the conditioner. So, look for something aftermarket better than the stock cord, but, don't throw all your money at it.

Here are some power conditioners at a few different price points, based on your wallet's capability.

- Audioquest Powerquest 707, 1300 dollars, 45 amps peak (reservoir on offer)

- Audioquest Niagara 3000, 3900 dollars, 55 amps peak (reservoir on offer)

- Audioquest Niagara 5000, 5900 dollars, 90 amps peak (reservoir on offer)

Hope that helps.

P.S.

Any speaker that dips down to 0.5 ohms is a problematic speaker that needs to be sent back to its daddy. In the future, don't accept such speakers as some kind of competent design from any Speaker Daddy, send him back to the drawing board. I'll spare the choice words for different Speaker Daddies who release such speaker designs. Speakers should not be dipping anywhere under 3 ohms (that's the minimum you should tolerate).

@thriftyaudio Glad to hear it! They really are crazy good outstanding amps. I think a lot of people ignore them because of the price or because they think of Schitt as some ‘discount-and-therefore-second-rate’ brand, but that is their loss. For power cords I have become a big fan of Ice Age Audio. Don Sachs recommended them to me originally and they really do make a difference. I’ve ended up converting all of my cable, i.e. power cords, enter connect, speaker cable to Ice Age wire. Worth considering if you’re in the market for other options. 

@sid-hoff-frenchman THE SHRILL IS GONE

Well the Tyrs are in place and so far so great.  Out of the box the sound stage expanded slightly (hoping for more), the instrument placing and detail improved nicely.  The high end shrill disappeared even at very high volume levels (won't be able to test completely at high volume for a few days).  There was a slight dip in bass, but I hardly noticed.  All of this is compared to the M700s. 

One thing that fooled me initially is the how loud they played.  I thought something was wrong because the volume was so much lower than with the M700.  The gain on the M700 is 30.5 and only 22 for the Tyr.  Once I adjusted for this then the comparison became clear.

I am letting the Tyr run continuously for a few days before getting more detailed.  I will also try out the higher end power cords I had to purchase for the M700 (their stock ones made my coffee maker cord look stout).  The Tyr folks say don't worry about the cord (The stock Tyr cords are heavy duty and well above most stock cords I have experienced).  

I have 15 days with the Tyr, but I believe they will be staying.  Just want to put them through the wringer right away.

@thriftyaudio Enjoy the Tyrs! I hope they are as satisfying for you as I have found them in my system. One important thing though - they take a good 1-2 weeks to fully settle in. For the first few days they were bass pussycats. The Aegir was thunderous in comparison bass-wise. Though honestly all the Schitt gear I've bought has gone through a break-in process, and things don't sound great all the time throughout it. But the bass (and all other freqs) did come in fully and wonderfully within a week or two. 

The Haflers that are modified by Musical Concepts may be a good option to try. I have an XL-280 with PA-7 boards running the mids and highs on the main system. A DH-200 with PA-4? Boards running mids and highs on a second system. Shrill free. The nails on a chalkboard thing is not something I enjoy….

Check out the Musical Fidelity M6si500.

Class A/B and 500W @8 ohms

Dual mono configure weighing in at 30KGS.

Fantastic bang for the buck IMHO

FWIW, I have owned both the Pass XA25 (two of them) and the Coda No.8 (V1). In my system the Coda was wholly superior to the XA25, especially in dynamic capability.

However, that said, I ultimately preferred the original Parasound A21 (not Plus which is actually inferior) to both of those amps. The Coda manages a little more detail and refinement than the A21, but the latter manages to drive my mid-efficiency speakers more effortlessly. There is level of dynamic ease and breadth to the A21 that I couldn’t get from the Coda. I did reach out to Doug about having the No.8 boosted to a V2 or V3 for the higher wattage (apparently the V1 outputs the most current of them), but he didn’t think I’d notice a difference unless my speakers were an 8-ohm nominal load. So I sold the Coda and bought an original Parasound A21 for the second time. I’ve been very pleased with the decision, especially when I am powering my Magnepan .7s.

My main speakers are Philharmonic BMR Towers and my front end is the Eversolo DMP-A8 streamer. The Eversolo helps to make up for the lack of treble energy the Parasound otherwise has with less transparent preamps/streamers. I consider myself a picky listener, yet I am very pleased with the synergy of this combo.

P.S. I felt the Pass and Coda also leaned warm, so they too benefit from a very transparent front end.

If decay is what you’re seeking and didn’t feel the Coda you auditioned managed enough decay, you might want to consider the Yamaha M-5000. It’s capable of exceptional decay IME, which I believe is largely attributable to its MOSFET transistors.

I have never read a bad BELLES review.....I own the Ares and it is a Very Musical amp.....Call Dave Belles in Rochester, NY. (POWER MODULES)

I think we heard the same things from the #8.  Techno is a funny and accurate way to describe it.  In the context of today, it sounds like AI generated instruments. 😄

@deep_333 I take it you like Schiit!

They sounded great, but the Schiit team has some concern regarding how the Tyr would match with system.  They actually believe the Vidar, used as mono blocks, would be a better option.  I was concerned the Vidar did not have enough umph. 

I brought the Tyr mono blocks home to see how they sound in my system.  If for some reason they struggle with the high end Ohm (0.5ohm) challenges then I will return them and give the Vidar a look.

I am now fairly certain the M700s are struggling with the 0.5ohm above 17000Hz.  The Nakamichi and the NAD did not struggle with it.  I do believe the 40 watt Luxman struggled with the same issue, but it was in a small room played at low to mid levels.  I didn't know what I didn't know.

So I get to play with the Tyrs for the next week or two.  I hope I love them.

@eugene78 thanks.  The room is large with 20' foot ceiling, 16' wide, and 30' long with another 15' behind the speakers with a half wall dividing the space.  The XA25 be too little of a good thing.  I would probably need the XA60.8 to do what I want.  Might be able to get them for $8k if I am lucky, but not certain I need them either.

Heard the Coda #8 today.  Looked nice.  I really wanted to like it.  The stage definition and instrument separation were great.  The sound seemed techno even on essentially acoustic pieces.  It might have been the Legacy Focus SE speakers.  Most everything seemed off.  The notes seemed to end abruptly without the natural decay I was expecting and anticipating.  Everything was accurate (extremely accurate) but the soul of the music was missing.  Maybe the Coda #8 would sound better with my speakers, but I would have to buy it, bring it home, and return it if I didn't like it.  I will do that for something that impressed me, but not for something that MIGHT.

TYR is incredible. I'd put that Schiit against stuff that costs 10 times or 20 times more. In fact....I already have.

TYR should be endgame for most, if you don't care about looks, that is. All hail the genius Schiit lords Jason Sto and Mike Mo.

How loudly do you like to listen and how big is your room?  XA25 may very well run out of steam given the sensitivity if your speakers if you like to crank up the volume and want some slam.  I have an INT-25 on rotation with Joseph Audio Perspectives at 84 db and things start to fall apart when I get into the 80s db SPL, and this is in my bedroom where I'm like 7-8 ft away.  Still a wonderful sounding piece of gear.  I used to run an XA25 direct from DAC and think it might be even better.  I'm a big fan of Pass Labs amps, but most of them are too heavy and run too hot for me.

Honestly I didn't like the Coda #8 much at all.  Sounded artificial and "glassy", for lack of a better term.  Plenty of power and control, however.  In fact, aside from the tone, I'd be hard pressed to criticize on specific sound characteristics.  Quite even handed and detailed with good imaging.  It just did not do it for me at all.  You never know how good something will be to your ears until you try.

Check out the Van Alstine monos, well within your budget or the SPL Performer S-1200 stereo amp, also within your budget. Stable down to 2 ohms!

@sid-hoff-frenchman you make some great points.  The XA30.8 is a close comparison to the XA25.  It sells for a bit more, but some seem to like the First Watt DNA for the XA25.  That the Tyr little brother won out says a lot.  I look forward to seeing them tomorrow.

Interesting statement on the KRELL. I no longer have the 2 units I owned so I cannot offer any long tern ownership history.

I am not sure if CODA hold value as a PASS, but I would take a CODA over a PASS for my preferences. CODA also seems rock solid.

@yyzsantabarbara I have been warned off Krell amps by a couple of respected friends who say there are issues with fan failure in the newer units.  There is one in Orange County offered for $4700, plus The Music Room is taking offers on new sealed units at $7999, which means they will go below that.  There must be a reason they are being offered used at less than half MSRP only four years after introduction.  I am comfortable with used, but would prefer to items that hold their value like Pass.  There is a used Coda #8 offered at $4200, but that is 2/3 of new price.  I can't find any Tyr on the used market.  Of course they are only a couple of years out since introduction.

The Aegir is a good amp and one I use for my RAAL SR1a headphones (with the new interface box). There is a slightly mechanical hum to it, but it is faint, and it does not come through the music.

The latest Aegir is supposed to have fixed that hum issue.

BTW - there was someone in the Bay Area trying to sell an KRELL Duo 175XD for a song, he had no box. I was thinking about driving up there to pick it up. I think that is a great amp and owned it before. It is in the CODA #8 price range MSRP.

@thriftyaudio I originally was running a single Schitt Aegir and was happy with it. But I was really curious about the Pass stuff, so I popped for the XA 30.8. There was a lot about the Pass that was great, but when I swapped the Aegir back in I was struck by how well it was holding its own against the 7x more expensive Pass. In the end I preferred the Aegir, all things considered. At one point I had my wife blind listen to the two amps back-to-back. She said "Ok, I can hear why that's the more expensive one." Turns out she was mistaken - it was the Aegir she was saying that about!

Anyway, I returned the Pass and happily sat on the money saved + the knowledge that I wasn't getting any "second rate" sound by any means. Quite the contrary - I now had the direct experience that the Aegir absolutely played with the "big boys" and absolutely held its own. I stuck with Aegir until the Tyrs came out. I jumped on a pair, and they ended up taking the new top spot and replaced the Aegir. 

The Schiit gear has a sweeter tonality and richness to my ear. The Tyrs are incisive and powerful without calling attention to themselves. They can swing for the fences when necessary while never losing their ability to sound musical. In a hobby where the running joke is the rabbit hole of never enough, I have no desire to change anything up.

I’m using the Orchard Audio StarKrimson Stereo Ultra V1 on Acoustat 3 Medallion. Orchard Audio is running an amp tour. Listen a week for free and pay shipping to next person. Sign up on their website. 

I also have a PS Audio S300. It isn't as detailed as the Orchard. Haven't hooked it up to the Acoustats. 

Thanks,

aldnorab

audiotroy thanks for the offer.  I am visiting a Coda dealer tomorrow in LA, as well as the Schiit dealer.

erik_squires I value your posts.  I often skip to see your thoughts on various questions here on audiogon.

However, the shrill on occurs with the M700s.  It did not happen with the Nakamichi and two different NAD units.  I did move the M700s to the TV room (AV room for the aficionados) and run it with the 3D Acoustics and the same shrill was apparent.  Totally different room (20'Wx12'Dx10'H).  The test was completed as a 2.0.  

The M700 did expose me to an improved soundstage and detail versus the Nak and the two NAD I currently have.  So, I am looking for a new power amp that will not have the shrill at the high end and will hopefully improve on the soundstage and detail the M700s present.

We are a Krell and Coda dealer

the krell xd amps are very liquid and we have a demo of the 300 xd and 175 as well as the coda so we can answer any questions you might have

Dave and Troy

Audio intellect NJ

Coda and Krell dealers

I'm a little worried your symptoms are that of an untreated room.  An amp with excellent high frequency extension may sound shrill if you have only reflective surfaces, or your speakers are toed in too much.  A number of excellent speakers need a lot less toe-in that audiophiles tend to use, and speakers too close to side walls may also sound far too shrill and bright.

@thriftyaudio

Before you give up on the M700s consider my experience with my LA4 and M700s which are in my end game system.

I have found the M700s to be very finicky and only perform best if they are getting the very best power. Otherwise they will sound thin/shrill. It is not the amps fault.

1. At first I plugged them into my Furman Elite 15PFi amplifier outlets which have current reserves for audio peaks. They were pushing the Furman past its performance specs and the amps let me know.

2. Next I plugged the amps into a PS Audio Ultimate Outlet, no longer available, with a Signal Cable Magic Power Cord and lived with it for many months even though it was pushing the UO to the limits of its performance. I was very happy the way this sounded not knowing better awaited.

3. When I realized I had an extra Audio Quest IEC 3US Power Cable Adapter, $40, I substituted it for the UO. Everything relaxed and beautiful tonality emerged along with all the sonic describers being enhanced.

Let me describe my setup as you may find something in the "thrifty" department to try:

1. Whole house surge protector > PS Audio wall outlet>

Signal Cable > AQ adapter > SC > M700 > MIT 2 Biwire > Carver AL III+ speakers.

2. Same wall outlet > SC > Furman > LA4 > Kimber Kable Hero XLR > M700.

The sound is sweet and transparent and wide and deep and Oh so involving.

Don't forget mechanical isolation under the M700s. I use 6 hockey pucks in stacks of 2 sitting on the chassis of each amp!

I second the VanAlstine amps....Great sound, Great Value...call Frank........

The Tyr will give you the best deal for your dollar since they sell direct to the consumer without the huge markup.

I have the Coda #8, and love it. Highly recommended. 

I owned 2 +2s and loved them BUT they didn’t float my boat with the interfaces. I picked up a couple their servo tube amps, but back then they weren’t stable. Eventually sold them, but maybe 5 years ago someone came along who refurbishes the amps and are said to be very stable. That said, check out Veri-Fi Audio LLC. They have a pure class A 40 watt stereo amp for $1599. Very popular. Now on back order, but it should be a great match

HTH

To further what @markprice said, PS Audio has a decent trade-in program for their equipment if you are moving up. Call them and see what they could do for you moving up to BHK's.

Hi

I owned the M700's and was impressed with them. When I upgraded to Kef Reference 5 speakers and a DCS Bartok streamer/Dac/Pre I naturally wanted to upgrade the amps. I went with the BHK 300's which I am very impressed with and will keep for many years.

They do have a tube input stage but they are quiet in operation. A bit out of your budget new but they are in reach on the used market maybe?

good luck, Mark

@thriftyaudio yes I am sure you must feel that way about your speakers! Another good amp choice for reasonable money is the Denafrips Apollo which is biased heavily into Class A; it runs hot, and it’s heavy as hell, I think around a 100lbs - but only $4.5K new delivered to your door. Sounds like a classic slightly warm muscular Class A/B amp, lots of headroom and current. But it’s made in China and has only 3 years of warranty, while CODA is manufactured in Sacramento CA and has a 10 year warranty. No experience with Krell so I won’t offer an opinion but the "word" is the company is back making very good amps again.

Musical fidelity the mx8i or the Gato dia 400s.

sid-hoff-frenchman The XA 30.8 are supposedly very similar to the XA25 but with a significant different build approach.  The XA25 is more like First Watt.  the 30.8 are on my long list.  What did you like about the Tyr pair over the 30.8, besides the cost?  Used 30.8 run $4-5k.  Can't find used Tyr, so they are $3.2k plus tax so around $3.5k.  In the ballpark.

The Schitt Tyrs are outstanding. I returned the Pass XA-30.8 in favor of the Tyrs. The hefty amount of money saved was a nice bonus. 

You might want to give the Krell amps an audition.   I use them in my electrostatic rig for some of the same reasons you cite.   I’ve got the K300i integrated, but for you the XD125 or 175 Duo should work nicely.   To my ears the Krells have a tube warmth yet with big solid state authority and control.

Hi, believe it or not I too have had the PS Audio M700 mono blocs. They were my 2nd venture into audio via desktop (yes, a desktop). 1st amp was a Schiit Vidar. The m700's were powerful but still class D amps. Take a risk, go class A or A-B. I have the Willsenton R8 with upgraded tubes, a kinky Studio EX M1 with upgraded op-amps, Schiit Freya+, Pontus II with upgraded board, and or, RME ADC II, DACS with a denafrips Iris, Bluesound node with upgraded power supply/board & or, Eversolo A6 (playing) and currently listening to monitor audio 50's all on a desktop. Point is, i have not looked back on the M700's with a sad face...    

kairosman The Acoustat 1+1 are truly unique speakers with the best tone I have ever heard other than from a live performance.  That, and they look like the monolith from 2001.  Research them a bit.  I had a pair of B&W Nautilus for a New York minute and definitely preferred the Acoustats.  I have a thing for speakers as scupture... and accurate sound reproduction.