An evening with Walter Kircher
MONO AND STEREO HIGH-END AUDIO MAGAZINE
Mono and Stereo event with Walter Kircher presenting Accustic Arts, Totem and Symposium Acoustics.
Location: Ubiq-Vklop shop in Ljubljana, Slovenia
www.walterkircher.com
Matej Isak. Mono and Stereo ultra high end audio magazine. All rights reserved. 2006-2013. www.monoandstereo.com. ..:: None of the original text, pictures, that were taken by me, links or my original files can be re-printed or used in any way without prior permission! ::..
www.walterkircher.com
Finally we came to to meet and organise a long planned event at Vklop-Ubiq. It was Accustic Arts, Totem Acoustic and Symposium Acoustics Audio night. It was a great chance for me to get more deep into products from all three companies.
I choose the Igor Kante Vklop-Ubiq premises for an obvious reason. There is not a place I know that suits better for high-end presentations as his showroom. It reflects Igor's passion and feeling for aesthetics in the complete unique aura of the space and radiate with the character.
Accustic Arts products are made in Europe. From a European buyer perspective they are priced very reasonable as the same products cost sometimes twice in the Asia due to the high import taxes and duties.
For example the integrated amplifier we had chance to hear cost around 5600 EUR. Now for that kind of finish and quality and especially made in Europe you would usually have to pay 2-3 times the price.
All Accustic Arts products are strictly made in Europe, made in Germany.
The finish is impeccable and the quality of finish reminds me clearly on the dedication that only few companies take. For example another legendary German brand Burmester.
Accustic Arts is on the market more then 16 years and the brand established quite a following abroad.
We discussed with Walter on many topics, but I wanted to hear more about company policy towards customer care, dedication, design and where the products are made. In this day and age I see a strong demand of products Made In Europe. Times have changed and high-end audio seems to be clearing out the paths of the past. Nowadays people starts seeing high-end again like and investment and not a mare quick instant buy.
Accustic Arts take all the dedication in each product and keep the records not only for every single product, but also for the some of the components and PCB being used. In that way that can offer a full support to each and every product.
Walter presented the whole setup what I call a balanced system. Very stylish Totem Element Metal floor-stander speakers take some efforts to show their best, and Walter combined the components into a holistic system approach.
It was great to finally hear TUBE DAC II MK2 including brandnew asynchronous USB: http://accusticarts.de/pages/en_tube-dac_ii.html that was fed digitally by a laptop with JRiver and HD files. All was powered by the POWER I MK3 (the big integrated amplifier). Accustic Arts DRIVE II: http://accusticarts.de/pages/en_drive_ii.html with its top loading mechanism is a looker and something i would mind keeping in my system to show off.
TUBE DAC II MK2 is a complex machine with hybrid output that brings both needed attack and analog presentation. Very capable, musical and stylish package. Second the digital 32 bit processing power horse inside the unit works with 2 complete separate data lines on right and left channel - so no short time delay as usual between channels has to be corrected. Perfect timing.
Totem Element Metal floorstander speakers that are flagship speaker of highest Element range have no active or passive cross-over parts in the woofer section. This brings a coherent presentation with the sound that can potently and musically fill the normal sized rooms. They can be all rounders, but I especially appreciated their ability to portray acoustical live music.
There was enough time to test Symposium platforms and rollerblocks. I loved the effect and I was hooked . I'll try the Symposium accessories soon in my home setup.
It was a great day to exchange opinions and elaborate on many topics. Walter mileage in high-end gives him a great insights into how to make things in right way.
I liked the system approach that Walter showed. It's a best way to present components in a balanced setup that's controlled and can present music in most intimate way.
Walter loves the music and it shows. When someone's urge in high end audio is a musical presentation, then all benefit. In this way a skilled person with real passion will push forward the needed to execute the best possible within given circumstances and potency of each single component.
It was great to see Walter not only as repesentitive of Accustic Arts, Totem and Symposium but also as a messenger of high end that is on constant move through the shows, presentations etc. We both agreed, that is a time for a cultural part of highend. We need to bring the high end reproduction to more people that love and cherish music. And our joint venture is a start of what we believe its a right path.
Accustic Arts resemble a true German design and quality one can spot even at the first eye glance. High end products became an important part of our lifestyle and design matters more then it was ever before since we mostly share our listening spaces with our relatives. And... Our aesthetic demands grew on the larger scale in past few years.
It was great to hear the fantastic products and share our thoughts with others.
We agreed on the need to organise something similar soon.
Thanks Walter.
