
FORTE 150
Quality and Power = FORTE
DESIGN AND HEART OF THE MATTER
MUSIC
I was surprised when I played the first few songs through the Auris Audio Forte 150 power amplifiers. The absence of archaic, warmish, and saturated sound imprints proved to be a refreshingly-positive experience. I’m always enliven when the audio designer chooses the so called 21st century sound orientation. We have more then enough slowish, mellow, saturated and warm tube amplifier on the market!
Songs such as “Land of the Midnight Sun” by Al Di Meola and Jeff Beck’s “Air Blower” and “You Know What I Mean” might appear as standard yet, when played over the balanced system, are of mammoth quality and they were great “show” opener for the Auris Audio monoblocks.
By passing this entry point with I’ve moved further to broad selection of musical material. Here are few of the albums used during the Forte 150 evaluation…
Itzak Perlman – Paganini 24 Caprices
Its a never-ending discussion when it comes to rendition of the Paganini’s 24 Caprices. Some swear to Michael Rabin, others to Midori etc. Itzak Perlman’s tone and execution works correlate with me at certain plane. Its an album, that is both pleasurable to listen as it plausible sonic wise.
There is no reserve mode when it comes to the articulation and speed of Perlman playing. Especially with keeping the tone so vibrant.
In ultimate sense, if amplifier is not able to handle the music flow and articulation. The Forte 150 power amplifiers followed jingoistic utterance subordinate to the tone rather then raw sound mechanics. The other hard pressed reality check with this record is speed handling. Forte 150 followed the tempi with sense of an authority and without varying within the pace domain, where it matters the most.
Tigerlily – Natalie Merchant
There’s that universal saying; how can something so simple, be so right and good! This is exactly how Tigerlily’s San Adreas Fault album’s opening track feels alike.
Expertly mixed and mastered album (also on Tidal) allows Natalie’s voice to be project with the fullest bloom of hers unique melancholy aura.
All the instruments and Natalie’s voice are equalized, and tracked with utmost attention and know how, where each resides at its own place across the frequency range without introducing, overall masking effect.
When amplifier’s innards are of proper strategical order, this album can sound really, really good. No fanfares of glorification, just straight musical, great sounding intake.
Auris Audio Forte 150 managed to cut thought the layers of aural matrix, usually covered with thick, two and three dimensional virtual panels, that are not only slowing down the flow of the music, but also introduce the shading phenomena, intimately related with the lifeless musical reproduction.
Mika Sasaki – Obsidian
Perhaps too much to digest for everyone after the opening track. Still… Mika daring, forwarding and non forgiving playing combined with great sonic capturing represent quite a stretch for the system and amplifier(s).
Deciphering the needed amount of information with this album represent another challenge of its own. Forte 150’s never felt, like they’ve crawled through the chords and tones with tons of massive burden slowing them down. Notes formation needs certain ordnance to resonate on the believability scale and 150’s succeeded to keep the firm ground and sonic structural objectivity.
Fleetwood Mac – Rumors
An audiophile or music lover album? No matter what kind of label people are trying to pin to this iconic album, Rumors is a timeless example of a true artistry. Both songs and sound are a prime example of things done right. This is how studio album should and can sound! No crazy compression, no exciting limiting. Just all the right moves being made by experts mated with stand out musician performing their part spot on.
The complete album is emotional and sonic tour de force. It will sound good even on mediocre system. But… To cut through few more layers and getting closer to the true story unfolding, much more potency is needed.
Its not only about PRAT and typical audiophile jargon word riddling. When everything is aligned and leveled, the hidden mechanics of the music starts to operate is a hidden, subtle way.
I’ve heard this album on many systems over the years, yet its not an instant lock and load. Auris’ Forte 150 in combination with Robert Koda K-10 brought more then just a healthier portion of belivable illusion. Forte 150 monoblocks pushed things quite few steps further. “Dreams”, second album’s track flourished with the right amount of details and emotional engagement to whit-stand the critical mass of audiophile check outs, safely positioning Forte 150 beyond a mere hi-fi attributing.
Joe Pass – Virtuosso
Straight no chasers. For many, arguable Virtuosso is Joe Pass’ most accomplished album. I can concur. It resembles Joe’s wizardry and artistry in most involving and vibrant way.
As non complex as it might be seen, this is the musical material, that will push amplifier into a “make it or brake it” mode.
Proper reconstruction of harmonic tone overlays demand a certain, right design choices under the hood of high-end audio amplifier.
Forte 150 power amplifiers operate at the level where the smallest parts and particles, fundamental at the reconstruction of the atmosphere, tone, timbre, acoustics etc. comes together as something more meaningful that just sum of the parts. This is the momentum where so called “magic” happens and Auris Audio serves quite a portion!
CONCLUSION
It’s evident that Auris Audio team wanted to push the envelope with the Forte 150. Attention to detail and the ability to make all the important steps in-house gave them a controlled process in which they have refined each and every step.
The Forte 150 didn’t force itself with the sonic self-imprint often associated with most pedestrian power tube amplifiers. It rather explored the exhilarating, yet natural side of high-end audio reproduction.
With so many products on the market, one doesn’t really know what to expect when certain products arrive for review, but its always encouraging to discover new, and potent performers.
The Auris Forte 150 has shown syntactical elements being rendered along with elegance and great authority of fundamental micro and macro structure. They are not exploring the epicurean audio world view, but follow vivacious musical presentation, without crossing into the lush and saturated realms.
At the end of the day, there is only one valid question; what do you want and expect from your system/power amplifiers? If energetic, transparent sound, that daringly lurks on the solid state side of affairs for the speed and power, but keeps the harmonic, non over overblown richness of the tube world as raison d’être, then Auris Audio Forte 150 tube monoblocks might light your sensory green lights.
Forte 150 brings more refined power to the table then expected and in an absence of precognition attributes. As with everything in high-end audio, you mileage may vary, but the these monoblocks are brining much more then too often expected blithesome experience. The involving factor, usually reserved at very different price is one of the Auris Audio Forte 150 stand outs.
For the first product coming to Mono & Stereo for evaluation from the Auris Audio, the Forte 150 power amplifiers were a positive surprise.
In the era where the transparency is to often masked in a fake emperor’s cloth of artificial brightness, Auris Audio tube monoblocks, are not following the path of accenting nature, where something as basic as tone is overemphasized. Their inner core rather follows the traits of the music. The raw epicenter…
Matej Isak