As I have a full system worth of Bandwidth Audio gear, I wanted to talk about how they sound as a complete system, beyond their individual reviews. There is alot to be said about synergy in a system, and while there are times where pairing up different pieces from different manufacturers can create a beautiful system, many times keeping to one ecosystem can be the easiest way to achieve that synergy. Sometimes you have to branch out of a brand’s line as they may not make every piece you need, and that is true even for Bandwidth Audio, as they currently don’t have any sources. However, they do make Pre, Power, and Phono amps, so you just need to add speakers and a source, and of course, cables. That said, alot of the heavy lifting can be handled within their lineup, and you can look at companies that specialize in sources or speakers to complete the system. As a recap, we have the Kaskode One Phono Stage, Aurora One Preamp, and 288 Monoblock power amps. All of these electronics are fully analog tube-powered pieces. They all aim to provide pure analog musical sound and are designed to pair with each other, so we should, so long as the speakers and source pair well, have great sound.
Sound
I won’t get too much into setup, as that was well covered in each review, and I will have all three linked below if you are curious about that. This will also not be quite a long of an article as there is only so much more I can say about this excellent equipment. That said, I will mention that I tried the full system with two different turntables and 2 different sets of speakers. The two turntables are the VPI Forever Model One and the VPI Prime. The speakers I used are the YG Cairns and my Sonus Faber Sonetto V. I wanted to see what type of synergy the system has with some outside influences and see if they make an appreciable change in how well these components work together.
There have been times when I have heard what seems like perfect system synergy, and these have almost always been due to staying within a family of products. Examples include Vinnie Rossi’s Brama system powering Stenheims, as well as a full Viva system also powering a pair of Stenheim speakers. The ease and refinement of the music are immediately apparent when listening. The Bandwidth Audio system has this same effect. There is no clash of sound, no harshness. It can be hard to describe, but when pieces are competing with each other, there is a disconnect in the music; it seems disjointed and can be fatiguing. An example of this that I have heard was listening to a Classé Delta system powering a pair of Paradigm Persona Speakers (I forget the exact model), the music sounded dull and lifeless to me. I have heard and loved both brands in different systems; they just don’t have synergy, at least to my ears.
Listening to the full Bandwidth Audio setup makes me want to ditch all my current electronics and upgrade. While I enjoy what I managed to put together over the years for the amount spent, hearing this system does really show some of the shortcomings in my current system. While my Marantz and Macintosh play fairly well together, they lack the focus of the Bandwidth system. I will say part of that is probably due to the incredible Kaskode Phono Stage, which my current phono, the Pyxi, just can not compete with. Everything I listen to on the Bandwidth gear sounds so good. The system has a level of refinement that is somewhat uncommon for the price point and would have no problem using it to power a pair os speakers like the Stenheims I mentioned earlier. I also think some of the higher-tier YGs would absolutely sing on this system.
I absolutely adored the sound coming from both the YGs and my Sonus Fabers. The perfect amount of warmth to be inviting and soothing to listen to made it hard to turn the system off at the end of the night. I did prefer the overall sound of my Sonus Fabers; they have more presence due to their size, which really envelops you in sound, while the YGs had a more mature, dialed-in sound. I mentioned it in the previous reviews, but folk and indie music really takes full advantage of Bandwidth’s Sound, and while nothing sounded bad, there was something about acoustic music that was just so tantalizing through a fully analog system. There is a song I listen to on every system, “Leave it Alone” by Caroline Glaser, which, admittedly, is a rather sad song, but the way it is mastered can really highlight a system’s ability to create a soundstage. It uses clever panning, echo, and reverberation to create a spatial awareness that, when played on a great system, makes it sound like you are in a giant empty music hall. It lends to the alone feeling that the lyrics lay out, and is an experience I urge you to try in your system. Playing it on the Bandwidth system, especially with the YGs, transports me to another world and begs me to turn up the volume. The distant slides on the guitar give this level of depth that goes beyond your room. You can hear sounds that are higher than the ceiling in the room and somehow beyond the walls. To me, this is what hifi is all about, being removed from your room and taken to the world the artist has created. When the music elicits an emotional, psychological, and physical response, I think that’s how you know you got it right.
Pieces used:
- Aruora One Preamp – $4,999.99
- Kaskode Phono Stage – $5,899.98 (as tested with MC module)
- 288 Power amps – $8,199.99 / Pair
Associated Equipment
- VPI Prime with 10″ Unipivot arm on VTA base with Ortofon Quintet Red and Shyla Cartridges
- VPI Forever Model One with S arm and Shyla Cartridge
- Sonus Faber Sonetto V
- YG Cairn
- Paradigm Defiance V8 Sub
- Synergistic Research Powercell 8 SX
- Synergistic Research Foundation SX cabling
- Viborg Power Cables to the amps only (not enough SR on hand)
Conclusion
What else can I say other than you should give Bandwidth Audio a listen? Matthew is a great guy, making great gear at an affordable price. It’s not cheap, but it’s also not overpriced. You aren’t funding his next 3-page ad, you’re getting 8k worth of amplifier instead of 5k worth of amp and 3k worth of marketing. I understand that marketing your brand is important, but there are certainly brands out there that seem to spend more on spreading the word than developing their products. The sound coming from this system is intoxicating, and I don’t want to send it back, more so than anything else I have had in. That’s really all the more I can say. When I talked to Matt on the phone, he was telling me he has never had anyone send back a product from the in-home trial, so don’t just take my word, schedule an in-home and see if his gear is right for you and your system. I know when the budget allows, where I’m heading.
I am happy to present Matthew and Bandwidth Audio with our Diamond Award for the Aurora One, Kaskode One and the 288 Mono Amplifiers
For more information about Bandwidth, click the link below.
