Podejrzewam, że po zapoznaniu się z nowym Aeonem i krótkim porównaniu z poprzednią wersją większość użytkowników zdecyduje się na upgrade specyfikacji. Nie dziwię im się. Słuchałem długo, wnikliwie i doszedłem do podobnych wniosków.

Skala zmian i różnic brzmieniowych pomiędzy wersjami serwera 432 Evo Aeon jest większa, niż się spodziewałem. To, że budowa urządzenia wpływa na jego brzmienie, jest oczywiste i w recenzenckiej profesji oczekiwane. Moje obawy budzi jednak konstatacja, że właśnie popełniłem odsłuch systemu operacyjnego. Dlaczego w ogóle spodziewać się tutaj zmian? Podobne wątpliwości przeżywałem, recenzując kontrowersyjny demagnetyzer do płyt winylowych czy zaawansowany materiałowo krążek dociskowy do gramofonu. A przecież i tak życie zaskakuje bardziej, niż problematyka hi-fi.
Konkluzja wynika z doświadczenia. Myśląc o zakupie serwera i odtwarzacza plików, koniecznie posłuchajcie nowego Aeona. Opcje DSP potraktujcie jako superdodatek dostępny przy słuchaniu przez USB. Nowa wersja serwera 432 Evo przynosi słyszalny i pożądany postęp brzmieniowy, także w bardziej uniwersalnych konfiguracjach sieciowych.

Dopiero bezpośrednie porównanie obu wersji pokazuje, że bardzo dobre brzmienie dotychczasowego Aeona zostało doprawione i poprawione, dzięki czemu nabrało większej wyrazistości i raptowniejszego, bardziej rześkiego charakteru. W połączeniu USB z leciwym przetwornikiem Zagra DAC z układem Cristal Semicondutor (rozdzielczość do 96 kHz) odmienności brzmienia pozostają podobne, chociaż japoński hi-end wykazuje je w sposób bardziej jednoznaczny i zdecydowany.

Muzyka odtwarzana z nowej wersji serwera brzmi dźwięczniej, bardziej dynamicznie, z większym rozmachem i mocniej rozbudowaną stereofonią. Zmiana idzie w kierunku większego efektu „wow” w pierwszym wrażeniu, ale także większego wyrafinowania każdego aspektu brzmienia. Zaryzykuję twierdzenie, że dźwięk się oczyszcza z komputerowego nalotu i robi krok w stronę… dobrego odtwarzacza CD.

Różnice są słyszalne na obu wykorzystanych DAC-ach i jednoznaczne w odsłuchu bit-perfect. Tym pozytywnym cechom może towarzyszyć pewne utwardzenie dźwięku, które, owszem, zwraca na siebie uwagę, ale nie przekracza granicy wyznaczonej przez poczucie komfortu. Jednak właśnie z tego powodu nie napiszę, że to dźwięk analogowy. Jest za to bardzo bezpośredni, ustawiony na słuchacza, superczytelny, choć chwilami może dosadny.

Link do recenzji: 432 EVO Aeon – Hi-Fi i Muzyka

W brzmienie modelu Standard wszedłem wyjątkowo łatwo, a to dlatego, że okazało się dla mnie naturalne, pasujące do mojej koncepcji kształtowania systemu, czyli unikania dominacji jednego z elementów, któremu pozostałe muszą się podporządkować lub kompensować jego wady. Szukam więc urządzeń o dźwięku wysokiej jakości, ale także szczególnej kulturze, w której pewna powściągliwość, choć może to nienowoczesne słowo, jest cnotą. Która przyciąga do siebie najlepsze cechy otoczenia na zasadzie dopełniania się, a nie kompensowania. Synergia wymaga jednak pewnej otwartości i elastyczności. Tak właśnie oceniam możliwości Aeona – są w tych kwestiach nieprzeciętne. A do tego większe niż w podstawowym modelu. Przede wszystkim następuje skok w odwzorowaniu dynamiki nagrań. W przypadku Aeona staje się ono wyraźnie łatwiejsze, swobodniejsze, lżejsze. Aeon gra odważniej i z większym rozmachem, z bardziej zdecydowanym charakterem. Zachęca i wciąga, ale nawet się nie ociera o natarczywość, o agresji nie wspominając. Nagrania brzmią więc wyraźniej i wyraziściej. Tam, gdzie szczególnie istotne wydaje się różnicowanie dynamiki, tam Aeon wgryza się w detale i niuanse znacznie precyzyjniej. Dźwięk cichy jest delikatny i wielowymiarowy; wycyzelowany w szczegółach i zadbany. W dynamicznych kulminacjach pozostaje kulturalny, ale potrafi to połączyć z zachowaniem porządku w muzyce. Z wcześniejszych doświadczeń wiem już, że dzieje się to bez utraty muzykalności i barw.

432 Evo Aeon Music Server to mój aktualny typ oraz realny wybór. Otwiera wspaniałe możliwości oraz daje swobodę włączenia w posiadany system na zasadach synergii i wspierania brzmieniowych zalet. Więc ani trochę dyskretnie sugeruję kolejny typ do nagrody roku.

Link do recenzji: 432 EVO Aeon – Hi-Fi i Muzyka

Just this once, let’s do the whole review thing upside down and begin with the conclusion. The 432 EVO Aeon is the best sounding music server I’ve listened to at length, a product that deserves the highest recommendation.

With the 432 EVO Aeon in my system, the playback of digital files—retrieved from the NAS, ripped to the server’s hard drive, or streamed from Tidal—was more musically engaging than anything I’d experienced previously in my room. What was I hearing? Above all else, there was an immediacy to the presentation that let me buy into the fantasy that all audiophiles have at least occasionally—that they’re not listening to canned sound but to flesh-and-blood musicians. The ferocity of the solo violin on Paavo Järvi’s recording of L’histoire du soldat (PentaTone) was a stunning example, even though the source material was “only” 16/44.1. Tonal accuracy was unassailable. With that same Stravinsky performance, there was no doubt that it was a cornet being played and not a trumpet. The retrieval of low-level detail was outstanding—the decay of a struck cymbal, for instance. It was obvious to me that the guitarist on Wayne Horvitz’s Sweeter Than The Day album was playing through a tube amplifier that was then mic’d in the studio.

Upsampling, to the extent acceptable to the DAC in use and as implemented by the Aeon, made a substantial difference, especially with Red Book files. My favorite version of Handel’s Messiah is Trevor Pinnock’s, the recording that, 30 years ago, convinced me of the desirability of historically informed performance practice with Baroque and early Classical repertoire. The emotional center of Messiah is the alto aria “He was Despised,” and upsampled to 32/192 the luxuriance of Anne Sofie von Otter’s vocal instrument is gloriously represented, the subtlety of her dynamic contouring and phrasing as fully revealed as it would be from a higher-resolution master. Similarly, setting the buffer size at 256Kib brought out the rich complexity of a well-recorded string quartet’s ensemble sonority (the Hagen Quartet playing Beethoven’s Op. 18, No.3, as ripped from a Myrios Classics SACD).

The Bass Authority option performed as promised. The bass drum thuds beginning at 3:51 in the opening movement of Bernard Haitink’s 2010 recording of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15 didn’t necessarily have more low-frequency extension than usual, but they discreetly acquired more weight and restrained power. Electric bass on Kevyn Lettau’s Songs of the Police had more heft when the feature was turned on. On acoustic bass, the sonic representation of Christian McBride’s instrument on Diana Krall’s “I Don’t Know Enough About You” is fuller, more dimensional, and more believable as a large, hollow box. The Bass Authority mode—along with upsampling, the largest possible buffer size, and one of the filter choices—clearly should be in play for the Aeon to generate an optimized stream of ones and zeros for your DAC to process.

Link do recenzji: 432 EVO Aeon – The Absolute Sound

On Andy Bey’s Tuesdays in Chinatown, the title track from his 2001 release (Warlock Music), Bey’s soft, warm voice had very nice body and depth, with the piano crisp, bass solid, and horn warm and soft-edged and the percussive transients were relaxed but responsive. Damien Rice’s “Cannonball, from O (2002 Warner Bros Uk), was very well focused and offered tight, crisp imaging. The acoustic guitar tone was quite direct, gorgeous, and harmonically rich. Imminently impactful. Tessa Souter’s “Riverman,” from Obsession (2009 Motema Music, LLC), brought the stage with vertical reach and scale. Her voice is situated among instruments with ample low frequencies and instrumental nuance. The guitar tone was exceptional. Her delivery is warm and beautiful in tone and wise in story-telling richness.

The added depth provided by the Aeon was thrilling. That depth was notable on Mark Isham’s Blue Sun (1995 Columbia), a disc that’s been used for demos many times on ST over the years. The low frequencies were full, bold, and grounding; the piano’s solid, and cymbal work glowed with energy and restraint. The soft and colorful sax paired well with Isham’s trumpet, rounded in approach and attack. Mallet-driven blows to bass drums drove this piece and provided space and structure, allowing the piece to breathe and languish under the melody.

Sky Above, from Jacob Collier’s “Djesse Vol. 2″ (2019 Hajanga Records), played with such ease and effortlessness that it had to be the Aeon’s use of dual SBooster power supplies at work. Boosters are high-quality upgrade power supplies for almost all standard switch-mode adapters of small devices. Even in a mass of notes, the depth and air created by the Aeon were delineated and impressive. Notes rose out of a blacker background, and bass was full enough that it sounded like I had dual subs in the loft. The resonance of instruments and richness of voices stood out. Details were well articulated through the 432EVO Aeon server as nuanced passages passed through the Double Impact floorstanders and floated delicately to the ear.

It’s nice to know that my finely-honed music organization skills can be easily replaced by Aeon’s automation and great sound. Buy the 432EVO Aeon for the awesome sound it delivers, period!

Link do recenzji: 432 EVO Aeon – Stereo Times

432 EVO Aeon 432OS

In my view, the 432 EVO Aeon Mk.3 Reference is one of the finest music servers available today. I’d happily blind-A/B-it against competitors costing more… even significantly more. The outcome, I’m confident, would be surprising.

I was already convinced of the Aeon Mk.3’s sonic excellence prior to the upgrades. Now, I have zero doubt that the 432 EVO Aeon Mk.3 operating system and data centre grade updates converge solid value with enhanced sonic truth.

In the context of my system, there was a subtle bump-up in overall dynamics and a slight extension to the spatial reproduction of appropriately recorded material. I also found the presentation more open and less congested, particularly through complex musical passages. In terms of dynamic expression, toms and drum runs exhibited slightly greater punch and impact. Vocals emerged with a touch more realism and imaged marginally further forward in the mix (a good thing, given that the Aeon Mk.3 sans upgrades could occasionally lean toward a subtly laid-back vocal presentation.

My usual go-to recordings for excellent soundfield reproduction revealed an added sense of space across all dimensions. Especially the depth perspective, where the soundstage now extended well beyond the front wall to a degree that was previously unattainable to this level. Mind you, Aeon Mk.3 was pretty darn good as it was, but both these upgrades have elevated it to a true ‘Reference Level’ streamer. It’s all in the subtleties that enhance the music listening experience. I remain in wonder at what delights might be available with 432 EVO’s ‘Master’ flagship.

In addition to the expanded spatial scale and tighter imaging, the new updates brought a subtle yet worthwhile improvement in tonal accuracy, especially on acoustic recordings. Piano notes carried greater presence, with tighter transients, truer timbre, and a more substantial sense of midrange body. The high frequencies (cymbals, bells, etc.), were a touch smoother and more natural, with an overall refinement that, in my case, deepened my musical engagement.

Link do recenzji: 432 EVO Aeon 432OS– SoundStage Australia

432 EVO Aeon

Here at SoundStage! Australia HQ, this Reference Music Server is now the Reference Music Server; for what just might be Aeons…

When it comes to Aeon, don’t let anyone tell you server/streamers are too digital-sounding for true timbre. Bollocks! Well-recorded tracks from Neil Parent Trio, Anthony Coleman and Brian Chase, Joseph Tawadros, Band of Brothers and so much more, all sounded exceptional in terms of the tonality of acoustic guitar, stand-up bass, piano and percussion instruments. In a past life, I was regularly involved in the live music arena, most often with acoustic instrumentation. I’m fussy re two things that are quite difficult for any audio component and system to reproduce faithfully: dynamics and tonal precision. On the former, Aeon does extremely well within the sphere of its product type, bar none. On the latter, it plays in the same ballpark with the very best whether CD, vinyl, or whatever format you may care to mention.

Take the exquisitely-captured electric guitar on “Angel #1” from Mick Turner & Tren Brothers’ Blue Trees album where Turner’s gentle guitar strums are represented warmly, intimately and utterly realistically. Aeon conveys all the detail of finger and string with beautiful subtlety, allowing the emotive track – even as simple as it is – to truly communicate its gentle intention. In this track, 432 Hz presented the more fuller, more musical experience.

Grand live recordings clearly showed Aeon’s excellent soundstaging capabilities. On Quentin Dujardin 4tet’s 2020 Live, the track “Blues for M & N” had instruments spread across a massive width, with instruments placed outside the speakers’ flanks while Manu Katché’s massively dynamic drum sound emanated from a virtual placement well beyond the front wall. I have several albums with Katché as percussion contributor. He’s always super tight timing-wise and really whacks with power and rhythmic complexity. Aeon is no shrinking violet – there’s very good dynamic power in “Blues for M & N” towards the track’s three-quarter mark where the drum solo really wallops.

Link do recenzji: 432 EVO Aeon – SoundStage Australia

The USB connection is a different matter, though. With the dedicated ‘432’ software plug-in disabled and running directly into the Hugo TT 2, the performance is extremely good. The considerable processing horsepower it possesses and the careful power supply arrangements ensure that the Aeon is startlingly direct and immediate. Jan Garbarek’s Officium Novum is beautifully presented and free of any constraint or processing, even when some of the Roon DSP settings are brought to bear.

The effects of activating the specific 432 plug-in are readily discernible and, for the most part, entirely positive. Sticking with Officium Novum, the order and layout of the performers becomes easier to discern. The supporting saxophone loses a little of the slightly thin and reedy quality that it has without the plug-in engaged and there is a perceptible improvement to the tonal warmth of the recording. Changing tack and running on and off tests with Manic Street Preachers’ My Little Empire, the 432 setting takes away some of the edge of this loud recording and emphasises the strings supporting the band to the benefit of both.

It’s hard not to admire the dedication shown in the design of the Aeon to do something different and to do it as well as it can be reasonably done. What makes it for me as a package is that 432 EVO hasn’t lost sight of all the basics that a network storage device needs to perform in the pursuit of making its brainchild work. This is a stable, silent and very flexible music server that is more than up to the task of supporting a household of network audio devices. It isn’t cheap, but you can at least appreciate where much of the outlay has gone and its benefits.

Used in the manner that 432 EVO intends, it’s also the best USB source I’ve tested to now and if I used one all the time, it would negate the presence of the SOtM I have in my setup as a head unit. Finally, the 432 software is capable of imparting genuine improvement to a wide selection of music and, on the occasions where the benefits are less clear cut, it’s easy enough to bypass. The Aeon shows that there are some intriguing further possibilities to audiophile storage and consequently it’s a device that will delight a great many listeners.

Link do recenzji: 432 EVO Aeon – Hi-Fi Choice

Link: 432 EVO Aeon – Hi-Fi i Muzyka – Wyróżnienie Roku 2024

The “432” in this Belgian manufacturer’s name refers to the idea that music pitched at A = 432Hz is more enjoyable—maybe even better for your health. The Aeon will change the pitch of whatever it is you’re auditioning to A = 432, or to one of several other target tunings. Thankfully, this conversion can be readily defeated, and one still has at his or her disposal an exceptionally versatile and good-sounding digital source.

432 EVO Aeon – The Absolute Sound – 2023 Editors' Choice Award

Link: 432 EVO Aeon – Hi-Fi Choice – Recommended Components

Link: 432 EVO Aeon – The Stereo Times – Most Wanted Components 2023