The Cutting Edge

System Three: $35OO
TOTAL (BEFORE CABLES, POWER CONDITIONER) = $3399
Arcam Solo stereo receiver/CD player combo $1599 Review, Issue 156
DALI IKON 6 loudspeakers $1595 Review, this Issue
System Three leverages the strengths of
Arcam’s remarkable 50Wpc Solo—a combination
stereo receiver/CD player. The word
TAS reviewer Chris Martens chose to
describe the 50Wpc Solo was “suave,”
meaning that it offered “smooth, cohesive, and selfconfident”
midrange with generous amounts of resolution
and articulation. The Solo will appeal to enthusiasts
who want to enjoy musical details, but without the
pain of inappropriate brightness or edginess. While
the Solo may sacrifice the “nth” degree of transparency,
it does achieve a sophisticated, well-balanced
sound that will never turn and bite the listener. Finally,
unlike many cost-constrained receivers, the Solo incorporates
an excellent FM tuner that easily reveals quality
differences between the playback systems used at
local radio stations. It’s fun to have the option of sampling
new musical material over the airwaves.
Rounding out the system are DALI’s easy-to-drive
IKON 6 floorstanders. To appreciate what DALI has
achieved with this speaker, we urge you to hear a pair
of DALI’s excellent multi-thousand dollar per pair
Helicons first, and then sample the IKONs. Are the
award-winning Helicons the better speakers Certainly.
But, is Helicon design “DNA” readily and sonically
apparent in the IKONs You’d better believe it is, and
in spades. In particular, the IKONs—like the
Helicons—use a two-driver upper midrange/treble
module based on a fabric-dome tweeter plus a ribbon
driver to generate airy, extended, and beautifully
defined highs. They also use Helicon-inspired wood
pulp/composite mid/bass drivers to reproduce
midrange and bass frequencies in a soulful, expressive
way. The IKON 6’s bass extends to just below
40Hz, but TPV reviewer Barry Willis observed that they
create the illusion of going even lower than that. Best
of all, the IKON 6s offer sufficient articulation to take
full advantage of all the finesse the Arcam Solo has to offer.
System Three achieves
sophisticated sound where,
especially through the broad
midrange of the music,
details emerge with a gentle,
unforced clarity that brings to mind the sound of even
higher-performance systems.
Considerations: Because it is based on a combination
receiver/CD player, System Three can be tricky to
upgrade in an incremental way. This may not be a
concern for you, but it is a point to bear in mind for
individuals who can’t resist tinkering with a good
thing (you know who you are). Bear in mind, however,
that you may have to invest quite a bit more than the
price of the Arcam Solo to achieve decisively superior
sound.
If you prefer a system based on separate components,
however, consider the core electronics packages
we recommend for Systems Four, Five, or Six, below.
Some Guidelines for Newcomers (and
Reminders for Veterans)
Make live music your standard. Train your ears by exposing them
to plenty of live music (preferably unamplified—or at least lightly
amplified—live music), and then trust what they tell you about the
sound of hi-fi components.
Listen, listen, and listen. Our recommendations will point you in
directions that produce delightful sonic results, but remember that our
words are no substitute for you going out to hear components for yourself.
You may have to travel a ways to audition the less common products
we recommend, but the end results will be worth the extra effort.
Work with a competent dealer with whom you have good rapport.
A good dealer can add a huge amount to the equipment buying
experience, provided he or she is well attuned to your needs and
tastes. Great dealers often have the uncanny ability to come up with
system solutions neither you (nor we) might have considered. Some
also offer in-home product-trial programs.
Don’t forget necessary accessories. Interconnect and speaker
cables can have a huge impact on sound quality, as can power conditioners.
We do not provide specific cable or conditioner recommendations
here, but recommend setting aside an additional
10–20% of your budget (beyond the cost of core system components)
for cables and other necessary accoutrements.
CM
58 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ SEPTEMBER 2006