Have you ever used a switching amplifier? Generally speaking, we call this kind of amplification work class D amplification. They use transistors as switches to generate square waves in a fully open or fully closed way, and by means of "pulse width modulation" (PWM), they convert the received analog sound signals with sine waves into square waves with the same amplitude but different widths. Then the square wave is amplified, and then the low frequency in the signal is filtered by a filter, and the amplified signal can be obtained.
the theory and application of class d amplification appeared long ago, but under the immature technology, the sound performance of class d amplification is not recognized by serious audio lovers, although it is efficient and relatively energy-saving. Until these years, because some experienced and talented engineers have invested in research, the technology of class D amplification has gradually matured, and the sound performance has been more and more recognized. High End audio manufacturers have begun to accept class D amplification. Among them, MBL is also one.
LASA 2. switching amplifier circuit is not afraid of the change of speaker impedance
BL has developed their own switching amplifier circuit, but they call it LASA (linear analog switching amplifier) instead of class D amplifier, which in turn is linear analog switching amplifier. What the hell is this? How is it different from the general class D amplification? MBL has never made it clear that this is someone else's unique technology, so how can it be easily told? However, what we can be sure of is that it is essentially an amplification circuit with switching operation. However, it emphasizes "linearity" and "simulation", which is what makes it special.
as early as 212, when Corona series was launched, they used this laser amplification technology on their own equipment for the first time. Later, they improved, strengthened and refined it into LASA 2., which became one of the core technologies of New Noble Line. According to the manufacturer, LASA 2. combines the concepts of various amplification circuits and takes its essence advantages. The MBL power amplifier equipped with LASA 2. line can be perfectly matched with any speaker. Generally speaking, the impedance of the sound box will change with the sound frequency, and the change of the impedance of the sound box will jointly affect the output and control of the power amplifier. MBL's LASA 2. technology allows the power amplifier to continuously output large current to cope with any impedance change at the speaker end caused by music signals. For this reason, LASA 2. is not afraid of the speakers that are difficult to handle.
the written introduction looks great, right? I'll tell you later. It sounds really good.
yet we called and urged a thousand times before she started toward us's New Noble Line
Speaking of this New Noble Line, it is also yet we called and urged a thousand times before she started toward us, which makes people want to see it. It is said that at the CES in 214, New Noble Line appeared for the first time, but it has not yet been finalized. In 215, Yi Sheng Audio, the agent, teamed up to visit the Berlin factory. Jurgen Reis, the chief engineer, said that New Noble Line had not been finalized and needed to be adjusted. Jurgen finally brought it to the TAA Grand Sound Exhibition in 216. However, Jurgen still said that there are still some small places that are not in place, so we should wait a little longer. In this way, another year passed, and it was not until he came again in 217 that it was announced that New Noble Line could be officially supplied.
it's all because of one person, that is Jurgen Reis. As the chief engineer, Jurgen's attitude towards product development is rigorous and even critical. He told a story that happened during the development process. Jurgen, who doesn't live in Berlin, only goes to the company once a week. Once he came to the company, he found that the sound of the amplifier was not the same, not so good. I asked, but I didn't change the wiring of the machine. Only one LED light was broken, so they just found a replacement. To this end, Jurgen began to look for "the best sound LED". Do you think he is crazy? But it is many such things that have delayed the listing of New Noble Line. Fortunately, these are all in the past.
the expensive design remains the same, and the lines are more concise and modern
In fact, the manufacturer doesn't call it New Noble Line. If you go to MBL official website, you can only see the Noble Line series. However, now Noble Line is a brand-new series. The whole series * * * has five kinds of equipment, including the front stage N11, the stereo rear stage N21, the mono rear stage N11, the CD turntable N31 which can also be used as a DAC, and the integrated power amplifier N51. This time, the agent sent N11 pre-stage and N21 post-stage, and this article will focus on N21.
In addition to the traditional black and gold color scheme, New Noble Line also has a white version. Although the two colors are different in temperament, they are all equally expensive. The black N21 mirror body makes people afraid to reach out and touch, for fear of leaving fingerprints. The metal grille in front of it looks a bit domineering, and the words "Stereo Amplifier" are etched on the gold plaque. Four round, thick golden foot posts support the whole machine, which makes it feel very stable just by looking at it. The power switch is located in the lower left corner, with the word MBL in the center of the button. When the machine is in standby, a yellow light will light up around the button. There is also a large three-dimensional MBL trademark on the top cover, and there is also a gold metal decorative ring around it. When the machine is switched into working state, the light of the power switch will go out and the trademark on the top cover will light up. N21 with lights looks even more expensive.
Soft Clipping soft cutting technology avoids ear scraping distortion
besides using LASA 2. circuit, it also advertises a technology called "Soft Clipping", which makes N21 enter the cutting mode in a gentle way when it is about to face cutting distortion under intense work with high power and high sound pressure, thus avoiding aggressive and unpleasant distortion. What is the power of the N21 stereo rear stage? Then let me ask you: How many watts do you need? If I give you 38 watts, will it be enough (4 ohm load)? You said that power is not the key, but current is more important. Then ask: Is the peak output of 28 amps enough? Yes, the official data of N21 is the maximum output of 38W and the maximum output of 28A. As mentioned earlier, the LASA 2. line of New Noble Line can always be supplied with abundant current to cope with the varied impedance of the speaker, and the actual data is here; Numbers are the last word!
it is very important to strengthen power supply and adopt WBT terminal
power supply is even more important if you want the amplifier to have a large current output. N21 adopts a large annular transformer, and is externally equipped with a Mu-metal shield. On the one hand, it should have sufficient power supply, and on the other hand, it should do a good job of shielding to avoid interfering with the line. Pay special attention to its recovery performance on the rectifier line, and strive for the lowest loss.
the speaker terminals are made of nextgen products from WBT, ensuring the best transmission quality. The input terminals are XLR and RCA, among which, the manufacturer emphasizes that the RCA terminal is designed with floating balance, because its internal circuit is balanced. There is also an SD card slot on the back of the machine for upgrading N21 firmware. As for RJ45 terminal, it is MBL SmartLink version 2., which is used to connect other MBL devices for mutual linkage.
the audition process of the back stage of the power crystal of the vacuum tube machine
is carried out in the audition room of U-Audio. The speaker is Wilson Audio Alexia 2, the front stage is N11, which is also the New Noble Line series, and the source is YBCDT 45 turntable with Merging NADAC C. Over the past month, there have been a lot of equipment in the audition room. I selfishly said that if the equipment can be given the MVP of the month like professional sports, I will definitely vote for N21. It not only has the powerful driving force of the crystal machine, but also has a quiet, calm and extremely dark background, which brings out many details. It also has natural timbre and mellow texture, and even its timbre is as sweet as a vacuum tube machine, but it maintains an extremely clean and transparent texture.
The voice is clean, clear and full of texture
Listen to Lahav Shani as a piano player and conduct the Rotterdam Philharmonic to perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4.. At the beginning of the first movement, Beethoven directly introduced the piano and played the short sentence of the first theme. After the orchestra took over repeatedly, the first theme was more clearly presented. The theme formed by the group of those four notes is exactly the deformation of the destiny motive of Symphony No.5. When the piano came back, a new solo melody was developed. Beethoven skillfully made a series of arpeggios descending and ascending here, followed by dramatic tremors, and then brought into the second theme. Driven by N21, the sound of Alexia 2 is quite attractive. Although N21 with black and gold metal decoration looks a little more gentle than Reference series, the sound performance is also the same, showing a clean, clear and textured sound. When the strings raise their voices, the texture of the strings just seems to be more clear than others. The silky voice with both fine and warp and weft textures carries a sense of reality without affectation.
The piano sounds are the same. What Beethoven has planted is the seeds with fantasy temperament and romantic connotation. How to develop romance and fantasy in those improvisational styles is the pianist's ability. N21' s transparent and clear voice makes those romantic notes of fantasy wind more romantic and fantasy. Listen to the soft voices of the pianos in the second movement, and talk to the powerful melodies of the strings. One is the rough and steady rhythm, and the other is the melodious and soft flowing melody. N21 echoes the piano and the orchestra, and performs well. It not only introduced a thick bass string with strength, but also shaped the exquisite and charming piano sound. It's so fascinating. How Lahav Shani organized the piano concerto No.4 with substance in speech, and how N21 of MBL made it more detailed.
The details are rich and the picture is full of sense
When recreating Tchaikovsky's nutcracker dance score, it shows my favorite Valery Gergiev's whole song conducted by Kirov Opera House really well. This is a very childlike dance drama, and Tchaikovsky's music is also full of childlike interest everywhere, especially the music in the first act has a high sense of drama. I heard a wonderful nutcracker on the system of MBL N11 and N21 and Alexia 2. In those fast-moving two-beat dance music, clear and clear rhythm, and then add a sense of excitement to the music through percussion, after all, it is Christmas, who is not busy? What's more, children are delighted to see adults who come with gifts. The strings displayed by N21 are delicate and dense, and they are covered with warm luster. The texture of that string is the smell of the pipe machine. But its dark background, all effortlessly let the music details float up without cover, which is beyond the vacuum tube machine. The contrast of its music is great. Don't underestimate me. The contrast of N21 is really great. Moreover, the texture is clear, and the details that Tchaikovsky buried in the ensemble of the main theme, the decorative performance of the woodwind, or the harmony of other parts are all clear. When these details can be clearly expressed, the sense of picture comes, the sense of picture of a stage, and-all the scenes of music with plots like this.
Reproduce the layers, details and weights in music in an orderly way
Listen to John Williams in Vienna, a live recording album in 22, and you can also enjoy the wonderful N21. Let me take two of them as examples. One is Flight to the Neverland in the movie Captain Hook, and the other is an excerpt from the movie close encounters of the third kind, both of which are brilliant orchestral masterpieces. John Williams has unparalleled orchestral techniques among contemporary musicians. In the song "Flight to the Neverland", he almost used the whole orchestra, filled the whole song with rich ensembles, and a simple theme, which was transformed into layer after layer under the modulation of his skillful hands. Listen to the complicated ensemble. That's the skill of N21. It gives a very clear stage, yes, it is very clear. I have heard this song several times in the past year, and I have listened to it on many systems. This time, it was the most surprising one for me. In such a piece of music, which is constantly evolving with a bright rhythm, even at a high volume, N21 still keeps Alexia 2 steady and stable, with a solid sound field and clear hierarchy, without any disturbing sense of impatience. When the drums sound, the strength is firm and solid but powerful. On the one hand, N21 tries its best to restore a clear stage picture, on the other hand, it carves out rich details, and on the other hand, it gives music weight.
This can also be seen in the music selection of close encounters of the third kind. The score of the alien's visit in the previous paragraph is full of sci-fi whimsy, which is discordant, full of modernity and conflict. The sharp and exciting sound of the violin winds all the way, and then the orchestra explosively plays. There is a great dynamic contrast among them, and N21 has mastered the contrast very well. When the music reached its climax, melodious and gentle melodies appeared, but the indulging strings full of late romanticism led to the five-note motivation of the film, and then John Williams began to enter the magnificent orchestral music that he was best at, which was like imitating Mahler's accent, but had a more coherent and fluent grammar that made people more approachable. N21 combed out all kinds of complexity in this piece of music, as if everything was clear, and how easy it was to understand. We are not musicians, we may not read music, but when we listen to records, the stereo can spread out the contents of these music in front of you in an orderly way, so that you can get closer to the music and enter it more. When I was listening to N21, I felt this more deeply.
Realism that seems to be palpable
Animal Carnival by Saint-Sang can also show how MBL N21 can vividly reproduce the music picture and its exquisite timbre.