The Ensemble Concept
Why Ensemble ?
Of course there are many very good reasons as shown further along. First of all, beside having exceptional qualities, a true High End product for us is one that has a level of maturity that obviates the need for regular updates or Mark II, etc. versions. This means long product life cycles, long-term pride of ownership.
Small wonder then that 15 or 20 year old Ensemble equipment is still in treasured use. Ensemble equipment is a true asset.
What makes Ensemble different ?
Most hifi equipment appears to be developed on the basis of a small musical spectrum.
To get the full, rich flavour of music, Ensemble equipment is developed on the basis of acoustic instruments and unenhanced voices right up to the most demanding and complex combinations of these natural sources of sound – with the unquestionable quality of being verifiable.
Once you get reproduction to be a mirror image of that kind of demanding sound, every other music falls automatically into place.
On the other hand, the kind of music ( all too ) often heard at hifi shows, keeps you in an artificial environment, leaving you to guess-work, unless you happen to be the sound or mixing engineer of a recording.
Comparing Ensemble is therefore comparing sun-ripened tomatoes to greenhouse-raised ones.
The five fundamentals of Ensemble design and build quality
・Make all elements to have the same strong qualities and inherent balance.
・Eliminate interference on all levels.
・Pay attention to even the smallest details.
・Have parts specifically made where quality is extremely critical.
・Make form, function, and build quality constitute perfect whole
( a real ‘ensemble’ ).
Ensemble specific parts – a distinctive quality feature
In its perfectionist pursuit of quality Ensemble uses many critical parts specifically made to its own needs and designs – superior to the standard parts normally found in most other products.
Most visible are the Allino™ RCA connectors, RCA jacks as well as the speaker terminals and spades, with all conductive parts made of copper – 3 ½ times the conductivity of standard brass.
Beside a whole range of PROCAP™ film and GOLDEN GATE™ electrolytic capacitors, all the internal wiring relies on specifically made conductors in order to satisfy the exacting quality demands.
The same is the case with the transformers and inductors used.
What you get
Having set up – ’plug and play’ – an Ensemble system, it only takes a few bars of music and you find yourself in a space energized with music, the musicians projected in life size, in a space as wide and deep as it was recorded. Different from most hifi, you can walk around in the room, no red spot, no artificiality. The music is spatially precisely there as in a real concert or club – or quite simply as if you had musicians in your own living room. A new dimension of experiencing music at home.
What you will appreciate in the long term
You will appreciate the effortless, naturally balanced rendition that acoustically mirrors the music without ( tiring ) artefacts. You will be fascinated by the scale of expression, ranging from the delicate and subtle to the majestic and boldly dramatic.
The scale is wider and larger than that of many larger systems, inclined to drowning the subtler and finer textures or losing the natural proportions of instruments and performers – slam and ’power’ being their main concern.
This is certainly the reason why people are inclined to say good-bye to massive speakers after listening to our ONDIVA™ speakers.
The real test
People suffering from hyper-sensitive hearing conditions have reported that Ensemble equipment enables them for the first time to listen to music for longer periods without any strain
The bigger the better
In a world where miniaturisation has become a measure of sophistication, high end hifi seems to be still dominated by the notion of ‘bigger is better’, whether it is actual size or weight or power rating.
Ensemble equipment is made like musical instruments, with the size and capacity to perform optimally up to the very largest living room sizes.
Transposed into the world of the finest timepieces, you may well ask: Who proudly wears an alarm clock ?
A cable can make or ‘break’ a system
While some cables not only ‘break’ a system but just as well your bank account, Ensemble has for long put the necessary emphasis on developing cables that perform in a way as if they were not there.
Thanks to their complex shielding they give interference no chance, and therefore can transmit signals totally undisturbed, providing the deep silent background, against which the smallest musical inflexions and ambient information can rise.
These qualities have given the Ensemble cables the reputation of high performers in any kind of system.