Munich HIGH END Show Report 2017
Enjoying Rarified Air With Aries Cerat's Vacuum Tube And Horn System
High End Society Munich Germany
HIGH END 2017 Show Report By Steven R. Rochlin

  Aries Cerat brought their wonderful Symphonia Aeneus to mate with some very special three-way horn-loaded speakers. Also shown during HIGH END 2017 is the Aries Cerat Concero 65 SET DHT tube monoblocks. With an incredibly beautiful style, the Concero 65 boldly features the 814 DHT vacuum tube, with amorphous C-core, bifilar winded interstage transformer. Using interstage transformers is a well-proven route to great sound. The Concero 65's high power film capacitor (choke regulated) banks and triple filtered filaments ensure clean power. Parallel 813 SET stage with ultra low noise allows you to adjust the bias circuits. For film capacitors, Aries Cerat chose to employ ~1000 times the maximum current surge rating than any electrolytic as used in other amplifiers, with 10 times less ESR/ESL than any electrolytic capacitors. For those curious, the overspec'ed 24 lbs choke is to guarantee high-end sound quality. A total of 700,000uF is used for  primary and secondary circuits capacitance. There are separate toroidal transformers for output stage, driver and filaments, with a grand total of 1500VA.

Also at HIGH END 2017 was Aries Cerat's Impera II (both standard and Signature versions) that features very special inverted triode technology. Their Inverted Triode is a unique active element, said to be widely different to any kind of vacuum tube used in audio and tube electronics in general. Three electrodes, a cathode, grid and plate, are combined to give an amplification device completely different in operation than the classic vacuum tube. Typically, inside a typical vacuum tube, an electron stream emitted from a heated cathode is accelerated toward a positively charged anode, which has a flat plate structure. The electron flow is impeded by the grid ,a negatively charged wire-grid structure, placed between the cathode and anode. This operation resembles a typical fluid control valve, hence the name valve tube. Inside an Inverted Triode tube, the electron stream emitted from a heated cathode, is accelerated towards the anode, now a wire-grid-like structure.

The electron flow is now unimpeded since no grid structure exists between the anode and cathode. Instead, a plate-like structure, enveloping the cathode/anode assembly, called the control 'grid' is shadowing the anode electrical field, having a very high negative electrical field itself, thus 'pushing' the electrons away from the anode. This mode of electron flow control is completely different than a triode mode of operation. Aries Cerat says that the inverted triode actually acts like a virtual "vacuum state transformer". Instead of having gain, the inverted triode has a gain that of a fraction of unity, just like a step down transformer. The internal resistance is many times lower, and input capacitance is nearly zero. Also of note is that their Inverted Triode tube presented a power bandwidth of 2Hz to 500kHz whereas the 300B tube had a bandwidth of 15Hz to 100kHz.

Aries Cerat's Symphonia speaker is othe company's latest pride, as the result of a five year journey in R&D with horn speaker engineering. The HF transducer is a customized true Al foil ribbon made by RAAL. This is loaded with a specially designed and unique shaped horn shape to dramatically alter the parameters and performance of the tweeter. The midrange horn is made from solid wood and has a very unique flare in design with the goal of eliminating all possible diffractions. Of note is that the midrange acoustic level can be altered via a multitap transformer, which aids in tuning the speaker according to each room's acoustics. For bass, a 3.3 meter long horn with very large mouth area ensures bandwidth in bass extension and weight.

Also at HIGH ED 2017 was Arie Cerat's Kassandra II Sig ladder DAC, Aries Cerat Talos Limited Edition phono preamplifier, and  Aries Cerat ACSUT-1B step up transformers. They were putting to use the wonderful Vyger Indian Signature turntable, Air Tight PC-1 Supreme cartridge, Tellurium Q cables throughout and an EVO streamer. Enjoy the Music.com's Editor Tom Lyle recently reviewed the Aries Cerat Diana Forte Stereo Power Amplifier. Within his review, Tom said, "If one can undertake the responsibilities associated with setting up and owning an amplifier that weighs 250 pounds, uses huge tubes that puts out enough heat to warm a large room or make a small one quite uncomfortably, takes up as much floor-space as a small refrigerator, and can afford it, I say -- go for it. I think that one would be wise to match the Aries Cerat with more appropriate speakers than electrostatic panels, because the resulting sound will be magical. This is fact, not opinion. And for that reason, I think those responsible for designing, manufacturing, and selling this power amplifier should receive a reward" See Tom's full review of the Aries Cerat Diana Forte Stereo Power Amplifier at this link. Enjoy the Music.com also reviewed the Aries Cerat Incito stereo preamplifier.

Also of note is that Tom reviewed the Aries Cerat Incito Stereo Preamplifier and Enjoy he Music.com gave it a very special Blue Note Award! You can read Tom's review of the Aries Cerat Incito Stereo Preamplifier here.

---> Back to HIGH END 2017 show report homepage.