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AWARDS BEST SOUND/BEST RECORDING AWARDS 2021
The end of the year is coming so it is the time for some summaries. We do this in "High Fidelity" by awarding the most interesting, in our opinion, products with the Best Sound Awards. We would like this list to be your guide you can use to search for advise while developing your systems. Let's get to it! |
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AWARDS
Text: WOJCIECH PACUŁA | MAREK DYBA |
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No 212 January 1, 2022 |
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The next category is STATEMENT AWARD – these go to the „best of the best” products. This year as many as six components were awarded it including two from Poland! Most products were awarded with BEST SOUND. In 2021 we tested and presented almost 130 products: electronics, loudspeakers, cables and accessories, and we’ve managed to select the most representative, we believe, group among them. We’ve divided this bunch according to the type of product and listed them in an alphabetical order in each subgroup. And finally, we have a group dedicated to recordings and we awarded them with BEST RECORDING. We’d like to congratulate all the awarded companies, we are proud that we were able to host your products in our homes! Let us invite our readers to read, and/or re-read the tests, comparisons and drawing your own conclusions. Thank you for your trust - without it, no test, no review and no award makes sense. Once again - THANK YOU !!! 
⸜ ACOUSTIC REVIVE • Kiyoh-stone ACOUSTIC REVIVE, a JAPANESE COMPANY led by Mr. KEN ISHIGURO, proposed a whole series of products that utilize a material called Kiyoh-stone to dissipate vibrations. It is a rare earth element whose main component is aluminum silicate. It is available in only one place in the Land of the Rising Sun, in the Gunma prefecture, where Acoustic Revive has its headquarters. The series includes: ⸤ REFERENCE SYSTEM: Products belonging to the KYIOHI-STONE are part of the „High Fidelity” REFERENCE SYSTEM ⸜ Power amplifier MOZZAIK1 is the first product of the Croatian company MOZZAIK AUDIO. It is a power amplifier with an integrated signal processor. It is also one of the most interesting power amplifiers I have dealt with recently. It sounds open, has a low bass, but above all, it sounds coherent, dense and engaging. It clearly shows the differences between recordings, so it is not suitable for correcting the sound they offer. But the set of filters used in it allows to clarify this sound, regardless of the loudspeakers used. It is worth noting that the solutions used in it are proprietary developments of the company and they have been used in a very interesting and innovative way. ⸤ TEST: № 201 ⸜ 16th Jan. 2021, see HERE ⸜ Lamp UBERLIGHT FLEX LAMP - many audio journalists before me have already appreciated it, so I will not try to be original and I will say that it is an excellent proposition. It worked for me both when listening, calibrating and setting up the turntables that I tested - as well as cartridges - but it was useful to me many times, simply, during normal use of the audio system. After we screw it on or put it up (I had the screwed version), and actually find use for it several times, we will appreciate its excellent functionality and simple, but well-executed functions, and great workmanship. ⸤ COLUMN: № 206 ⸜ June 1st 2021, see HERE |PL| 
⸜ Line preamplifier THE ACCUPHASE C-3900 LINE PREAMPLIFIER is part of the "anniversary" flagship series of this Japanese manufacturer. It is flawlessly built and richly equipped, as if it came from the 1970s. It is, however, still a "pure" analog preamplifier. In its case we are talking about high-end, where we get a lot of sounds, which makes the performance full and natural. It is a velvety presentation on the one hand, and resolving and detailed on the other. These observations are confirmed by the perfect spatiality of the sound of the tested preamplifier. The bass here is strong, boosted, which gives the presentation a large volume and places it firmly on a strong base. Accuphase is also an excellent headphone amplifier. ⸤ TEST: № 202 ⸜ Feb. 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ Loudspeakers BELLATRIX Loudspeakers BY DIVINE ACOUSTICS are one of the nicer sounding loudspeakers that I have listened to at my home (Wojtek Pacula, ed.) and one of the best Polish designs that I have heard at home. They sound in an incredibly well-ordered, calm, relaxed way, while bringing a lot of information about the recording. They do not point out production errors, but also do not cover them - they rather go deeper into the recording, and not slide on its surface. They are incredibly resolving and have good selectivity. They do not extend as low as the reference speakers in the bass, but I cannot blame them for that, because the bass has beautiful, well-differentiated timbre. ⸤ TEST: № 201 ⸜ Sept. 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ Anti-vibration rack I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS one of the best anti-vibration systems on the market and although we can find equally good products based on different assumptions and correcting the sound in a different way, in my case the Finite Elemente rack was THE choice. It is not the only rack of this class on the market, there are others, based on different assumptions, also extremely interesting. But for me it is in its honesty, in the technical background behind it, and in the changes it brings to the sound a unique proposition. ⸤ COLUMN: № 208 ⸜ Aug. 16th 2021, see HERE ⸜ EMI headphones The LIME EARS PNEUMA are one of the best headphones I have ever heard, regardless of design or price. Their timbre is incredibly well set, and the resolution is above average. They seem to sound in a dark, warm way, but this is an illusion, as we are deceived by our habits of listening to music using other headphones. The space with them is incredible in its density, but they also show the sound close to us - although in fact they bring US closer to the sound. This makes binaural recordings better than with any headphones I know, and the classic ones, including mono ones - extremely pleasant. And all that with standard, silicone elements that couple them with our ears. I can't do without these headphones - that's why I ordered them for myself. ⸤ TEST: № 209 ⸜ Sept. 16th 2021, see HERE ⸜ Loudspeakers THE SPENDOR CLASSIC 100 THREE-WAY STAND-MOUNT SPEAKERS are by design far and medium field monitors. They are intended for listening at home, where they will work perfectly in any larger living space, working with a powerful amplifier offering high current efficiency. These are loudspeakers with a classic "British" sound, in which the emotions come from the midrange, perfectly complemented by the frequency range extremes. The vast majority of other loudspeakers sound out of breath compared with the Spendors, even if they pretend to be fast, like the wind. In combination with a beautiful timbre it gives the sound of the highest quality for really little money. ⸤ TEST: № 207 ⸜ July 1st 2021, see HERE 
⸤ DIGITAL SOURCE ⸣ ⸜ Audio files transport AUDIO FILES TRANSPORT AURENDER N20 does not sound like your typical digital source. Aurender engineers tried to get closer to the sound of vinyl record with its warmth, density and lack of annoying distortions usually associated with "digital sound". We get the sound, thanks to which listening is a pleasure, not something that we have to "bear with". It will be our sound source equal to CD and SACD Players, which we will probably listen to most often. Yes, it is so good - not perfect, but simply very good, even excellent. ⸤ TEST: № 208 ⸜ Aug. 1st 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ CD Transport + D/A Converter CEC TWO-BOX PLAYER sounds really very good. Its most important element is a sophisticated transport mechanism, and the D/A converter section is extremely simple - unlike in the reference player. The Japanese player sounds in a very "analog" way, that is, one in which there is no room for irritation, but only for fluidity. You can listen to this sound for hours without ever getting tired. It has a low bass with an emphasized mid-range, which brings the soundstage closer to us and the foreground is the most important part of the range. The upper treble is warm, but mainly when using a Pulse filter. But it is this filter that gives the sound refinement. ⸤ TEST: № 208 ⸜ Aug. 16th 2021, see HERE ⸜ Transport Compact Disc CYRUS CDt-XR IS A DEVICE that gives you a lot of fun. It offers an organized, extremely engaging presentation, so we can listen to any type of disc, regardless of how they were recorded and released. Listener's attention is focused on the midrange. This is a pastel sound, but without any clear softening, let alone "veiling". The CDt-XR shows that digital audio continues to evolve and that the Compact Disc has a lot to offer, is easy to use, and the music we buy really belongs to us. ⸤ TEST: № 201 ⸜ Jan 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ Digital-to-analog converter + power supply The SWISS D/A CONVERTER is a surprisingly cool design and, in addition, inexpensive. Its sound is dense, nice, pleasantly soft, but also well differentiated. The bass of the device is particularly interesting, it is full and well-differentiated. The differentiation is an important advantage of this converter and it will be difficult for the money to find equally well-shown differences in terms of recording, production and release quality. The sound changes when we add the POW1 power supply to it, directing it towards more effortless presentation with more momentum and better resolution. Frérot is simply a great, visually modest product made in Switzerland. ⸤ TEST: № 208 ⸜ Aug 16th 2021, see HERE ⸜ SACD Player ALTHOUGH NOMINALLY the No. The 5101 is a SACD player, in fact we are dealing with a player that allows you to play SACD discs, audio files - PCM up to 24/192 and DSD up to DSD128, but also a digital-to-analog converter - all in one housing. In addition, it's a player that is really good at everything - it's a great disc player that also plays files very well. It sounds warm, "analog", giving a huge perspective in breadth and focusing our attention on the tangible foreground. ⸤ COVER REVIEW: № 202 ⸜ Feb 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ SACD Player SOULNOTE S-3 V2 IS A FANTASTIC EXAMPLE of how "hard" engineering knowledge combined with experience in using it in the best audio products translates into real progress. Its main feature is the fantastic, beautiful midrange. I would treat the SoulNote player as an analog turntable. It does not pretend to read exactly all the information that is only available on the analog master tape, but rather creates its own world. It shows the beauty of the recordings, their fluidity, internal differentiation, and the low bass sounds great. ⸤ COVER REVIEW: № 201 ⸜ Jan 1st 2021, see HERE 
⸤ ANALOG SOURCE ⸣ ⸜ Phonostage MM/MC MY AWARD (Marek Dyba’s – red.) goes to the Italian manufacturer Gold Note for the whole reviewed set that included the PH-1000 + PSU-1000 + TUBE-1000. First of all, it is a outstanding, versatile, feature-rich phonostage for both, MM and MC cartridges. It’s a solid-state device, yet it combines in its sound all the best qualities of transistors and tubes. When you add to it a wide range of adjustable settings, a few dozens of various correction curves, how user-friendly it is, and how easily one can upgrade its performance with either external power supply, the PSU-1000 and TUBE-1000 which is a tube output stage, it turns out that this is one of the most interesting and best sounding devices in its price level (and above). MD ⸤ TEST: № 208 ⸜ Aug. 16th 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ Turntable & controller MUARAH MT-1 EVO TAKES US to a different world. It is a world full of colors and soft, oval chords. Details and subtleties are placed in the background, despite the fact that the differentiation is above average here. The bass extends very low and has a large volume. The Polish design incredibly easily creates large scale musical soundscapes. If you value a relaxed presentation of music, if the colors and layers are the most important for you, and you can sacrifice attack and impact in their name, it will be one of the best ways to make even the wildest dreams, of course related to music, come true - and at a very competitive price, too. ⸤ TEST FROM THE COVER: № 204 ⸜ Apr. 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ Turntable PRO-JECT PRO DEBUT is one of the most interesting turntables in the basic price range. It offers a tonally well-balanced sound, but also has character, thanks to which it does not kill the emotions contained in the recordings. It differentiates recordings well and shows the difference between 33 1/3 and 45 r.p.m. edition, different release methods, and even the depth of compression applied to a given release. Pro-Ject has prepared a complete turntable that plays with an excellent, thoughtful sound and that will embarrass many more expensive designs with its vitality and naturalness. ⸤ TEST: № 210 ⸜ Oct. 1st 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ Cartridge MC WHEN I ALREADY DECIDED which brand’s product would get another award, I had to make a choice between the two cartridges I reviewed within just a few months. In the end, I chose ... the less expensive one, objectively a bit less perfect than the top model. I'm talking about the Analog Relax EX-500. Its more expensive sister (brother?), the EX-1000, is absolutely unique in every way, but it costs a hell lot of money for a cartridge. One of the frequently used (not entirely correct, but quite true) sayings in audio says that it is not a challenge to build a perfectly sounding cost-no-object component. The trick is to build an excellent, more reasonably priced one. That is why the award goes to to the cheaper model. It is still expensive, but it offers a remarkable, smooth, coherent, mature, refined, natural sound with exceptional band extremes, delivering an absolutely immersive performance. It is an absolute master of acoustic music and vocals, but listening to the electric and electronic turned out to be a very special experience as well. If we were to additionally offer a "Discovery of the Year" award, I would vote for the Analog Relax brand. MD ⸤ TEST: № 201 ⸜July 16th 2021, see HERE|PL| |
⸤ AMPLIFICATION ⸣ ⸜ Integrated amplifier THE HUNGARIAN FLOW ONE AMPLIFIER by Flow by Allegro sounds extremely disciplined and at the same time extremely rich. It has everything we expect from high-end products. That is: an internally complex sound with a great timbre, a certain sweetness that allows you to listen to any type of music, but also high dynamics. It also builds a huge three-dimensional space. Thanks to this type of presentation, the recordings will sound spectacular in their panache and apparent lack of limitations. ⸤ TEST: № 212 ⸜ Dec. 1st 2021 ⸜ Integrated amplifier WHILE WE WILL REMEMBER THE 2021 as another year marked by the pandemic and the year of disrupted supply chains, we still got many fantastic components for our reviews. One of them was the remarkable Korean tube integrated amplifier, the Allnic Audio T-2000 30th Anniversary. The 60 W in triode mode and 120 W in the pentode mode that we get with the KT170 tubes and Permalloy output transformers offer users a unique chance to select almost any loudspeakers for their tube amplifier. It will deliver a outstanding, highly refined, addictive, emotional, energetic sound and what’s more, you can get in two different flavors depending on the operating mode of the output tubes. All that in one (not so small) box. What more could you want? MD ⸤ TEST: № 206 ⸜ JUNE 16th 2021, see HERE ⸜ Preamplifier LISTENING TO THE AURORASOUND PREDA-III I did not miss my preamplifier at all - the Japanese device remained in my memory as a very special component. The treble and midrange are flawlessly smooth and pleasant with it, and yet extremely accurate and carry a lot of information. The most important thing, however, is the pleasure of communing with the tested device. First of all, it is really well-made, and secondly - it sounds great. It does not sound like a tube or a solid-state device - it just sounds like the Aurorasound. ⸤ TEST: № 205 ⸜ May 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ Preamplifier/DAC/audio files player THE BRYSTON BR-20 IS AN EXCELLENT, a truly extremely good line preamplifier. Its sound offers a deep timbre, is perfectly balanced, velvety natural, fantastically resolving. I am convinced that many fans of tube technology would be wrong in their bind test and would claim that the BR-20 was a very good tube product. And at the same time, it is a device faithful to the letter to the recording. What's more, we get with it for free (as I see it) an audio files player, DAC and an excellent - I have to add - headphone amplifier. If this is what the combination of studio and audiophile experience is to look like, then I'm for it ... ⸤ TEST: № 211 ⸜ Nov. 16th 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ Preamplifier & power amplifier THE P300 LINE PREAMPLIFIER and M200 power amplifier feature an exquisite plastic design and great sonic design. The sound of this amp is clean, fast and open. It is also resolving. And this system does not brighten up details, does not look for "dust spots" where the sounds of the instruments are important. We get everything we need with it, because the amplifier does not take anything away either - it is just well-balanced and incredibly reliable in what it does. The P300 and M200 are beautiful - literally and figuratively - examples of musical sensitivity combined with an engineering ethos, all in a great form. This is a real high-end, realizing the trinity of design, workmanship and sound, at a very high level. ⸤ COVER REVIEW: № 212 ⸜ Dec. 1st 2021 
⸤ HEADPHONES ⸣ ⸜ Headphone amplifier THE FERRUM AUDIO started its activity with a bang - the Hypsos power supply is one of the best devices of this type on the market. It turns out, however, that it was only an introduction to the actual product, which is the Oor headphone amplifier. It is a well-made, nice-looking, professional-sounding product that can be used at home, in the company of an awesome signal source, as well as in a recording studio. Its sound is clear, resolving and has a very well-placed tonal balance. For the money it's one of the best headphone amps I know. ⸤ TEST FROM THE COVER: № 207 ⸜ July 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ Headphone amplifier THE MILTRA OTL-8XT HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER drives very nicely with various types of designs and types of headphones. The Polish amplifier is also superbly built, and operating it is a real pleasure. Its sound is simply perfect, and considering the price of the device - outstanding. It is a device that offers a finite, complex picture of the world where there is no room for chance. ⸤ TEST: № 209 ⸜ Sept. 1st 2021, see HERE |PL| 
⸤ LOUDSPEAKERS ⸣ ⸜ Audel MAGIKA Mk2 AUDEL MAGIKA MkII ARE SPEAKERS offering an extraordinary noble sound. At the same time, they are very versatile and they leave their mark on the recordings to a small extent. I mean - they are open to recordings. Their quality is clear from the very first second of a listening session, and yet any good music sounds interesting with them regardless of the quality of production and release. Their most important feature is the saturated foreground, and yet they project a huge sound stage. Excellent, beautiful loudspeakers that will work well even in very expensive systems. ⸤ TEST: № 211 ⸜ Nov. 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ Avatar Audio NUMER 3 BAMBOO Mk II THE AVATAR AUDIO HOLOPHONY NUMBER 3 Mk II loudspeakers are very universal, i.e. they will play with equal commitment both jazz from the 40s and 50s, as well as contemporary electronic music. They offer a wide frequency response and excellent coherence. But they also draw our attention, sometimes strongly, to recordings made in the best way, most of all to those in which the phase shifts resulting from post-production are the smallest. You can hear them then as if some big headphones put on our room. You should listen to them, regardless of your tastes and preferences. ⸤ TEST: № 203 ⸜ March 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ Fyne Audio F500SP FYNE AUDIO F500SP are loudspeakers of impeccable design, excellent workmanship and advanced construction. The depth of the stage is phenomenal, so it seems that the world created in front of us is large, one could even say - enormous. Thanks to great tonal differentiation, dynamic and unique imaging, they are the same among other small monitors as miniBugatti among cars. ⸤ TEST: № 202 ⸜ Feb. 1st 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ JBL L82 CLASSIC AS I WROTE IN THE REVIEW, regardless of the music genre and type of a carrier i listened to, whether it was an SACD or LP or a file, the JBL speakers sounded in an even, nice, creamy way. The L82 Classic offer a large presentation, with considerable dynamics, but most of all coherent. Neither the strong compression nor the slightly brighter realization of the recordings harm it, nor are they picky about the accompanying system. They play equally well placed close to the wall behind them, as when moved further out into the room, facing forward or toed-in. These are very nice sounding, visually attractive loudspeakers with an extremely versatile, pleasant sound. And this look ... ⸤ TEST: № 206 ⸜ June 16th 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ Monitor Audio SILVER 100 G7 The MONITOR AUDIOSILVER 100 G7 are the best bookshelf speakers from the Silver series that I have heard. They have an incredibly smooth and clean sound. They are internally consistent and balanced. Placed close to the wall, they have deep bass with good timbre and high dynamics. We said in the review that these are loudspeakers for "ordinary people", that is, not necessarily for crazy audiophiles. They have everything that is needed for comfortable listening to music, but without falling into the "hi-fi" trap. They are good to listen to, loud and quiet. A successful revitalization of a series that has been with us for over twenty years. ⸤ TEST: № 211 ⸜ Nov. 1st 2021, see HERE|PL| 
⸤ CABLES ⸣ ⸜ Kable LAN THE MOST IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE that Japanese TiGLON cables bring to the system is related to the resolution. The system sounded deeper, clearer, more dynamic and colorful with them. The recordings had more drama with them, were clearer and better defined. The bass went much lower and got something like a "second bottom". It was not one-dimensional, but was changing, meandering. The system with TiGLON cables started to sound as if I had returned two generations of tape back, closer to the source. The sound was deeper, lower and more refined. It seemed a little calmed down, as if everything was playing more in a more relaxed way, without tension. The changes in question are part of the sound with the new system, no matter what files, that is, what resolution and sampling frequency, we are dealing with. ⸤ COLUMN: № 210 ⸜ Oct. 1st 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ Interconnect + speaker cable AS WE SAID IN THE REVIEW, these two cables sound different. The interconnect is dark, dense, has a strong low bass and fills the space between the speakers in a dense, compressible way. On the other hand, the speaker cables sound offer more precise placement in space, and their tonal balance is set higher. In turn, they are more dynamic than interconnects. Both are refined, saturated and stay away from brightness. KBL Sound is growing and its products are becoming more and more sophisticated. At the same time, considering the sound quality, they are very favorably priced. They are also excellently made, at a high, world-class level. The Himalaya II is a very, very good set of high-end cables, intended for well-balanced systems. ⸤ TEST: № 209 ⸜ Sept. 16th 2021, see HERE 
⸤ POWER PRODUCTS ⸣ ⸜ Power conditioner AC THE AMERICAN CONDITIONER Hydra Delta D6 fits perfectly into the sound philosophy that I know from the more expensive products of this company. I am talking about a warm, extremely relaxing sound, which is also perfectly resolving. It offers a colorful world worth any money. It is much more difficult to saturate the sound with harmonics than to show their edges. So here and now we get a natural and pleasant presentation from the Delta D6. One that encourages long listening sessions. ⸤ TEST: № 210 ⸜ Oct. 16th 2021, see HERE |PL| 
⸤ ANTI-VIBRATION PRODUCTS ⸣ ⸜ Cable supports PAB CERAMIC 100 CS ARE THE BEST CABLE STANDS I know. They offer more than products offered by competitors. Thanks to them, the resolution of the sound improves, and thus the presentation is deepened and differentiated. Paradoxically, the sound is calmer with them. And this happens despite the higher dynamics and energy. The calm that I am talking about comes with these supports from the music, not from the sound, which translates into another artistic layer of the recordings that we experience. These are simply the best products of this type that I know. ⸤ TEST: № 212 ⸜ Dec. 16th 202, see HERE |PL| 
⸜ ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS Just Coolin’ Label: BLUE NOTE/UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC (Japan) UCGQ-9027 ⸤ REVIEW: № 210 ⸜ Oct. 16th 2021, see HERE |PL ⸜ ROBERT KANAAN Atea Label: Soliton SL1174 ⸤ REVIEW: HF News ⸜ Sept. 17th 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ MICHIKO OGAWA Oh Lady Be Good/Smile Label: Ultra Art Record UA-1004 ⸤ REVIEW: № 210 ⸜ Sept. 16th 2021, see HERE ⸜ STEPHAN MICUS Winter’s End Label: ECM Records/Tidal ⸤ REVIEW: HF News ⸜ June 11th 2021, see HERE|PL| ⸜ SEASICK STEVE Blues In Mono Label: There's A Dead Skunk Records/Tidal Master, ⸤ REVIEW: № 204 ⸜ Apr. 1st 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ PATRICIA BARBER Café Blue Label: IMPEX RECORDS IMP-6035-1 ⸤ REVIEW: № 204 ⸜ Apr. 1st 2021, see HERE ⸜ FRANK SINATRA Sinatra’s Sinatra Label: Stereo Sound SSVS-017 ⸤ REVIEW: № 205 ⸜ May 1st 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ ADAM CZERWIŃSKI & DAREK OLESZKIEWICZ feat. LARRY KOONSE Pictures Label: AC Records 017/2020 ⸤ REVIEW: HF News ⸜ March 12th 2021, see HERE |PL| ⸜ VOICES OF THE COSMOS Interstellar Space Label: Eter Records | Gusstaff Records ⸤ REVIEW: HF News ⸜ Feb. 2nd 2021, see HERE |PL| |
S EVERY YEARS WE HAVE DEVIDED the list of awarded products into four groups. First you’ll read about our SPECIAL AWARD, which this years goes to two brands and designers behind them. The first one is the ACOUSTIC REVIVE and Mr. KEN ISHIGURO-san for the series of products utilizing a mineral called Kiyoh-stone. The second one goes to a young team lead by MIHAEL MUNT and MARKO DVEČKO from Mozzaik Audio for their innovative MOZZAIK1 power amplifier.
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