⌈ KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY is an informal group of music lovers, audiophiles and friends who meet to learn something new about audio products, records, music, etc. The idea for KSS was born in 2005, although its roots go back several years. Below you will find a report from its 150th meeting. ⌋

! – I START THIS TEXT with an exclamation mark because there is no other way to do it. Or maybe even: “Because there is no other way!” We have had one hundred and fifty meetings and not many fewer reports, which you could follow in the pages of “High Fidelity” and also in the American magazine “Positive Feedback”.

Let us recall that initially these were meetings that Andrzej Kisiel, editor-in-chief of “Audio”, christened “Mini Audio Shows”, i.e. mini versions of the Warsaw Audio Show. Reports from them were published in the monthly magazine he was the chief editor of, where I also worked for ten consecutive years. Rysiek B. and Tomasz F., one of the current hosts of these events, already took part in those meetings. After some time, I decided to transfer this formula to “High Fidelity”, and to make it work, I established the Krakow Sonic Society and named myself its president. It has remained so still today.

⸜ XACT S1 Evo in our host’s setup

Since then, our meetings have been attended by well over a hundred people, including many producers, and the core of the group has also been established for many years, with Rysiek B., Wiciu, Jarek Waszczyszyn, Tomek and the colorful bird, Janusz, the first host of the meetings. Over time, more KSS members joined, such as Andrzej, Marcin, Rysiek S., Justyna and Dominika, and some of them went out into the world. Today, KSS is a group of about twenty people who meet fairly regularly to listen to a new device, new cables or a new remastered album. If I have forgotten anyone, please forgive me and put it down to emotion.

I was therefore delighted to present each of the attendees of the 150th Meeting with a special medal that I had designed together with JPLAY, as well as a certificate. Since reaching the 150th milestone was a bit like a sporting achievement, I started the meeting with my favorite poem by Kazimierz Wierzyński, 100 m, from the Laur olimpijski volume. To make it as authentic as possible, I bought the third edition of this book, from 1928, which was the edition that came out a year after the first one.

To emphasize the local dimension of this endeavor, I asked a sommelier from a small winery near Krakow to visit us that evening. The idea was that since we are a Polish association from Krakow, our guest was Marcin Ostapowicz with the XACT S-1 Evo file transport, with an equally native product, it should be sealed with a local delicacy. The wines came from the Sielanka Winery, located in Poręba Laskowska in the Skała commune, and we were given a tour of its organic wines by Mr. Marek Górski, who takes care of the wines at the Krokoszówka Górska Winery on a daily basis.

⸜ Gentleman representing Winnica Sielanka – Marek Górski, on the right, who takes care of the wines at the Krokoszówka Górska Winery on a daily basis

And although the wines were very, very good, even though the place was only founded in 2019, the most interesting thing was to see and listen to someone as crazy as we are, in the absolutely positive sense of the word (yes, that also exists :). With passion, a wealth of knowledge and love for what he talks about. And at the same time, far from dogmatism and treating the people around him in a patronizing way. A wonderful evening!

But that's what happened after listening. Before that, we sat down in front of the more expensive version of file transport, the earlier incarnation of which we had the opportunity to listen to in December 2022, the XACT S1 Evo. Let me remind you that we compared it to a computer used as file transport, and the meeting took place in Julian Soja's place using his system; more → HERE ˻PL˺. Let me also remind you that the test of the S-1 Evo version was published in the February issue of this year's “High Fidelity” → HERE.

▌ S1 Evo

IT WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME that Marcin Ostapowicz was a guest of the Krakow Sonic Society. As I wrote, the new version of his XACT S1 Evo file transport also had its world premiere in “High Fidelity”, and was also featured on our cover. So let's repeat only the most important information about it.

The XACT S1 Evo is an audio file transport and is an evolution of the S1, which remains a part of the brand’s lineup; two more transports are planned – in a lower and an even higher price range. The manufacturer writes about the new device: “Ultimate Sound Evolution, Unmatched Analog Perfection”. As he told us during the launch of the device, he had only one goal: “to make the best file transport possible”. He added that the XACT S1 is the sum of all his experience: “You could say that the products I launched under the JCAT brand were necessary for the creation of the XACT S1”. This “research” took over ten years.

A file transport is a device used to convert files, both from local resources and over the internet, into a digital signal. It supports WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, mp3 (PCM) as well as dff and dsf (DSD) files and “unpacks” them, providing a PCM or DSD digital signal at the output and sending it out via a USB connection.

Files can be downloaded from the network, locally from a NAS drive, or from the internet, or from an internal SSD drive. So it is not only a file transport, but also a server. What's more, after changing the FLASH card, which plugs into the back panel, the device can also act as a LAN switch. The S1 EVO plays all common file types in almost any resolution – DSD natively up to DSD512 and PCM up to 768 kHz, 16–32 bits. However, it does not decode MQA files, leaving this to an external D/A converter. The device does not feature wireless connection, so we connect it to the router only via a LAN cable.

▌ SOUND

HOW WE LISTENED • The listening test took place in Tomek F.'s system and consisted of comparing the transport of XACT S1 Evo files to the → AURENDER N20 ˻PL˺ owned by Tomek. We used the Qobuz streaming service as the source of the files, with the exception of one track from Tidal. Before the meeting, we asked the participants to choose one song that they listened to sitting in the best spot in the room, the so-called “sweet spot”.

» RECORDINGS USED IN THE TEST ⸜ a selection

⸜ IMAGINE DRAGONS, Monica (Demo), KidinaKorner/Intersope Records/Qobuz, FLAC 16/44,1 ⸜ 2025.
⸜ CASSANDRA WILSON, Strange Fruit, Blue Note/Qobuz, FLAC 24/192 ⸜ 2013.
⸜ SOPHIE B. HAWKINS, Don’t Stop Swaying (Album Version), Columbia/Qobuz, FLAC 16/44,1 ⸜ 1992.
⸜ LEONARD COHEN, Happens to the Heart, Columbia/Qobuz, FLAC 24/44,1 ⸜ 2019.
⸜ CHRIS JONES,Long After You Are Gone, Acoustic Music/Qobuz, FLAC 24/44,1 ⸜ 2003.
⸜ THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA WITH JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, You Know, You Know, Columbia/Tidal, FLAC 16/44,1 ⸜ 1971.
⸜ ERIC BURDON, Pretty Colours, MGM Records/Qobuz, FLAC 16/44,1 ⸜ 1971.
⸜ METALLICA, Master of Puppets, Roadrunners Records/Qobuz, FLAC 24/44,1 ⸜ 1986.
⸜ RAZ OLSHER, Knowledge, Fossil Sounds/Qobuz, FLAC 16/44,1 ⸜ 2023.
⸜ AROOJ AFTAB, Raat Ki Rani, Verve/Qobuz, FLAC 24/96 ⸜ 2024.
⸜ INFECTED MUSHROOM, NINET TAYEB, Black Velvet, Monstercat Instinct/Qobuz, FLAC 24/44,1 ⸜ 2022.

»«

Wojciech Pacuła • IMAGINE DRAGONS, Monica (Demo)
I am glad that we have returned to the way of listening in which everyone has the opportunity to listen to the music they know while occupying the sweet spot. Therefore, sentences beginning, ending, and containing the phrase: “I don't know what it's really like, but where I'm sitting...” are prohibited.

We had already talked about these devices and I must say that I was a little surprised when someone mentioned that XACT played “darker” because the Aurender sounded much darker to me. The Polish transport sounded clearer. Not bright or sharp, because that's not the point, but more expressive. There was more of everything in the sound. The soundstage was closer with it. At first, I didn't really like it because suddenly there was a lot of everything. I sit here and think that with Aurender there was a certain depth to the sound, it sounded calmer.

⸜ The whole setup, including Ayon Audio Kronos Signature DAC, Accuphase P-7300 power amplifier and Dynaudio Confidence 50 loudspeakers

But then it turned out, or so I think, that Korean transportation is less resolving, there are fewer elements on the stage in front of us. And when fewer elements are shown in the same place, it seems to be a nicer, more pleasant message. And yet, with Marcin's transport, you could hear much more in the music - more reverbs, more delay. Referring not to his music, but to Metallica, which Zbyszek brought, a few words about guitars.

Zbyszek B. • Well, yes, with Aurender they were less transparent, less clear. In its interpretation of this piece, the rhythmic section was the most audible. However, in the second playback, with XACT, I don't know if it was the yellow light's suggestion, but with it the sound was definitely warmer for me, and the guitars had a nice color and it wasn't so deconstructed. It sounded as if the sound with the Aurender was much more analytical and took away some of the “drama” of the music.

Wojtek • That’s what I heard. I pointed out similar changes in my piece. XACT fills the sound with various additional things, making it fuller. In its version, the guitars had much more dark reverb. And when you show them on such a dark reverb, the sound becomes big, the guitars are bigger. The sound seems warmer as a result. And that's exactly why I think this version is better - the guitars weren't just played, they were big and with “something” around them. With the S1 Evo, you could hear that this was done on purpose. With the Aurender, it wasn't as clear.

Zbyszek • Exactly. This is a genre in which guitars play a leading role and they must be clear and powerful. It's almost like a “pressure” message. I don't know what to call it, but it's about “metal slam” :) And with XACT, I had that. With Aurender too, but to a lesser extent.

In conclusion, I will say that you have to get used to the sound of XACT because, in my opinion, there is simply more information there and it is more difficult to adjust to such a quantity of sounds. However, you can immediately hear that there is depth there, but without boosting the bass – it even seems to me that the Aurender pumps harder at the bottom. The 'Korean' is also a great device. But what Marcin’s device brings to the table is something extra.

Artur Reich ⸜ Audio Video Summit, KTS • CASSANDRA WILSON, Strange Fruit
I was listening to Cassandra Wilson. And I listened to two different versions. And the second version, the XACT one, was a class better. The bass control was better, although it left a lot to be desired too, but it was definitely better. In addition, this system has really nice treble and it came out better with this transport too.

However, when it comes to vocals, I felt there was something lacking, both in the case of Cohen, which Janusz played, and “my” Cassandra. She has a very low, dark, almost earthy voice, which is amazing, and in both cases it seemed to me that it was not as full as it should have been. At the same time, however, in the latter reproduction, it sounded – in my opinion – a class better. The sound of XACT was much better, more natural and closer to what I have in my system.

Tomasz L. ⸜ KTS • SOPHIE B. HAWKINS, Don’t Stop Swaying (Album Version)
I mainly listen to music at night, in silence, and it is very important to me that there is no ambient noise, electricity or devices around, because the devices also introduce noise. And this device, XACT, seems completely noise-free.

It plays very smoothly and with “my” ladies, whom I listen to, with calm music, it will be a very, very cool piece of equipment. Because it is pleasant to listen to, in an incredibly comfortable way. But when it comes to energetic music, I definitely preferred the Aurender. You have to add some dirt to it, it needs a jolt, and with our guest's transport, it was too softened.

I also tested the JPlay application and it sounds similar. If there is a glitch at the top of the band in the file, if something is not right, if there is something in the sound that annoys me, I prefer to listen to it with Marcin's application than with the original Lumin application. And this device, XACT, goes in the same direction.

Janusz ⸜ KTS • LEONARD COHEN, Happens to the Heart
XACT, for me, was more linear, there was more space and more details in the music it played. It was what Wojtek was talking about earlier - the sound was more balanced with him.

⸜ The rear panel of the XACT held by Tomek, our host, with yours truly behind him

Listening to “my” Cohen on the Aurender, I had the impression that the bass was boosted, the vocals were pushed back, and the treble was still quite reasonable, but I was overwhelmed by it all. With XACT, everything was “straightened out” and clear; it was a completely different experience. It's not my cup of tea in either case, but of the two devices, Marcin's transport sounded much, much better.

Andrzej • CHRIS JONES,Long After You Are Gone
I chose this recording because I often listen to it when I change something in the system. It is a kind of “reference” for me. I brought it because the source we are listening to today, file transport, is important to me.

I gave up on CDs a while ago. I mainly have files in my collection and stream music from the internet – and I have a Grim Audio MU1 player. I remember when we first met with Tomek and compared my player with an Aurender connected to an Ayon, Grimm clearly won. It's not that the Aurender sounds bad – I once had an N10 model. So I can say that the Aurender has a certain 'style' – just like here, that is, dynamic. You could also say that its sound is spectacular. Except that in my system, there was 'too much' of everything with it, the sound was too intense.

I use Bowers & Wilkins 800 series speakers in my system and I'm looking for a sound that is “drawn” with a thinner line, without being intrusive. Therefore, in my system, the XACT with the Ayon as a “DAC” would probably sound better, it would sound similar to Grimm Audio. Chris Jones' guitar is difficult to reproduce because it has a lot of treble and a lot of bass. Marcin's transport picked up this tonal range very easily, without effort. With the Aurender, on the other hand, there was a little too much bass, too much for me.

I think that with the kind of music we listened to so far, which was rather calm and vocal-based, everything sounded better with XACT.

Rysiek B. ⸜ KTS • THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA WITH JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, You Know, You Know
To be honest, I can't choose which transport I liked the most based on this one. If I had to, I would say our guest's device was just a touch better. With Aurender, I didn't immediately hear the violin in this piece, and it wasn't until Wiciu pointed it out that I noticed it. It was the first thing that came to mind. It was as if XACT brought out more of the music, but not the details, only the musical information.

But it was not like heaven and earth. Therefore, in conclusion, I will say something that I have been repeating for a long time and that the Japanese have in their blood: you should have at least two different systems at home. I have two different pairs of speakers that are fundamentally different - Sonus Faber and Dynaudio. I listen to different music on them because albums sound better sometimes on one system and sometimes on the other. The same situation applies here.

I couldn't listen to Leonard Cohen on the Aurender transport. With XACT, it calmed down, returned to normal, the music started to flow, as with Cassandra Wilson. With the host's transport, the bass went a bit out of control, the vocals died out, while with our guest's transport, the vocals came out really nicely, and the bass was under control. But one more word about Metallica. I'm not a fan of this band or this kind of music. But the thing is that with Aurender, this song was “loud”, it was unlistenable in my opinion. And with S1 Evo, suddenly there were two or three layers and it sounded really cool.

If I had the choice now and could take home any of these devices – even though I play music from the radio and CD – because I get them for free, I would take the XACT.

Jaromir Waszczyszyn ⸜ Ancient Audio, KTS • ERIC BURDON, Pretty Colours
It may sound silly, but I don't want to talk about this track because it was simply played too quietly. Listening to it is like drinking non-alcoholic beer. That's why I'd like to talk about the other tracks.

The first thing is that the opinion about us in the “world” is that we are snobs who sip wine, play some classical music, something groovy, some cool music. And meanwhile, today we played normal, lively, cool songs, not any old stuff. Another thing is that, in the music played from the Aurender transporter, two performers grabbed my heart: Metallica and Raz Olsher. All the rest somehow didn't reach me - it flew in one ear, flew out through the other, filtered through my hair, nothing was left.

However, we only had to turn on the first piece from the XACT transport and there was a brilliant definition of voice, definition of instruments. My English is not good enough for me to understand what Wilson was singing about, but this time I understood the individual words. Clearly, the intelligibility of the human voice with the S1 Evo was on a completely different level.

⸜ Marcin Ostapowicz, the S1 Evo’s designer :)

With Aurender, the Mahavishnu Orchestra piece seemed uninteresting, too calm, after all, it only develops for two minutes, if not longer. With XACT, on the other hand, there was a lot going on – the guitar made its presence felt, and a moment later there was a brilliant improvisation on the Fender piano. The punch of that Fender was simply brilliant. It was something that Aurender could only emphasize in certain chords. And so track by track - the definition of music, the separation of musical events, the attack, but not an attack in the sense that something suddenly slams, but that now something is starting, now the playing is starting. And it all came out great with Marcin's transport. Bravo!

Zbyszek B. • METALLICA, Master of Puppets
This is my first experience with streamed files. I have never listened to music this way before – I am a vinyl freak, which is probably no surprise :)

The first impression is not bad. I was surprised that Aurender is so transparent and selective. Maybe that's why you could clearly hear the differences in the quality of the files themselves. I mean that you could feel whether the file was of better or worse quality. That's why I can say that Aurender sounded very nice. In a way, it was “my” sound. But at the same time, I missed the warmth and color of his sound. They appeared at one moment, immediately, when XACT started playing. Interestingly, in my opinion, XACT is not as selective a transport as Aurender, and you, Wojtek, thought it was much more detailed.

With our guest's transport, I got more information and this information was presented in a musical way, which could be heard in Metallica, where the emphasis was on a kind of story being told, where James Hefield rides “horseback” and sets the pace of the song. The definition and aggression of the guitars was also much easier to hear with it, even though the sound was warmed up. It can be said that the way Aurender presented this song is more digestible for some people, while for me, XACT is definitely closer to music.

I don't know if there is a suggestion in the color of the LED, and such things happen when you - contrary to appearances - may be very important when listening to music. It really is true, there have been studies showing a connection between how we perceive sound and what we look at. The second thing is related to the display. In Polish transport, I couldn't see the cover, title, etc., and my perception of sound changed immediately. I stopped listening to some abstract file, I just listened to music without wondering where it came from.

Tomasz F. ⸜ KTS • RAZ OLSHER, Knowledge
What you say about the display is very interesting. In the Aurender menu, you can select a mode called “critical listening mode”, in which the display is completely blank, so in theory it performs a little better. I listened to it like this for about two or three weeks after purchasing it, but I found the inconvenience associated with it to be too much for me to not use it. For me, however, seeing the cover is important.

⸜ A glimpse into the discussion about sound (and the benefits of wine)

Of all the previous statements, I agree most with what Janusz and half of what Zbyszek said. I took this comparison as if Aurender played a much more offensive top and bottom. Since there were more sounds with it, I perceive it as having higher resolution. XACT, on the other hand, has a stronger midrange and is probably more natural, more linear and even. Aurender, especially in “my” track, showed both the top and bottom in a privileged way.

The most important conclusion for me from this listening session is that these are two different transports, from absolutely different worlds, but playing at a similar level. And I could live with both of them on a daily basis. The perception changed depending on the tracks we played. I am very happy that I could host Marcin and XACT here, I am glad that they presented themselves in such a good light and that many listeners, maybe even the majority, liked them more than Aurender.

Marcin ⸜ JPLAY, XCAT, XACT • AROOJ AFTAB, Raat Ki Rani
It's clear that these two devices represent different sound philosophies, isn't it? The Aurender plays in a more technical and analytical way. It's probably not surprising that I prefer my product and the way it sounds.

I think it offers a more nuanced sound, where more things are brought out from the background. I don't know if you've noticed it, but some noises and small “events” are more legible with it. What was also important for me in this comparison was that the sound with XACT was more detached from the speakers. It was more three-dimensional. And I like this type of sound better because it is a more engaging event for me.

Rafał ⸜ KTS • INFECTED MUSHROOM, NINET TAYEB, Black Velvet
I liked both devices. In my opinion, they are in a similar class and each one was better than the other in different ways. For example, I liked Aurender more with Metallica and Infected Mushroom because its sound was, let's say, more “metallic” with these recordings. Because it was very distinctive, some people before me compared it to the XACT and said it was “cold”.

And that's right, I absolutely agree. But it was precisely with this music, in these genres, that I really liked it. The sound should be cold, cool, it should kick, you should feel it. I really enjoyed listening to it. With XACT, it seemed to me that there was a bit more information, details and more midrange, so the songs played with it were more musical as a whole.

Tomek •Maybe it's a good time to mention something that Wojtek and I talked about before the meeting. It's about the specific bias of the statements made by the KSS participants.

Historically speaking, our meetings most often, not always, but more often than not, concern two outstanding and very good devices, cables, speakers or whatever we happen to be listening to. When comparing them, those of us who have the ability to express our thoughts eloquently are often a bit depressed by the worse of the two devices, which turns it into a ‘total failure’, as if it were impossible to listen to it at all. And the better one is praised relentlessly.

And yet very often these are products of a very similar class, but differing in aesthetics. And unfortunately, our readers don't get that. They perceive what we say in a binary way, as if we were talking about extremes. I know it wouldn't be as interesting to read as it is now, but it needs to be said. Because in reality, we almost always talk about extremes when it comes to devices that play equally well, and often even amazingly well.

We had an example of such hyperbole at the previous KSS meeting I organized, with Gabi and Viktor from Siltech as our guests. One of the participants stated that “after changing the Dynaudio to a newer model with a downward-facing bass reflex (...) it won't work without acoustic treatment. Later, I heard that some readers of “High Fidelity” analyzed this statement and concluded that I am such a frivolous audiophile, despite forty years in this hobby, that I invite guests to critically listen to PLN 1.3 million cables in an empty room.

The truth is, however, that a 30 m² Ecophon Focus DG ceiling has been suspended over our heads, which can hardly be described as anything other than acoustic treatment. In addition, as you can see, I have, among other things, two carpets, five curtains, eight heavy thick curtains, two sofas, lots of American walnut furniture and a big rattan lamp, not to mention several hundred vinyl records, books and twenty-five back issues of “Stereophile”.

As most of you probably remember, I always wanted it to be a seemingly normal-looking living room where everyday life takes place, and not a ” men's cave', which neither looks good nor allows you to enjoy the sound of music in the long run, because along with the suppression of unwanted frequencies, part of the “life” of the music, its energy and vitality, is also taken away.

⸜ And a second glimpse

This statement should therefore be interpreted as at most an encouragement to slightly improve the level of low-frequency attenuation. I am extremely happy that today we have introduced this long-awaited rotation of places, and everyone could listen to their chosen piece sitting in the sweet spot, in exactly the same conditions as I have the pleasure of experiencing music every day.

Andrzej • Let me say that I agree with Rafał. He put it nicely, which I didn't quite manage to do. That is, there are cool songs in which Aurender was much better and vice versa. It is true that I would like to have two systems at home. Because I listen to a wide variety of music. I listen to electronic music, but really heavy stuff like Klaus Schulze. And there I should feel the bass, the beat, the kick. But then I also play Cassandra Wilson and I want it to be intimate, smooth. That's why I'd rather have both the Aurender and the XACT.

The question that should be asked is therefore more philosophical: is it not simply a problem of the music in question, of the recording? Because if we assume that every good recording should sound great on a well-composed audio system, regardless of the music genre, and this is not the case, then either the recording is poor or the system is. In this sense, we should strive to make everything sound good on one system. But it is also possible that each type of music is prepared with specific audiences in mind - and then you really need to have two systems.

Bartek ⸜ KTS • I understand what you mean, but I'll be brief: XACT is a much better device. In my opinion, they are not equivalent devices. Both are great, but Marcin's transport is a higher-end device. When I listened to it, it reminded me of listening to Chord Electronic devices. Listening to the XACT, I had the impression that I was listening to a Chord. And for me, it is still a benchmark.

What I mean is that the sound sources with the Polish transport were much better defined. They were also much more full-bodied. The sound was much bigger with it, delivered with breath, especially with Infected Mushroom. It sounded great, there was real breath, punch, power. I completely disagree with the statements that some music sounded better with one device and other pieces with another one. It seems to me that if the device is good, it will reproduce good recordings remarkably well and will ‘enhance’ the experience with the worse recorded ones.

And that’s what XACT's doing. Because, let's face it, Metallica is recorded the way it is recorded. These were not people who polished every guitar or cared much about brushes. That's not what this music is about. Production-wise it's fantastic, but the recording quality is so-so. And XACT took it to the next level – it was a pleasure to listen to. What I had with it was similar to what I once had with the top Chord CD player, namely that if we turned up the volume even more, it was simply louder, not more shrill. And that is something completely different.

⸜ Participants of the 150th. Meeting of the Krakow Sonic Society with commemorative medals send greetings to our readers!

With Marcin's transport, I had the feeling that I repeats with all good components - I started thinking about what song I would like to listen to with it, because I knew that it would sound great. And with this system, with these speakers - and I'm listening to them for the first time - it sounded very good.

Wiciu ⸜ KTS • I didn't prepare a track, so I didn't sit in the middle. And there are a lot more basses here, in this spot, than where I usually sit. I know, I know – we weren't supposed to talk about where we sit, but what can I do...

With Aurender, all the tracks seemed to have too much bass - it's a transport that plays low sounds louder. Maybe except for Burdon, which was indeed played too quietly and whose mastering was probably the worst. However, with XACT and Cassandra Wilson, I was struck by the fact that the bass descended so low that it was unbearable for me. At that point, it was downright aggressive. It was so low that I could almost physically feel the pain.

But when it comes to specific differences, it seems that Marcin's transport simply plays a stronger and fuller upper midrange. I am a lover of tube sound, warm, and therefore such an analytical, cool sound, which is a result of, for example, such presentation of the upper midrange does not suit me very much. I completely disagree with someone who said that Aurender is cold.

▌ Summary

THE FIRST, TWENTIETH AND HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH KSS meeting – and nothing changes. We still have different opinions on the products we listen to. Sometimes the discussion is more heated, sometimes calmer - but it is always there. It was the same this time, and even the medals around the necks of the winning participants did not stop it.

However, it is possible to extract a few specifics from the statements. First of all, everyone except Wiciu stated that Aurender plays cooler, more precisely, and more dynamically. On the other hand, XACT played warmer, in a smoother way, with more full-bodied sounds. The Aurender's sound can be characterized by a stronger emphasis on the extremes of the frequency range. This device compresses the punch at a single point. The Polish transport, on the other hand, treats the attack in a more nuanced way. The Aurender plays quickly and clearly, while the Polish transport allows you to celebrate the music.

And that’s a good thing. In audio, there is room for different languages, dialects, and even personal idioms. For me, XACT plays in a way that I like and that I find more interesting, which is something we agree on with Bartek and other participants who spoke in favor of this device. However, there were also clearly statements in which one could feel admiration for the power and transparency, which characterized Aurender.

Which shows what an amazing job Polish manufacturers, including Marcin Ostapowicz, have done in recent years. After all, we are comparing the product of a small Polish company and a Korean specialist with many employees and huge amounts of money. And we are talking about them as equivalent proposals. Well done Poland, well done us! And well done you, our readers!

We thank you for all the years you have spent reading the reports of our meetings whether it causes you blood pressure to rise above 220 or brings a smile on your face. If we ever stop loving music and listening to it, if we listen to it and talk about it with a heart rate of 50, it means that it is better to do something else that really engages us and that we enjoy. As you can see, we still have fun with it and enjoy it :) ●

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COMPETITION

WE HAVE A COMPETITION FOR THE READERS OF THE COLUMN ABOUT THE KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY. We have commemorative medals for three people who will be selected by us, which you can see in the photos, as well as prints of Zbyszek Bielak's artwork, prepared and signed by him (more about Zbyszek in the interview he gave to our magazine → HERE.

To participate in the competition, simply write a short text starting with: “Krakow Sonic Society...” with 4500 to 5500 characters and send it to:

» konkurs@highfidelity.pl

We would like to publish your statements, not only the winning ones, on the High Fidelity NEWS website. The e-mail should include permission to use the text for this purpose. The competition starts on March 15th and ends on March 31st. Let us invite and encourage you to participate, and thank you in advance! ●