Nirvana Sound

Sorry PKay, not at this stage. We will most likely live-stream the evening.

“Audio design is part science, part art. No great audio product has one without the other.” This quote is from Jim White, engineer, music lover and the creative force behind Aesthetix, an awe-inspiring brand of high-end audio electronics that has been bringing musical enjoyment to the audiophile community since 1993, when he began building a massive tube phono stage in his garage. Audiophile friends who heard the first homemade unit urged him to build more and thus Aesthetix was born. Aesthetix has grown to distribute a full range of hi-fi tube products in 27 countries. Every unit is still meticulously hand assembled by Jim and the talented Aesthetix factory technicians in Moorpark, California. This Nirvana Sound event is certainly like no other. We’re delighted to announce Jim White will be in Australia, in our East Bentleigh showroom for a very special evening. Over two hours, Jim will discuss his range of quality audio components, his inspirations and design philosophies, his background in the audio industry and a lot more. We’ll have plenty of time for Q&A from the audience, plus lots of great music on a variety of Aesthetix components. This will be a night no audiophile should miss! An Evening With Jim White Wednesday 16th August 2023 7:30pm – 9:30pm Nirvana Sound Showroom 9 Clarence Street East Bentleigh VIC 3165 RSVPs are essential as seating is very limited. Please call or text Paul on 0418 334 449 or email him at paul@nirvanasound.com to reserve your place. Bring an interested friend and refreshments are provided! As always, this Nirvana Sound event is completely free-of-charge.

'There's always a better stereo...' Never a truer word spoken… but another truth is that very few people will ever experience the true potential of any audio system they own unless they optimise it. In fact, you will be shocked to experience the substantial sonic improvements that are possible from the equipment you already have if you took the time to allow each component to perform at its best. We believe that ‘optimisation’ is a crucial part of achieving the best a system has to offer. In this Nirvana Sound event, we’re excited to share some optimisation tips and explore the role certain products can play in achieving the optimal listening from your current and/or future sound system. Come and join Mark, George, Paul and Ringo… ok, we don’t have a Ringo… but we DO have a special guest attending! We also promise a fun evening of knowledge sharing, discussion, Q&A and – of course – some great music! Nirvana Sound – System Optimisation – Part One 26th July 2023 7:30pm – 9:30pm Nirvana Sound Showroom 9 Clarence Street East Bentleigh VIC 3165 RSVPs are essential as seating is limited. Please call or text Paul on 0418 334 449 or email him at paul@nirvanasound.com to reserve your place. Bring an interested friend! Refreshments are provided. As always, this Nirvana Sound music event is completely free-of-charge.

Munich In Melbourne Wednesday, 28th June 2023, 7.30pm - 9.30pm A free, relaxed music-listening evening at Nirvana Sound 9 Clarence St, Bentleigh East VIC 3165 Limited seating; call or text to Paul on 0418 334 449 or paul@nirvanasound.com When the average person in the street hears the word ‘Munich’, they probably think first of ‘Oktoberfest’ and ‘Beer’. Ask a hi-fi enthusiast what *they* think of when they hear the word ‘Munich’ and it will most likely be ‘High End’ ...then ‘Oktoberfest’ and ‘Beer’! High End Munich for 2023 was held over four days last month. A bigger event than last year, this was High End Munich’s true return-to-form in the post-COVID era. It’s the world’s most preeminent and biggest high-end audio show, with 800 brands exhibiting and about 22,000 people attending – but it often felt more like ten times that! We attended as Dohmann Audio to exhibit the Helix One Mk III turntable, partnered with Alieno audio components, Cessaro horn speakers and Acustica Applicata room treatments. We certainly had a wonderful soundstage in our demonstration room! We also experienced some fantastic music in other demo rooms around the show. For this month’s music event, we thought it would be fun to bring a little bit of High-End Munich to Melbourne! We’ll play: - Music (both streamed and vinyl) we heard demonstrated at High End. - Some new audiophile LPs made by our Netherlands Helix turntable distributor, Rhapsody Audiophile Records, also played at High End. - Stenheim’s newly made demonstration CD featuring the Charl Du Plessis trio. - We’ll also have German-themed refreshments on offer! Perhaps Mark Dohmann in full Lederhosen will be a step too far though… We’ll have to see! RSVPs are essential as seating is limited. Please call or text Paul on 0418 334 449 or email him at paul@nirvanasound.com to reserve your place. Bring an interested friend! As always, this Nirvana Sound music event is completely free-of-charge to all new and existing customers of the Nirvana Sound audio community.

It’s very important for us that the audio components we offer have a sonic quality we love. It’s even better when the company behind the components has an ethos and philosophy aligned with ours. So, imagine our delight when we auditioned the Swiss-made Stenheim range of speakers at the Munich High-End show in 2019. For such a relative new company (founded in 2010), the Stenheim sound was captivating, with a natural tonality from the first listen. The company also has a very strong passion for music and live recordings, as revealed on their Acoustics Sessions page https://www.stenheim.com/acousticsessions. We love this passion. Now, three Stenheim Alumine models have arrived into our showroom: the Alumine 2SE, Alumine 3 and Alumine 5SE - with the 5SE being the 2022 winner of the Absolute Sound Golden Ear ‘Product Of The Year’! This Nirvana music event will celebrate the Stenheim Alumine loudspeaker range with a mixture of vinyl, streamed music - and perhaps a CD or two! - using both our reference Ypsilon system, plus the Aesthetic Mimas integrated amplifier – which also happens to be a Golden Ear award-winning component! If you're in or near Melbourne and would like to attend, please email paul@nirvanasound.com or call 0418 334 449. Seating is limited so booking is essential! The Stenheim Sessions Wednesday, 19th April 2023, 7.30pm to 9.30pm (7.30pm arrival & refreshments; 8.00pm lights-down, music-up; concludes around 9.30pm) Nirvana Sound, 9 Clarence Street East Bentleigh VIC 3165 info@nirvanasound.com / 1300 988 366 https://nirvanasound.com/stenheim/

Nirvana Sound has been appointed the Stenheim loudspeaker distributor for Australia. Founded in 2010 and located in Switzerland, Stenheim is a globally recognised brand that is synonymous with excellence, designing and manufacturing some of the world’s most desirable high-end loudspeakers. Read the StereoNet news article here https://www.stereonet.com/au/news/from-switzerland-stenheim-speakers-now-available-in-australia

It's long overdue, but I've done it - I've finally signed up to this brilliant site and forum! Glad to be here.

Hi Marc, We have moved the event to Friday 15th October. We feel the current mandated Covid health protections (which we support and observe) will see the need for indoor masks and distancing being extended and this will impact the quality of the listening conditions.

Hi All, Seats are booking fast for this event. Get in quick to book your seat!

Nirvana Sound selected Koetsu as a brand for many reasons, the unique and beguiling sonics being what attracted us to the brand many years ago. Koetsu has carved out a well-earned reputation for each generation of listeners since the 1970’s and is one of the genre-defining brands when audiophiles discuss their favourite cartridges of all time. For over 50 years, Sugano and now his son Fumihiko have been building phono cartridges. Their legacy has been built around the unique sound quality of their products as well as their rarity and beauty. After so many years of experience, Koetsu have developed a philosophy based around the quality of the materials in the cartridge motor and how the motor interacts with the material of the body. They have selected high purity materials such as 6N copper and rare platinum iron magnets to use in their motor mechanisms. To compliment these, they have created bodies made of materials chosen for their specific sonic qualities, including aluminium, rosewood and various stones. How does the “house sound” stack up in 2021? Lots of forum opinions and pundits to listen to, we know! You can read about them, you can google about them, you can talk about them, but nothing and we mean nothing compares to actually hearing them in person on a known rig and consistent set up. Nirvana Sound will host an evening of critical audio listening and technical explanation on a vertical line up of Koetsu cartridges from the entry level Black to the extreme Coral Stone Platinum. You heard right! Our inhouse vinyl tragic Mark Döhmann will setup and install each cartridge on the same tonearm (Schroder CB9) in a sequential order and play some choice cuts which allow the listener to store an audio memory of the dynamic and tonal contrasts of each cartridge. You will be able to experience the sound of each cartridge in a unique environment and confirm for yourself if the position of the Koetsu cartridge among Moving Coil devotees is well earned. What we can promise is “these aren’t your grandparents Koetsu’s”. Materials science has improved over the decades and the use of advanced magnetic materials, the latest damping, stylus and cantilever technology mean that Koetsu has been able to continue to innovate and in some cases leapfrog the competition. Hear what all the fuss is about and why this brand continues to amaze and perform in the pantheon of legendary performance. The following cartridges will be played on this evening: Koetsu Black Koetsu Urushi Vermillion Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum Koetsu Coral Stone Platinum Read more about Koetsu. Nirvana Sound Koetsu Shoot-out Evening Friday 20th August 2021 6pm Refreshments, 7pm -9pm Music. Please call Mark on 0410 344 938 or contact info@nirvanasound.com to book your seat.

Hi Everyone, I hope that all is well with you. As you may be aware Victoria is experiencing some community uncertainty over recent COVID infections occurring in local areas. As of Thursday 15th July (today), the requirements are that facemasks are to be worn indoors at event where you cannot maintain a distance of at least 1.5meters from all others unless eating or drinking. Our planned event for Friday 16th July was fully booked and we understand all of you were super keen to attend. We had planned some wonderful Brazilian finger foods and beverages to accompany the event which would have added to a wonderful evening. Our desire to create the most comfortable and relaxed deep listening environment for all is paramount and previous evenings have enjoyed the freedom of being able to sit back and enjoy a good listening position and the camaraderie that ensues among friends (both new and old). We feel that this experience will be affected somewhat by the need to observe the currently mandated health protections. We have made what we feel is the best decision (considering the circumstances) and rescheduled the event to a time when the COVID settings have officially eased (hopefully in a week or so). Russell Berg and his partner Annie share their disappointment at missing tomorrow’s event but are keen to meet everyone in the future. We are looking at a suitable Friday evening in the next few weeks as and when the COVID settings are altered. We hope that you can all join us for the eagerly anticipated musical journey at that time and will reach out to you all to confirm your availability. Thank you for your understanding and perhaps you can enjoy some wonderful music in the comfort of your own home tomorrow evening. Russell suggested Bebel Gilberto – Aganju as a good place to kick off a quiet evening with a glass of wine in hand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puC52UCh7b4 George, Jim, Sophie and Anthony from the team at Nirvana Sound look forward to welcoming you again soon.

Hi All, There's only a few seats left for this event, so if you're interested please give us a call to cement your seat. This is going to be a great event!

Ever wondered what Brazilian Jazz is all about? Most of us have heard “The Girl from Ipanema” in a lift or lobby or two but is this all there is to the genre? Why not ask someone who has been part of the ‘scene’ and played live with some of the best-known musicians of the art form? Nirvana Sound has the privilege of sharing this experience and knowledge with our community of music and audio lovers. Russell Berg a well-respected Jazz Flautist has played at Ronny Scotts in London with musicians such as Carlos Jobim & Flora Purim. Now residing in Melbourne with his lovely partner Annie, he can often be seen at various jazz venues around town. We thought he could tap into his voluminous Brazilian Jazz archive to share some of his favourite performances on LP and digital on our Reference System in Room 1. This promises to be both educational, entertaining and musically rewarding. Nirvana Sound would like to invite you to personally attend our East Bentleigh showroom for a relaxed evening of refreshments, followed by a wonderful Brazilian Jazz musical journey. Seating is strictly limited to 12 people and we will be listening to our Reference system which consists of Ypsilon amplification, Stage III cabling and the incredible Wilson Benesch Eminence loudspeakers. Nirvana Sound Brazilian Jazz Evening hosted by Russell Berg Friday 16th July 2021 6pm Refreshments, 7pm -9pm Music. Please call Mark on 0410 344 938 or contact info@nirvanasound.com to book your seat. https://nirvanasound.com/brazilian-jazz-evening-hosted-by-russell-berg/

I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks @metal beat!

Hi @Audionerd, You are correct. I will update the post.

Further information: RRP $6,590.00 F&F 2-Way Single Wire Stand Mount Natural Slate Loudspeaker with stands. Brand new, overstocked. German made, incredible sound from a compact speaker. A loudspeaker cabinet performs a number of vital functions. Aside from housing the drive units, the cabinet needs to vibrate as little as possible because vibration interacts with the frequencies produced by the drivers, often depleting the loudspeaker of energy. The vibrations caused by cabinets often add colourations and distortions to the sound. This is why many high-end loudspeaker manufacturers go to great effort to engineer internal bracing technologies or experiment with different materials to reduce the effect of cabinet resonances. Building loudspeakers with natural slate cabinets is a very logical solution. Due to its flaky, layered structure, its negligible re-sounding or re-echoing qualities and its extremely high mass, the material boasts extraordinary acoustic properties. In slate cabinets, the entire energy of the loudspeaker is available to incite the surrounding air. The improvements that this approach makes to the sound quality is significant. In particular, the dynamics and coherency of the sonic picture is enhanced and the bass response is cleaner, more articulate and tuneful. The energy balance of natural slate is not only superior in the bass range. In the high frequency range, the extreme mass reactance of the material ensures that the membranes vibrating as a result of sound amplitudes are not offset by resonating baffles. This feature generates a music fidelity essentially richer in nuances and with greater detail than usual. There are aesthetic benefits too. Using slate makes it possible to make the cabinets smaller so that the loudspeakers can fit into moderately sized living spaces and the slate has an elegant, high quality, timeless aesthetic which gives it a real high-end speaker presence. The Fischer & Fischer SN70 is an elegant compact stand mount loudspeaker which defies expectations. The slate cabinet and advanced driver technology produce a sound quality well beyond what is considered normal for speakers at this level. It is ideal for smaller rooms, for spaces where a larger speaker is not suitable or for music enthusiasts who are simply downsizing their systems but still want to maintain high levels of quality. When looking for a stand mount speaker at this level, we are often presented with choices which consist mostly of heavily marketed brand names offering cheap generic drive units in MDF boxes, made in low-cost labour locations, presented in attractive finishes with glossy catalogues and special price offers. This speaker is a very different proposition. It is made in Germany from a pure slate cabinet by expert craftmanship techniques, using perfectly matched high quality drivers and is designed to be the best representation of this type of speaker. Class leading speed combined with a beautiful, rich tonal quality elevates the SN70 from the all too common overhyped, but ultimately unsatisfying designs. In an age of obsessive consumerism and product hype, Fischer & Fischer represent pride of ownership and longevity. And while the SN70 embodies this philosophy, it is inspired by the passion and love for music. Product Specification Frequency response (+/- 3 dB) 45 – 25,000 Hz Impedance 4 ohms Sensitivity 86 dB (1 W / 1 m) Max. Acoustic Pressure 105 dB Crossover network 2nd order impedance corrected filter Design Principle Bass Reflex Bass and Midrange System 145mm Alloy Cone, Specially Coated Long Excursion Cone Driver Midrange and treble-system 28mm Dome Tweeter Cabinet 15-20mm low-resonance thick natural slate plates SN – Natural surface SL – Polished and lacquered in all RAL and available car colours Dimensions (H x W x D) 330 x 190 x 250 mm Weight 17.5 kg Speaker Stand Black or silver anodised, sand filled aluminium tube, height: 69 mm including floor plate, weight 11kg with massive slate floor plate (234 mm x 300 mm x 40 mm), adjustable.

Further information: RRP $16,900.00 Accustic Arts POWER I Mk4 Integrated Stereo Power Amplifier including remote control. 170W into 8Ω. Ex-demo, arrived in 2020, has around 30-40 hours of use in our showroom, has all original packaging, manuals, etc. German quality, great power, sophisticated sound.

Further information: RRP $16,800.00 Accustic Arts PLAYER I CD Player + DAC (USB 384 async/DSD) in silver finish including remote control. Ex-demo, arrived in 2020, has around 30-40 hours of use in our showroom, has all original packaging, manuals, etc. German quality, sophisticated sound.

Further information: RRP $21100 German Physiks Limited II Speaker in Satin Slate Grey Finish. One owner, 4 years old, traded in and in impeccable condition. Product Specifications Type Floor Standing Omnidirectional Loudspeaker Operating principle 2-way loudspeaker with 360° surround radiation Drivers 1 x carbon fibre DDD driver 1 x 8-inch woofer Recommended room size 10 – 55 square metres / 106 – 580 square feet Sensitivity 88dB for 1W at 1m Impedance 4 Ohms Frequency response 32– 24,000Hz Power handling Nominal 110W, Short term 170W Amplification required Minimum 90W/4 Ohms Crossover frequency 200Hz Crossover slopes DDD section 6dB/octave electronic & 18dB/octave acoustic Woofer section 18dB/octave electronic & 18dB/octave acoustic Input connectors 1 set of WBT nextgen™ binding posts Finish High polish polyester black, white, red or yellow Dimensions 240mm (W) x 1050mm (H) x 240mm (D) 9.5” (W) x 41.3” (H) x 9.5” (D) Weight 28.9kg / 63.7lbs

Further information: RRP $22,690.00 Since 1996 Peak Consult have been a favorite amongst audiophiles for their eclectic sound quality, build quality and attention to detail that only the Danish boutique artisan can produce. Frequently part of best sounding products at Munich show. The Princess X represent one of the finest one of the finest two way floor standing speakers on the market. This is an opportunity to acquire a rare and bespoke speaker brand at fraction of it normal price. This pair has been used sparingly as a demonstration model and has no more than 15 hours of playing time. It is virtually a new speaker. This model has been replaced by a new model, hence the price. Please contact Nirvana Sound for more information - https://nirvanasound.com/product/peak-consult-princess-x/

Unfortunately we have to postpone the event until further notice due to the lockdown provisions. We will stay in touch and once the coast is clear, reschedule it. Some great music coming up. We managed to secure one of the Miles Davis UHQR One Step recordings. Lots to enjoy if your able to spend a few hours in front of the stereo...... during the hiatus. Enjoyed a glass of Jasper Hill Shiraz with family last night and a recent delivery of Fone Accardo Heifetz. With two young adult string players in the house I could see the amazement on their faces. Lachie says "Dad you need a better cartridge". I replied "Lachie, you need a better Viola"..... For the record - he's right as I'm using an old stalwart Ortofon MC20 whilst I wait for my new MySonic. His Viola was made by Malcolm Collins and I could theoretically sell it to fund the cartridge Stay well!

This event will focus on classical music with some well-known and uplifting pieces played from Tacet, Decca and Mercury recordings as highlights before the main event of the evening. At 8pm we will play in its entirety the Gorecki Symphony No.3 from a recently acquired copy on LP of the Beth Gibbons version. This symphony has a reputation for being an emotionally challenging piece of music. It has achieved a cult following since original release in 1976. The Third Symphony by the Polish composer Henryk Górecki is one of the rare success stories in the world of contemporary orchestral music. Largely ignored or dismissed after its 1976 debut, it was revived by the Nonesuch label in 1992 and became a surprise hit, shifting more than a million copies and becoming the standard-bearer for a genre dubbed “holy minimalism”. The Symphony No. 3, Op. 36, also known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (Polish: Symfonia pieśni żałosnych), is a symphony in three movements composed by Henryk Górecki in Katowice, Poland, between October and December 1976. Until 1992, Górecki was known only to connoisseurs, primarily as one of several composers from the Polish School responsible for the post-war Polish music renaissance. Every recording of this symphony until now has featured a pure, operatic soprano voice, with Stefania Woytowicz, Dawn Upshaw, Zofia Kilanowicz, Christine Brewer and Susan Gritton all playing starring roles. We will be listening to the Gibbons/Polish National Radio Symphony Orch/Penderecki (Domino pressing). Beth Gibbons is not normally associated with classical music. Her work with Portishead is well known. The Portishead singer is not a trained soprano but her wracked style brings out the work’s eerie desperation. This event will be played on Reference Quality equipment in Room 1 at Nirvana Sound, in East Bentleigh, Melbourne. Bookings are essential due to the limited number of 12 seats in the venue. The event promises to enhance musical appreciation and open new vista’s on perhaps unfamiliar works. The Gorecki suite will appeal to both new and experienced listeners. Yes, the music is sorrowful but the experience can be ultimately uplifting and profoundly moving. This is what we love about artists and musicians joining forces to reinterpret established works with new insights. If you’re a serious classical music lover this could open new horizons on an established lexicon. If you’re an audiophile who’d love to hear what the fuss is about then drop us a line to lock in your seat for a great evening. Nirvana Sound Classical Music & The Gorecki Symphony No.3 Friday 11th June 2021 6pm Refreshments, 7pm -9pm Music. East Bentleigh, Melbourne. Read More (link to https://nirvanasound.com/classical-music-the-gorecki-symphony-no-3/ ) Please call Mark on 0410 344 938 or contact info@nirvanasound.com to book your seat.

Thanks @075Congo and @sir sanders zingmore for the kind words. We pride ourselves on being music heads whatever the format. We will be posting a few more reviews very soon.