let's cut to the chase - if you are not ready for the shock, don't audition the torus. it is going to change your paradigm about accuracy and high definition, among others.

let me state that i am auditioning the torus with the highly annoying US-to-UK convertors, which i dread, so the torus' performance here is a compromised one.

the best disc to illustrate torus' strengths is none other than 2v1g. a lot of people have told me that they can't differentiate winnie from regine, or vice versa. once you listen to how the torus separates the two voices, you would then realize that the two ladies are world apart in tone and expression. many PLCs, including my hydra 8, didn't do a good job in making these two voices distinctive and unique. this aspect of torus gets my highest praise - this is high-definition of the highest order. in fact, get any disc with many voices and see how torus separates each and every one of them and give them their own character.

another winning aspect of torus is its accuracy. tonally, the torus is on the cool side of neutral, very much like audio magic stealth reference, without the sizzle. this accuracy lends a superb realism to voices in terms of diction and pitching. whether it is rickie lee jones or 2v1g or cai qin, you could hear every word coming from the singer's mouth with shocking clarity, diction and correct pitching. no other PLC comes close in this aspect. hifikaki was uuh-ing and aah-ing when he heard the 2v1g cd being played thru torus.



how does it compare to hydra 8 in other areas? well, you know me, i always love analogy. pitting the two is like comparing a girlfriend/mistress to a wife. hydra 8 is flirtatious, seductive, desirable and colorful, always obliging (and could occasionally tell a lie or two just to please you), the perfect girlfriend. torus is the wife, ever faithful, honest, reliable, compassionate and does her duty quietly. the hydra dresses up the music with make-up whereas the torus does not believe in cosmetics. true, the torus does not have the hydra's femme fatale kind of seductiveness, neither does it have the voluptuousness of body and harmonic richness of the hydra but it plays music with so much conviction that you would think that is how real music should sound like. music thru the hydra 8 is like looking thru the world with a technicolor glasses; with torus, the glasses is perfectly clear, perfectly spec-ed and albeit a bit unglamorous.

the torus' major strengths lie in its honesty, definition and accuracy. if you prize these criteria with top priority then this is simply the best PLC there is. but torus is not perfect. in achieving this astounding level of accuracy and definition, it does come across as a bit thin, solid-state-y, dry and careful/cautious. of course, i am not discounting the fact that i am using a generic 15A power cord and the terrible US-to-UK adapters.

some married men never stop having girlfriends till old age because they are bored with their wives at early stage. some married men keep girlfriend(s) at the early stage of their marriage because it is exciting but ultimately when they are tired and old, they go home to the warmth of their wives. some men, once they get married, would never consider extra-marital affairs because their wives are the best. some men don't even get married and just content of having girlfriends.

which kind of man are you?

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow,

is it really that good?

Need to hear this soon

Anonymous said...

I am all the above..

SO, Iam loking for a PC THAT can be of both..

am I asking too much,does it exist

Anonymous said...

Tt,

sure it exits..

it is by BURMESTER..

Anonymous said...

maggie,

personally which one do you prefer,TORUS or HYDRA 8.ibeleve the vray v2 is also than the older Hydra even though I havent audition it

kiarch said...

I am glad you finally tried the Torus.

Your reviews are accurate on Torus, more or less mirrored my initial impression.

All I can add to your comments is this; you have not heard the real Torus because you have yet changed the connectors of your power cords to use without the adaptors! Try it and you can't live without Torus.

Anonymous said...

kiarch,

what do you think of the prospect of changing the outlet on the TORUS to the US Type,like the Furutech or OyaIDE..THAT WOULD BE BETTER,NO?

Anonymous said...

MR Kiarch,

have you had the chance to try the Burmester Power Conditioner?

Is It avaiable in Malaysia or Singapore?

Anonymous said...

which kind of man are you?

Anonymous said...

So the Torus is much better than Shunyata now?

Last time, you said that Shunyata was great, now it's Torus, what next?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,

I Think there is nothing wrong in saying one piece of equipment is better than the other.

in fact I thought Maggie's assessment is very well balanced.

I am sure there will be a time,another better product will come along and better the TORUS...that is how it is with life ain't it?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,

just by praising TORUS doesnt mean that it diminishes the greatness of SHUNYATA,right?

everything is relative IMHO.

Camry is great when compare to Proton , but when you take A MERCEDES for a spin ,you will realize the camry"s shortcomings............that is my simplistic view anyway

Anonymous said...

Kent and Chew,

Not belittling Maggie's word. Just that it is not so long ago, he said that Shunyata is very good. Now it's Torus. Just felt it's too fast.
No offence to Maggielurva but now I am confused. His using of the analogy of married and unmarried man is even more confusing;-P

Just my 2 cents.

Anonymous said...

its shunyata....got ta ta..'aded
then purepower........got powdered
now torus.........soon..go to roost
next change.....oooohlala V RAY

but honestly ah, good read lah. Keep it up guys. Now me waiting anxious for your introduction to new girlfriend, voluptious one i hope, with bee-stung lips, jen lopez buttocks.. can die oh.

Anonymous said...

Hi all,

The A-List of Malaysian reviewers and listeners (M, Panzer, Hifikaki, Jo Ki and Felix) have spoken.

Two of them have walk the talk and added the Torus into their esteemed equipment chain. I'm quite sure the others will follow soon.

I've heard the Torus in Jo's system many times and my 8 words review of it - "makes music like breathing fresh cool mountain air."

So friends, if you have the $$$, look no further. This is IT - truly in the semi finals of the Champions League category for PLCs.

P.S. M, your girlfriend/mistress and wife analogies are interesting. But, if you are undecided, always ask... MOTHER.:)

Lyrics taken from Pink Floyd's "Mother" ("The Wall" album).

"Mother, do you think she's good enough - for me?
Mother, do you think she's dangerous - to me?
Mother, will she tear your little boy apart?
Mother, will she break my heart?

Hush now baby, baby, don't you cry.
Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you..."

Happy listening!

Anonymous said...

ML,

This is a fair and good review. I enjoyed reading it, esp. yr analogy about the gf, mistress and wife... you took the words right out of my mouth.

I am glad you can appreciate the plus points of the Torus. At least I know its not my ears playing fiddle with me..

But like Jo said, if you can get decent cords and patch it directly into the output sockets, it's another depth of layering removed. Infortunately, Torus won't install Nema 5 sockets for 240v rated units as Nema 5 plugs are only rated to safely handle up to 125volts.

Besides, I heard the 13A Furutech british plugs are salubriously good!

maggielurva 愛美姬 said...

guys,

lighten up! if shunyata remains the king forever then there will be no progress in hifi and that's sad for audiophiles like us who are constantly chasing for endless perfection.

in all perspectives, eventho' it is beaten by the torus, shunyata is still the best valued PLC around.

i am sold on the virtues of the torus but i am not ready to take the plunge until the manufacturer comes out with a USA-plug version for the south-east asia market. it will be silly for me to throw away my furutech IEC plugs which i just bought. i am confident that torus will listen to consumers' demand and respond accordingly.

the analogy of wife-vs-girlfriend is very apt if your system achieves a certain level of resolution. the shunyata is glamorous but not accurate; the torus is accurate but not glamorous.

i am trying to increase the vocab (and fun) of hifi reviewing. i don't believe that it should be restricted to just technical jargons. sorry if my style of writing is not your cup of tea.

thanks for all the input.

hifikaki said...

maggielurva,

Great review.

You are right, a potential owner must be ready to take the honesty of Torus Power.

With your analogy of 'make-up and cosmetics', I remembered a news story when HDTV first came, the news anchors and actors/actresses were very concerned since any little blemish they have will show up on screen. The set/props guys were concerned too, as HDTV will expose anything that is fake on the set. But I believe anyone who has seen a HDTV broadcast, especially of 'real stuff' (like National Geographic), will not ever want to go back to the old standard.

Torus is like HDTV in this sense. It may not be pretty all the time, but it is REAL.

Anonymous said...

KM Ng,

I do not know what your day job is,but you sure are a heck of a talented writer;

really,really love reading your little snippets.

Anonymous said...

M,

Looks like you want a PLC that is accurately glamorous.


Hafiz,

Thanks.

I'm in the rock business. If you want to hear what is 120dB open air blast with 2-3mm ground vibration, come visit me.

Nearfield listening strictly prohibited.

Unless,of course, you want to be "blown away" by the sound.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

KM Ng,

I much enjoy your post than most others...even the reviews. Your post is incisive and funny. I must say that your use of analogies are very good...much better than having wife, mistress, girlfriends or what the British call them WAGS.
The way Maggie put it in his review, I think we can call Torus the wife...ever truthful and reliable. We can then call Shunyata, the mistress or girlfriend...voluptous, seductive but with flaws...esp without the make-up;-)

My 2 cents.

Panzer said...

Using ML's gf vs wife analogy,
hmm.... maybe that's why I love my other half so very much! He!He!

Charak,

I've not seen Burmester PLCs in Malaysia just yet! Will try to contact the local rep here to check on it's availability. I'd love to give it a spin too!

Unknown said...

How about comparison between Hydra-8 and purepower 2000i