In creating the Compact Home Stereo System, I envision the audiophile desiring a simple stereo system to enjoy his music:
– The audiophile new to stereo and building his first stereo system
– The audiophile upgrading from their sub-$1,000 stereo system to something more serious
– The long-time audiophile looking to migrate from a more expensive stereo system with multiple pieces of equipment to a simpler setup with the same sound quality
– The audiophile building a second music system for his guestroom or bedroom
As an audiophile, I place equal emphasis on aesthetics. I want my home stereo system to blend with my listening room decor, be it the living room or bedroom. I love the Divini Audio Kit-M Mini Bookshelf Speakers for its real wood cabinet made of alder or walnut. The walnut version is especially attractive with its darker colour and real wood grain patterns. I also like the DA&T Q-15 DAC Integrated Amplifier for its compact size and all-in-one DAC, pre-amplifier, power amplifier and headphone amplifier features. This means that I do not need a lot of room to set up my music system.
The Compact Home Stereo System does not produce the deepest bass, the biggest sound-stage or the sweetest vocals. Instead, it exemplifies our criteria for music reproduction to bring out the music performance:
1. To express musical instruments and the human voice with realism. If they do not sound like the real thing, we don’t have a performance.
2. To express the techniques and nuances of each performer. If we cannot appreciate the skills and talents on stage, we don’t have a performance.
3. To express how the performers work in concert to sweep you up in the breathtaking rhythms and melodies. If the performers are playing by themselves, we don’t have a performance.
The Compact Home Stereo System is able to express the youthfulness and throat character of Anette Askvik when she sings “Liberty”, the bassy male voice, musical layering and punch of Geoff Castellucci’s “Sixteen Tons”and size and weight, and the strength of each note of the double bass when TESEO plays “Canon in D”. This is a level of music reproduction that even many more expensive music systems are unable to match.
Divini Audio Kit-M Mini Bookshelf Speakers
The Divini Audio Kit-M Mini exemplifies the company’s mission to deliver excellent sound quality without breaking the bank.
> Real Wood Cabinetry
The Kit-M Mini is made from 25mm real wood processed using high-precision CNC into 20mm wood cabinets. Real wood has the advantage that its natural distribution of wood fibres helps to disperse cabinet resonance effects, resulting in clean and natural sound.
> Morel Drivers
The Kit-M Mini uses speaker drivers from the world-renowned manufacturer Morel, Israel. The Divini 538 mid-bass driver is a customised version of the Morel CAW 538 for improved mid-range transparency and details while the Morel CAT 308 tweeter is selected for its excellent high frequency performance.
> Customised Crossover Design
Divini Audio designs the crossover for the Kit-M Mini because she understands its significance to speaker performance. The crossover uses US Erse Pulse-X polypropylene capacitors for their low dissipation factor characteristics, high-quality low inductance resistors built to custom order for stable performance under high SPLs and long playing times, and 1.0mm/1.2mm pure copper winding inductor to preserve mid-bass transparency and weight.
DA&T Q-15 DAC Integrated Amplifier
DAC, Integrated Amplifier, Headphone Amplifer – The DA&T Q-15 is a versatile all-in-one stereo centre.
> High Resolution Digital Audio
The Q-15 features an ESS 9018Pro 32-bit high resolution DAC, removing the need for an external DAC. It supports a wide range of digital formats up to 384kHz/32bit PCM, DSD256 and DOP128. The inbuilt Bluetooth module supports common and high-definition formats including AAC, SBC, MP3, aptXHD and HWA, enabling music playback directly from mobile devices.
> Versatile and Powerful
The Q-15 has 60w + 60w speaker outputs based on PWM(Class D) amplification and is capable of driving most mid to high-efficiency speakers. It also includes an analog output to support external sub-woofers.
> Quality Build and Design
The Q-15 does not compromise on build quality. It comes with high-end features such as USB interface isolation, 384khz/32bit USB data support, independent digital and analog power supplies, polymer capacitors, and a high quality toroidal transformer.
Divini Audio SP-ES3/2 5N LC-OFC Speaker Cable
The better the speaker cable, the better the Divini Audio Kit-M Mini bookshelf speakers sing. Hence I have paired it with the Divini Audio SP-ES 3/2 which is a high-quality mid-range speaker cable.
First, the cable construction follows Divini Audio’s established multi-core structure to provide clarity, transparency, extended high-frequency and bass extension, and balanced frequency response. Second, Divini Audio uses high-purity 5N LC-OFC conductor material, with a surface area of 11AWG each for the positive and negative terminals, to minimise resistance and transmission loss. Third, Divini Audio uses a specially designed 24K gold-plated nickel-free pure copper banana plug to ensure a sturdy and high-transmission contact thus providing low-loss signal transmission. Last, the maple casing reduces resonances thus further ensuring the stability of the contact.
Also Consider
The Divini Audio Classical 11 delivers superior full-range performance by retaining a floor-standing speaker’s excellence in volume output, bass extension and sense of weight, in a footprint similar to the Divini Audio Kit-M Mini.
