Digital Drive: REVIEW: Resolution Audio Opus 21 CD Player/Recorder by Keith

Model:	Opus 21
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	$3000
Description:	Unique Two Box Cd Player
Manufacturer URL:	Resolution Audio

Review by keith on February 19, 2013 at 08:04:33
IP Address: 173.250.138.62 Add Your Review
for the Opus 21

The Resolution Audio Opus 21 found its way into my audio system when I was looking for a variable output CD player to replace my CAL Delta/Alpha front end and passive pre-amplifier. Unlike some others, I do not have the fortune of trying many different front ends at home, and know some that I have heard in show rooms do not correlate to having the same results in my own system. As many know, with progressive system improvements, it becomes harder to find improvements without sacrifices, and I was forewarned by some that the CAL front end is quite special and hard to beat. Luckily, this turned out to be a very positive review (I’m too lazy to write about less stellar products) based on at-home use over several weeks, but please keep in mind this only reflects my limited personal experience and preferences.

Two Initial Surprises

“How can this crate fit in my compact car?” I was in disbelief when John Barker of Sonic Culture, San Diego, told me that my shipped Opus 21 cd player is in a wooden crate that’s small enough to fit in my small car. Other online reviewers have described this rather substantial packaging with all Resolution Audio gear, but I was not prepared for its… dare I say, cute, size. Aside from wooden wine bottle boxes, this thing is the smallest crate I’ve ever seen, and nicely occupied about the same amount of room as a babyseat as I drove her home.

This unit was connected directly into my VTL Tiny Triodes and Sonus Faber Signums and allowed to warm up and play overnight. Cabling included NBS Mini Serpents and DH Labs T-14s. All power was supplied through a Shunyata Hydra and Shunyata power cords.

The eagerly anticipated first listening session consisted of Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me. The music started, and the first impression was that the main vocals seemed more pushed back, and the instruments were much more evident than before. The midrange seemed a bit lean, and the luscious intimacy of Norah’s singing was missing. The sound was not dry or boring, but it was just lacked magic. Scratching my head, I tried repositioning the speakers, putting vibrapods and cones under the CD player, but it was futile. Was the rest of my system so off-balance that I needed a tube-y output of my old DAC to compensate for it?

Finally, in a desperate attempt, I put my old FT Audio LW-1 passive preamp back in, and set the Opus 21 to its fixed output.

Then my jaw dropped.

The Real Opus

The appropriately slightly-forward vocals snapped back into place, and Norah’s voice soared smoothly, but with new treble extension and tonality that I have never heard before. Slight syllabence became a bit more prominent, but not annoyingly so; on Dave Matthew’s “Lover Lay Down”, the cymbals were crisply defined, with each hit ringing more distinctly than I ever heard through these speakers.

Not to say that the amazing timbre is limited to the high frequencies. On Dave Matthew’s “What Would You Say”, the opening harmonica and guitar strings were fully fleshed out with the twang and ring that made me look up from my passive listening and raise an eyebrow: this was a song I’ve heard many times over the past decade-plus, and never noticed how strongly his style and intention came across. On Louis Armstrong’s “Best Live Concert Volume 1”, his guttural voice has much more growl than I previously realized, and the trumpet similarly sounded more real than ever before. I did not realize my prior source was sparse in the “airiness” of instrument voicing until now. Perhaps the high-order harmonics that we subconsciously perceive to discern instrument characteristics are now accurately produced.

Coming from a system with a rolled tubed DAC and tubed amps, I’m a midrange-sucker at heart. Switching to the Opus 21 did not disappoint. On Sarah McLachlan’s Mirrorball version of “Angel”, although her voice did not have the “sexy sweet euphony” that others have attributed to the tube sound, nor did it sound “thin” as I would have expected from solid state, but rather, she sounded more real (until now I had assumed tubey euphony = realism). Perhaps it was because of the more extended frequencies and timbre accuracy? Her voice and piano on “Do What You Have To Do” conjures up a live stage with Sarah closely mic’ed and singing with her eyes closed. In my opinion, this goddess’ voice is just so superb compared against the likes of Krall, Jewel, and Merchant, and when heard through the Opus 21 cannot be better described than pure liquid.

Given my system’s primary weakness in limited bass reproduction and weight, I am not one to be able to judge the low end. On Paula Cole’s “Tiger” the bass was as deep and weighty as I’ve heard by other front ends here, and it did not magically transform my monitor speakers into anything but what they are. Please refer to others’ reviews if you detailed evaluation of the bass response.

Overall details noticeably increased, and was quite dramatic to what I was used to. On Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing”, the constant fast beat of the percussion and occasional double hits were clear as day; in fact, the drum frenzy at 4:25 was laid out in a detailed yet musical way that allows me to see the percussionist in action. On U2’s Achtung Baby “One”, the percussionist starts with hits of his sticks that clearly and individually rings out against the preceding silence. Disc after disc, the pluck and finger slides on strings, knock on guitar bodies, and ambient details are nicely revealed. Wait, I’ve never heard that vocal intonation by Natalie Merchant before! And that backup singer was slightly off! All these years and my wife didn’t even realize the backup singers were there. Now she can follow them clearly throughout the song.

I tend to agree with many about specific brands that are known for rhythmic pace (ie. Naim), and those that are annoyingly slow (ie. big brands that will not be named). From 1 to 10, the Opus 21 is about a 7-3/4. It has the ability to appropriately sooth and swagger on Jazz pieces, mourn with lamenting female soloists, but for me, it had a spectacular ability to boogie with Dire Strait’s “Where Do You Think You’re Going” and “Sultans of Swing” – it would constantly push the drummed pace and I found myself bobbing and snapping my fingers to the beat, but never seemed overly hurried or stressed. And throughout the guitar riffs, it sounded oh-so-musical.

Imperfect Looks and other Superficialities

Others have well described this 2-box player. Each box is small, approximately an iPad’s length in both depth and width. It is not “built like a tank”, nor is it heavy, and the buttons are plasticky. No, I did not rap it with my knuckles, but I also would not care even if it is made out of toilet paper as long as it sounds good. It also doesn’t look like jewelry, but then again, I do not see audio gear as particularly appearing any better than what they are. I have never seen the new Cantata-series in real life, but perhaps it would satisfy those who are looking for these physical things.

I did have trifles with the Opus 21’s IEC receptacle not having enough “grip” on my Shunyata power cord. As such, the power cord seemed to always slide back a bit (without losing power) just from its own weight and angle onto my rack. Speaking of power, the unit must also be somewhat powered up even on standby, as it was the only part of my stereo that was not freezing in the morning.

During my use, the CD drawer worked well, the display was nice and visible from 15 feet away, and the remote response was flawless. Yes, the remote is plastic and is more Honda than Bugatti (then again, as far as I can tell, a Bugatti’s steering wheel is also nothing more than just metal, wood, and leather). Also, it strangely was unable to read one of my discs (which was not a problem on the CAL transport, and the disc was, to my eye, scratch free), but this was not a problem on any other discs tried.

Oh, and the transport mechanism does have a soft whirl sound. I only knew about this because others have written about it, so then of course I stuck my ear up against it. But I have never noticed it during any of my listening… plus, from what I know, it’s very hard for Resolution Audio to source replacements for this transport, so it’s a moot point.

Delicious and Yummy

Many reviewers nowadays seem to use the words “balance” and “neutrality”, and honestly I’m not sure what it really means. In my particular system, the Opus 21’s greatest weakness is when used with its variable output, which significantly limited its great abilities. But when used by its fixed outputs, the Opus 21 is for me a fantastic CD player which achieves “balance” in a rare way that matters – a combination of musical finesse, timbral complexity, details and presentation that wowed me with an increased enjoyment of my music collection than ever before, and this has not been the case with some other well-regarded, big-name brands.

Last, but certainly not least, I owe my gratitude to John Barker of Sonic Culture and Steve Huntley of Resolution Audio for helping me find this CD player and with a very enjoyable, professional sale. I am not in any way related to the audio industry, and am known by friends and family to be demanding (I grew up under tiger-parents). These gentlemen were responsive and friendly from Day 1, and went far above my expectations in inspecting this unit and delivering to me. It was evident that they are sincere and proud of their work. In a world where high service is increasingly rare, I have no hesitations to recommend both Sonic Culture and Resolution Audio for customer-oriented audio needs.

Product Weakness:	Variable output was sonically degrading (in my system).
Product Strengths:	Very musical. Great timbre. Good details, noise floor, and pace.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: VTL Tiny Triodes
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): FT Audio LW-1
Sources (CDP/Turntable): CAL Delta/Alpha
Speakers: Sonus Faber Signums
Cables/Interconnects: NBS, DHLabs
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Vocals, Pop, Classical, Jazz
Room Size (LxWxH): 20 x 25 x 14
Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Shunyata Hydra, Venom
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	VTL Tiny Triodes
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	FT Audio LW-1
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	CAL Delta/Alpha
Speakers:	Sonus Faber Signums
Cables/Interconnects:	NBS, DHLabs
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Vocals, Pop, Classical, Jazz
Room Size (LxWxH):	20 x 25 x 14
Time Period/Length of Audition:	2 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Shunyata Hydra, Venom
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner