The Inner Ear Report
Volume 10, #2; January 1998

Polyfusion Audio CD Transport & DAC Models 920 & 805

Source: Polyfusion Audio
Price: $2,900.00 & $3,250.00 US
Rating: 3.5 notes

Polyfusion Audio is a subsidiary of Polyfusion Electronics, located in Lancaster, in upstate New York, close enough to Buffalo and the weather condition which baptizes the area with about 20 feet of the white stuff annually. Founded in 1975, Polyfusion Electronics first began manufacturing for the robotics and other high-tech industries. By 1976, the company introduced an upscale electronic synthesizer for use by recording studios and musicians. In 1991, Alan Pearce and Ron Folkman, coowners and heads of Polyfusion Electronics, had decided to indulge their passion—high-end audio—and ventured into the consumer electronics industry. Thus, Polyfusion Audio was born and began designing and manufacturing in their own 20,000 square foot facilities. Their goal is to compete in the high-end market niche with components designed and built by people who have over twenty-two years of experience in highend OEM work. Polyfusion Audio produces two amplifiers, one preamplifier, three digital to analogue converters and a transport. The models under review are the company's medium-priced HDCD® DAC and their (only) CD transport.

Appearance:

Most people who have seen the equipment in our studio love the way it looks. Although the components have a touch of the pro-audio aspect, they convey an elegant style. The faceplates all feature backlit plexiglass windows which display the company's name in computer-screen jade. The 805 DAC measures 1 3/4x13x19 (H x D x W) and weighs 5 pounds, 10 ounces. The 920 CD measures 2 3/4x13x19, and weighs 71bs 12 ozs. The transport's CD drawer is on the left, followed by Polyfusion's small lit-up logo and the main display window. All controls are small pushbuttons located on the bottom half of the faceplate.

The 805 has an input selector switch on the left, a "lock" indicator, the company logo and the HDCD® deemphasize and mute indicator. Both units are DC powered and connect to the power supply via a Neutrik XLR terminated umbilical cord. The transformer offers three outputs to accommodate the CD playback system and one more component, such as Polyfusion's preamplifier (yes, it is also DC powered). The DC power supply (Model 335) is a small box-like component measuring 3.5 x 6.25 x 14.75 inches. A detachable AC cord, a fuse, an indicator light and three outlets complete the unit's appearance.

Both units are slim-line designs finished in black anodized aluminum (also available in gold and silver) and offer considerable visual appeal when stacked on a shelf.

Technology:

The transport is based on the Philips CDM-9 Pro which boasts a brushless motor, high density chassis, glass lens and metal turntable. The unit's single-beam swing-arm mechanism incorporates an integrated one-spot light pen. Data processing is achieved with a third generation data decoder with full error correction capability. The timing clock incorporates a crystal and radical digital logic technology. Maximum jitter is quoted as 25 pseconds. Three types of digital outputs include one RCA, one DIGILINK™ and one ST-type (optical). DIGI-LINK is a propriatary differential (balanced) digital transmission system which includes an interconnect, a transmitter and a receiver. The system was developed by Polyfusion and employs ultra high grade Swiss connectors, which are smaller than XLRs (regular connectors used for balanced operation). These refined connectors are used to connect the ultra high speed (video bandwidth) transmitter and receiver via special silver conductors, gold contacts, DC bias and precision mechanical fittings. The results are said to be increased dynamic range, spatial ambiance and lower noise floor.

The 805 DAC offers 20-bit, 8 times oversampling converter resolution. Input frequencies range from 32kHz to 48kHz with an automatic locking circuit. The digital filter is a Pacific Microsonics PMD-100 HDCD® decoder. Digital inputs are for one optical (glass) cable, one ST-type plastic cable and three coaxial cables; there is also a proprietary Digi-Link for the coax 1 input. Analogue outputs include RCA Coax with rear panel level adjustment. The output drivers are Class A Op amps. Frequency response is quoted as (+/- 2dB) from 10Hz to 20kHz with a channel separation of 100dB (at 1kHz) and a distortion of less than 0.1%. Signal to noise ratio is more than 104dB from 20Hz to 20kHz (A-weighted). A five position rotary switch on the front allows input selection and LEDs (amber, green, yellow and red) indicate the various operating conditions.

The DC power supply allows input voltage selection from 100 to 240 volts, 50 to 60 Hertz. Protection is achieved with a user-accessible fuse and integral current limiting. Connection is via a 6 foot detachable molded 3-wire cordset. The DC output voltage is +35 and -35 volts. There is a beefy toroidal transformer rated at 180VA to get the best possible performance from the power supply. The company provided us with a lot more techno data, but we'll skip this in favour of...

The Sound:

We had these components in our studio for about three months and we auditioned a lot of peripheral components using the transport and DAC. As a rule, we do not compare brands, although it is quite possible that our panelists may have an inclination to do just that. Our current main auditioning system, which we consider state-of-theart electronics consists of the Topaz amplifier, the Opal preamplifier and a pair of Tannoy Churchills connected with Flatline speaker cables (Reference Series). Interconnects are by Straightwire (Model Black Silc) and the system is tweaked with various accessories including a resonance-free component stand by Design Progression, tiptoes, Mpigo discs, anti-static ECO3 spray, XLO digital interconnect and more. This system is as revealing as is achievable and if a small blunder is made in the chain of components, it can clearly be heard when playing back CDs. As it happened, we had also received a number of new CDs and the Polyfusion components were auditioned with those new discs—some with HDCD® production—and some old standbys. Music ranging from sophisticated classical to raunchy blues was used for this evaluation, providing us with ample latitude to assess the sonic merits and personality of the CD transport and DAC. We didn't find consequential shortcomings, nor did we discover small impurities, come to think of it. The Pacific Microsonics HDCD, as expected, did wonderful things with the music and worked especially well with a couple of our HDCD-encoded CDs. Yet, even when we played back some of our JVC discs, the sonic quality was outstanding. Not only did we hear a refined sound stage, we could also pinpoint the musicians and their instruments with definitive accuracy. Front to back information is realistic, not obviously sophisticated or sharply etched, but very authentic and genuinely lifelike. The sensation of being there with the musicians on stage is remarkable and reminded us that most electronic devices reveal a synthetic sound somewhere in the presentation. Try as we might, we couldn't hear the complex electronics in this system—an unusual achievement and one which consequently classifies the Polyfusion playback system as a contender for any high performance audio set-up. The 805/920 combination offers enough air around instruments and resolving finesse across the frequency spectrum to make listeners sit up and stare into the space between the loudspeakers. The sound-stage is so realistic that one is tempted to get up and touch the musicians alas, there is nothing but music floating in mid-air. "Floating" may be the right word to describe the sound as it drifts into the listening room. Even from outside the room, one can clearly make out the depth of the sound stage as well as the horizontal and vertical reaches. There is nothing much to say about the sonic properties of these components, on account of the conspicuous absence of a distinct sonic signature. Our panelists mentioned the sweet highs, the distinct midrange and the solid, well-extended bass. But what impressed them the most, was the Polyfusions' ability to sound real, a little like expensive analogue source components. For one of our tests, we played a test CD called CD-Check to find out if the 920 transport has any shortcomings. This disc checks the silence buffer, tracking accuracy, error correction, data transmission etc. The best performance is achieved when the transport handles all five levels without stalling. Unlike some very expensive well-known brands which we have tested, the Polyfusion passed with flying colours.

Synopsis & Commentary:

It would be easy to tell you to look at the rating and draw your own conclusions. It's obvious that we like this CD/DAC. It offers that magical fullbodied sound which a lot of folks attribute to Pacific Microsonics' HDCD® chip. While this may be a good part of the reason, we believe that Polyfusion has come up with the right approach in using DC power supplies and one heck of a good transport. The Philips CDM-9 Pro is one of the best transports to hit the market. Unfortunately, they no longer make it and all the stock was bought up by Polyfusion. It will be a challenge to find a comparable replacement. However, there are lots of 920s in Polyfusion's warehouse and all units are compatible with any DACs currently on the market. However, if you haven't got a DAC, you'll be well advised to try the 805. If, on the other hand, you have a good transport, the 805 DAC might just improve your sound. In the past, we have stated that we believe the transport of a CD playback system is the more important component. Tests have revealed that a great transport will introduce better resolving across the audible frequency range—something the DAC isn't always capable of. DACs, in addition to translating digital information to analogue, usually, but not always, also provide the sonic personality. The circuitry in the Polyfusion DAC is outstanding and delivers analogue information worth listening to, perhaps because it is DC powered. Certainly, these CD components are some of the quietest in the business. We tested the DAC on its own using another transport and noticed that the end result, the musicality, must be attributed to the 805. We tested the 920 using another DAC and registered better resolution than we expected. This makes the 920 transport and the 805 converter a winning combination; one any music lover will appreciate. Audiophiles might like it too, since their concerns usually include analogue (vinyl) source components. While the technology of components is important to engineers, it shouldn't be of more than transitory interest to us, the listeners and reviewers. However, as there is something different here (the use of the DIGILINK system), it stands to reason that this technology is partially responsible for the Polyfusion's performance. Only the designers and God knows why things sound the way they do, but we know when we hear the "right stuff." Which brings us to our final statement: the Polyfusion transcends its existence by way of delivering the most important stuff—the music. Audition it soon.

HDCD® and High Definition Compatible Digital® are registered trademarks of Pacific Microsonics, Inc.

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