And having listened to it with a variety of sources, I have to say I’m in awe of the SMB-01L’s incredible acoustic balance, from its high-resolution, wide dynamic range reproduction to its ultra-low frequency range.Īlso worthy of special mention are the soft, comfortable and enduring premium sheepskin earpads with excellent sound insulation. There was nothing fake, nothing forced, no colorization whatsoever, natural, good balance and faithful reproduction of the sound of the instruments. It was as though the space around my ears had become nothing but music.
I think the most impressive thing was how lifelike the music performance felt. All the elements that make up the music were perfectly transparent. I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the stunning acoustic performance that the SMB-01L delivers. This time, when I first listened to the SMB-01L, I was so amazed that I was convinced that the technical prowess that went into it was like a little jewel that would harmonise perfectly with Audirvana. I’ve tested Phonon headphones in the past and had an unforgettable experience with them in combination with Audirvana. If there is a man who is as demanding about audio quality as I am, it is definitely him.
Mr Kumano’s reputation as an engineer is so well known in the audio industry that it’s hard to imagine anyone not knowing him.
That’s why I was so excited when I heard that Isao Kumano had personally created the new flagship SMB-01L with the audio professional in mind. I have very high standards when it comes to audio systems. The only criterion is how minimal the degradation of sound quality is guaranteed to be. The few devices I use with Audirvana all share the same characteristic. Everything has to be perfect, and I don’t like it unless it is. My requirements when choosing audio equipment are more demanding than words can describe.