A CONVERSATION
WITH MONARCHY AUDIO'S C.C. POON
by Constantine Soo
March 21, 2001
|
380 Swift Ave., #21
S. San Francisco, CA 94080
Phone: 650-873-3055
Fax: 650-588-0335
E-mail: monarchy@earthlink.net
Website: www.monarchyaudio.com
|
There are five sections to this article. It begins with background information on
Monarchy Audio (MA) and Mr. C.C. Poon, the proprietor and designer. Then,
it goes on to an account of my interview session at Monarchy Audio. The third
part depicts my brief listening impressions on the SE-100 Deluxe
monoblocks, the current top-of-the-line MA amplifiers, inside MA’s own
listening room. The fourth part is a short report of the sound of a SM-70
amplifier at my home. The last part, not the least, discusses the rationale of
buying Monarchy Audio products.
My first meeting with Mr. C.C. Poon was an unofficial one, and it took place
leisurely on December 1, 2000. On January 19, 2001, in consideration of this
article assignment, I met Mr. Poon again. That meeting took place in a midst
of frenzy as Mr. Poon was rushing to fill orders he had received from the Las
Vegas CES in the previous two weeks.
During both meetings, Mr. Poon received me at his company location in South
San Francisco. The headquarters of Monarchy Audio was primarily an open-
spaced laboratory, with the vast floor space being used for storage of parts
and equipment. At the far end of the laboratory, there were two listening
rooms. Both rooms housed Sound Lab electrostatic speakers: one housed a
pair of the Dynastat hybrid speakers, and the other listening room had a pair
of the A1+, full-range electrostats. True to both of my visits, the speakers had
remained in the same rooms with a jungle of other electronics and speakers
from wall to wall. Half-assembled 24/96 DIPs (Digital Interface Processor)
shared the bigger sound room with the A1+ during my first visit. And yes, it
was a jungle in each of the rooms.
Mr. Poon is a family man in his early fifties, medium-built with an extremely
mild temperament. He conversed in very practical terms and his opinions
were necessarily succinct.
For a good part of the day, Mr. Poon replied to voice mails and emails,
performed final testing of his products before shipment, and researched
possible improvements to his designs. For the actual assembly of his
products, a professional assembly house was contracted.
Mr. Poon’s products have consistently been receiving appreciation and
admiration from numerous audio publications. With the excellent reliability and
reputations of his products, Mr. Poon could certainly have charged a much
higher premium for his products—like many other high-end companies do. He
wasn’t forthcoming on this topic initially, so I launched my version of "The
Inquisition," assuming there was no danger of the precious operation closing
down at my relentless pursuit!
Monarchy Audio was born in the early nineties, with a mission to provide "true
high-end at low cost". From the interview, I learned that Monarchy Audio did
not represent a major source of income for Mr. Poon, nor were the products
priced to generate high profits. In fact, throughout my interview, he made it
clear (several times) that Monarchy Audio was simply his personal hobby—
albeit, with his wife taking care of the administrative aspects.
Either his work gives him tremendous joy or the idea of a lazy retirement
frightens him!
Mr. Poon has a personal history in audio that stretched all the way back into
the early ‘80s, when he was reviewing equipment for an overseas audio
publication. Before that, he was a high school educator. He sold amplifier kits
back in the ‘70s. In the early ‘80s, in his visit to Japan, he met with executives
from the prestigious Luxman Corporation. Impressed with his kits, Luxman
appointed Mr. Poon as the exclusive distributor of the Luxman kits in the U.S.
Unfortunately, despite the fame of the Japanese high-end company, the U.S.
market for the kit-market remained relatively inert.
The U.S. market favored finished products; whereas the Japanese market
had a large number of experimenters. According to Mr. Poon, the
amateur/experimenter market was still thriving the last time he visited Japan,
not too long ago.
Poon: I speak too much! You don’t have to write down every word I say.
CS: OK.
Poon: If you went to Akihara (the huge electronics-shopping district in Tokyo),
you would see that business really thrives, especially the small component
vendors. The same kit shops that were there 20 years ago are still doing
business. These are the same stores. You would see hobby experimenters,
students, shopping around for parts. It was the same way in Japan for the past
25 years. Every time I go, I make a point of spending at least half a day there.
CS: So, although Japan experienced one of the fastest-growing economies in
the ‘80s, you don’t think the market for self-assembly products have changed?
Poon: Well, I think maybe younger kids are turning their attention to things like
video games and what have you; but I think there are still some segments of
the young generation whose interests are still strongly tied to building different
equipment from the parts they collect.
CS: Are your products being used in Japan?
Poon: I saw a few, here and there.
CS: Which type of audiophile in Japan versus the American ones would be
interested in trying your products?
Poon: Funny enough, the Japanese don’t really know about it. The English-
speaking population is the most interested. For example, I received an email
from an American Embassy commerce attaché in Nagoya, Japan, who
commented how pleased he was with my DIP (Digital Interface Processor).
CS: So, the DIP is the popular product, not the SM-70 or SE-100?
Poon: It is a product that people are willing to spend money on—to try
because of such low cost. On the SM-70, you have to spend six to seven
hundred dollars just to try. To a lot of people, it could be a factor in terms of
money.
CS: Which product has received the most awards?
Poon: I think the most I received was on a D/A converter that I made in the
early ‘90’s.
CS: That far back?
Poon: Yes, probably about ten years ago. It was also our first product.
CS: What model was it?
Poon: It is the model 22. In fact, I still have a few of them around today. It is
purely a D/A converter. There was a guy from an audio journal, by the name of
Audio Observatory, who I loaned one unit to listen to. The next thing I knew he
sent me a copy of his review. He said in that review, which is probably still on
my website, that it actually outperformed the ten thousand-dollar Mark
Levinson.
CS: Wow. I think that had a lot to do with system synergy, right? If the system
matches, then it would sound beautiful.
Poon: Well, to a certain extent that’s true. I think on a whole, you are looking at
a product built to quality, built with the audiophile in mind, and built to sell for a
very reasonable price. We always hold on to three letters, which are "QES",
which stand for "Quality, Economy, and Simplicity." (Submerged in deep
thought for a while) That is important in audio—simplicity. You don’t want the
signal to go through two active devices, when one alone can handle it.
CS: Which product is the best representation of such philosophy?
Poon: In our D/A converter, in our power amp, even in our preamp, you will find
the same philosophy throughout.
CS: Which one has the best implementation of that philosophy?
Poon: Probably the SM-70 Pro.
CS: My understand is that all of your amplifiers are single-ended in design.
Am I correct?
Poon: Yes. The single-ended technology brings out the fine details and quality
in sound reproduction.
CS: According to Frank Alles’ recent review of the SM-70 Pro, he quoted you
as saying that the SM-70 was better than the SE-100 in some areas. Is that
true?
Poon: Yes. However, the newer generation of the SE-100 has even lower local
feedback and is as good as the SM-70 with higher output. The earlier SE-
100s may not be up to the performance you can get out of the SM-70.
CS: Really?
Poon: Yes. But because of the SM-70’s zero-feedback technology, there is
only so much power you can get out of it at its exterior dimensions. With a
small amount of local feedback in the SE-100 Deluxe, you can easily get
200wpc at 4ohms.
CS: How can we tell which generation a particular SE-100 belongs to? By
serial numbers?
Poon: No. By the front panel. The older generation had the lion-head logo. The
newer generation has the laser-engraved logo. The older logo was oversized.
|
|
|
CS: Are you planning any future products?
Poon: The SE-160.
CS: Tell me something about this product. (Current review in progress by
Frank Alles.)
Poon: It is a very interesting combination of tube and MOSFET, in a hybrid
arrangement. The SE-160s are made to order, with a lead-time of 2 to 3
weeks.
CS: What is the design rationale in utilizing tubes?
Poon: It is designed for the tube amp lovers who need more clean power. It
delivers 160wpc into 8ohms, 320wpc into 4ohms. More importantly, the
SE-160 has only one voltage gain stage.
CS: Tell me more about the tubes.
Poon: A dual triode 6922 or 6DJ8 is used but can be substituted with any 6.3
volt dual triode tubes having the same pin out configurations as the 6DJ8,
such as the 6CG7 or 6FQ7. No matching of the triodes is necessary as only
one triode is used for the voltage amplification. The other triode is used as a
current source.
|
|
|
CS: What are the sonic advantages to this hybrid arrangement?
Poon: Tubes sound differently. This arrangement gives the user the flexibility
of using different tubes with the sonic signature he prefers.
CS: How do you want audio buffs and music lovers to relate to your products?
Poon: Our products are true high end at low cost. Other people are making
high end products at high costs. The fundamental difference is that
audiophiles only have to spend relatively little money for true high-end
enjoyment. I think, yes, that is the important thing.
CS: Not just a glimpse; but true high-end?
Poon: Yes, true high-end—compared with any of the high-priced gear.
CS: Interesting that you should mention comparison. Many people compare
the Monarchy Audio products to the ones from Pass Lab’s Aleph series
amplifiers. What is your opinion?
Poon: It is a different design.
CS: It is MOSFET, too.
Poon: I have a lot of respect for Nelson Pass. He is a great designer and I
learn a lot from his design. I know the person, personally.
CS: You know him?
Poon: I speak to him every time I meet him.
CS: How do you manage to sell your products at the current low prices?
Poon: Well, a lot of it has to do with where I source my parts from. I can get a
much lower cost, limit my overhead. I don’t draw salaries from the company.
My products don’t have exotic front panels and very costly cosmetics.
CS: You mentioned you don’t draw salaries. So, you are saying you don’t
make much money then. (I laughed).
Poon: To me, this is more like a hobby (not even smiling). To tell you the truth, I
don’t draw salaries. In the early ‘80s, I made a small fortune from a computer
chip investment. Currently, I rely on other investments to cover most of my
expenses. The important thing is, I can still stay competitive in the marketplace
in a way that no one else can. Simply because I don’t have to rely on this
business to make a living.
CS: Will Monarchy Audio make cost-no-object products?
Poon: What kind of product again? (He really has no such concept!)
CS: COST-NO-OBJECT.
Poon: No.
CS: Why not?
Poon: My first concern is sound quality. My second concern is how to achieve
that sound quality at a minimal cost.
CS: Monarchy Audio has been receiving plenty of positive reviews. Can you
think of any negative ones?
Poon: A lot.
CS: What do you think went wrong in those reviews?
Poon: There’s nothing wrong. I think they are entitled to their own opinions; but
that mostly has to do with cosmetics. I am not a good cosmetic designer. In
fact, I’m a poor one at that. If my products don’t look attractive, I am totally
responsible for it!
A LISTENING IMPRESSION: SE-100 DELUXE DRIVING THE SOUND
LAB A1+
During my visit on December 1, 2000, Mr. Poon treated me to over an hour of
listening, to a pair of the Sound Lab A1+s, driven by his SE-100 Deluxe
monoblocks.
Being the current flagships of Monarchy Audio, the SE-100 Deluxe drove the
A1+ in the larger of Monarchy Audio’s two sound rooms, which measured 20
feet long, 18 feet wide and 9 feet high. Placed on a cabinet between the
Sound Labs, the sight of a pair of diminutive SE-100 Deluxe was not one that
immediately iterated assurance. With the towering A1+ and its well-known
impedance demand, experienced audiophiles would assume monster
monoblock amplifiers—those with the size of a family microwave oven—were
to occupy the floor next to the electrostatics. The SE-100 Deluxe monoblocks
were screaming over-confidence on the part of Mr. Poon, who appeared to
have been ignorant of the cruel reality.
I was given an audition of the SE-100 Deluxe, driving the A1+, during my
December visit. The CD I brought was a Deutsche Grammophon reissue of
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Deutsche Grammophon D-134748). The
considerably compressed dynamics in the original 1984 release of this CD
has been totally restored in this 19xx "Original-Bit Image-Processing" CD.
Owning a pair of the SM-70s (driving Klipschorns) I am well aware of the
natural, full-blown dynamics and incisive transients of this CD.
Playing the same CD, the SE-100 Deluxe monoblocks were surprisingly
capable of driving the A1+ to high volume without audible distortions or strain.
The waves of dynamics reproduced by the A1+ were simply awe-inspiring.
For the A1+’s micron-thin surface to be able to unleash dynamics,
approaching live events makes one speechless.
Soundstaging was another distinct attribute of the A1+. The SE-100 Deluxe
was able to bring out the seamless holography from the A1+ that was
heavenly from top to bottom. This personal encounter with the A1+
demonstrated to me a certain coherency and degree of authenticity that all the
multi-way dynamic speakers in my experience, regardless of the degree of
integration of the drivers, have failed to approach. I would recommend that all
audio buffs and music lovers who are in pursuit of the highest level of sonic
realism have a listen to such a system.
The role of the SE-100 Deluxe monoblocks was undeniably pivotal. They were
in absolute control of the A1+ speakers, with power in abundance; but not at
the expense of accuracy and finesse. The difference is that this amp/speaker
combo actually sang—as opposed to simply blasting.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SM-70
I had bought the Monarchy Audio SM-70 in August of 1999, ending my search
for a fitting class A single-ended amplifier for my Klipschorns. For three
months prior to the purchase of the SM-70, I had used the renowned Golden
Tube Audio SE-40 to drive the horns. For readers who are unfamiliar with the
SE-40, it is a 40 Wpc single-ended class A-biased tube amplifier, utilizing
three Sovtek 6L6WGC output tubes for each side.
Since both the Golden Tube Audio and Monarchy Audio amps operate in
single-ended class A mode—one vacuum tube, the other transistor—I thought
it would make an intriguing comparison. This should not be construed as an
attempt to determining one amp’s superiority over the other. Each possess
enough finesse to appeal to certain tastes.
Readers who are interested in a detailed evaluation of the SM-70 may
consider Frank Alles’ original review on the SM-70 Pro, which is a heavy-duty
version with double the output transistors and a high-current power supply.
For the record, the Monarchy Audio SM-70 and Klipschorns represent an
unexpectedly successful marriage. Previously, when driven by a Golden Tube
Audio SE-40, my Klipschorns sounded a little mellow, though highly musical.
Granted that could be the preferred sonic effect for many audio buffs. When
driven by the SM-70, however, there is a re-introduced dimensionality and
dynamic factor that can easily be appreciated by anyone.
In the area of midrange transparency, the SM-70’s two-stage amplification
was in the league of the Golden Tube Audio SE-40’s. The contrast of macro
and microdynamics from the SM-70, however, surpassed the performance
from the GTA SE-40. Via the SM-70, the top end presentations of cymbals,
triangles and violins still retained the delicacy most noticeable from the tube
amplifier; however the SM-70 exhibited a new incisiveness and a more open
sound.
The SM-70-driven Klipschorns produced convincingly real dynamic transients
and instrumental textures, which were at the same time devoid of transistor
glare and harshness. In the area of soundstaging, the speakers surprised me
in their excellence in the localization of instruments on both the vertical and
horizontal planes. These qualities were dormant before the Monarchy Audio
SM-70 was put into my system.
Vacuum tube aficionados know well the virtues of the coupling of horn
speakers to tube amplifiers. For these readers, the revered magical sounds of
the 2A3, 300B, 805 and 845 triode tubes have been highly lauded.
Furthermore, horn/tube purveyors have long maintained that, in well-designed
horn speakers, most tube amplifiers are able to brew sonic intoxicants
throughout the midrange that are not attainable from most solid-state devices.
I would encourage horn speaker owners to try the stereo SM-70 for a
demonstration of the aforementioned sonic benefits. It’s cheap and it’s fun.
Lowther aficionados: let me know how your system sounds with a single SM-
70!
BUYING MONARCHY AUDIO AMPLIFIERS
Ideally, everyone deserves to own some of the best and most expensive
things in life. When allowed financially, it becomes highly rewarding to own a
Mercedes Benz, or even a Rolls Royce. What it may do to your psyche,
personality, or ego is a different subject entirely.
Likewise, it is nice to be able to own a pair of $13,500 monoblocks, and treat
yourself to something wonderful in life. However, the law of diminishing returns
seems particularly appropriate in the case of Monarchy products. The point is:
why purchase the most expensive products at the risk of discovering one year
later that 95% of the exotic product’s sound quality can be had at a tiny
fraction of the price?
I believe that once in great while, treating yourself to something fantastic yet
ridiculously cheap can be a genuinely rewarding experience. Do it before Mr.
Poon comes to his senses.
Published articles from numerous reviewers and audiophiles, as well as my
own personal experience, support the point that Monarchy Audio gear
provides truly high-end performance at bargain basement prices.
|
|
