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By: Pac@HiFiForum.nu

Date: 17-18 April

Place: Mårten Design, Gothenburg Sweden

- version

Vitus had brought a prototype DAC and to feed the ORACLE-drive that was placed on top of the rack. That drive is suspended in two layers so when You have changed a Cd it sways gently. To change a CD is almost as much work as changing a vinyl record. To come to think of it the feeling when working with it is a lot like the feeling one has when working with a high-grade vinyl player, nice!

There were more prototypes in the rack; Vitus had brought their prototype vinyl player, a big and sturdy piece of aluminium. Hans-Ole told me that the finish will be equal to all Vitus products, brushed aluminium. Another feature that the prototype had was the external motor drive. In the product the motor will be incorporated into the plinth.

So, what’s the cost for all the goodies? Well, lets start to say that it will make a severe dent in any ones bank account.
The pre, RIAA, mono blocks and the DAC (when available) will set You back the equivalent of €74500 when bought in Denmark. If You then include Coltrane speakers, Jorma Cables and the Oracle drive You are clocking well past €100000. To say that I did have some pretty high expectations is an understatement,

I was expecting the best...

Stainless steel Oracle Drive

I brought my usual records, records I really like and that I've had a chance to listen to in many setups and under different circumstances.

First record out was Sarah Brightman "Eden". Her voice and the way it is treated in the recording/mastering process can make any setup go nuts. There is so much energy in the high frequencies plus that Sarah’s voice has few but powerful over tones so if the gear can't cope with it, the sound produced will cut glass. But not today, her voice was sweet and soft and no harshness at all. What could be heard though was that the recording engineers hadn't really done their homework. The setup revealed the recording flaws with no mercy at all. Ruthless is the word that springs to mind

Next out were one of my absolute favourites, Nils Lofgrens "Acoustic Live". Track number 5 "Keith Don't go" is a track with more feelings than perfection. The guitar has its own life and is very much alive. This is not one of these perfectly executed, cute little guitar tunes, its rough with a howling, crying, demanding, begging, … guitar that does not "play nicely". Sometimes the guitar is even used as a rhythm instrument. The feeling that was passed along was all one could ask for and the voice of Nils came out just as fragile as it some times is. The perfection in this record lies in the feelings it sends across.

One of Sweden’s finest musicians Nils Landgren, was next with his "Sentimental Journey". On this record a string quartet called the Fleshquartet helps out. They are very special with their out of key strings that build up some really fantastic harmonies. Some times it is really out of key and "itchy" but it still should be with a lot of air in the melody and never difficult to listen to. This record has also a lot of perspective in the sound field.

In the middle of "Ghost in this House" Hans-Ole pushed a button on the preamp and the depth in the sound field changed, a lot!. The musicians landed far away and I know that there is a lot of depth in that record, but this was very special. Hans-Oles comment was "its now on battery drive"...

The difference between battery and 220V drive was really big and the statement that Hans-Ole delivered about solving the problems with battery drive does not sound so far fetched any more... Hans-Ole can rightly be proud over the Vitus battery technollogy

Well, we can't always play nicely...

Complete set up that was used