Monday, 15 September 2025

CANVAS HiFi - What's New?

 



New Danish HiFi Brand in Collaboration with the World’s Largest TV Manufacturer

CANVAS HiFi and Samsung launch The HiFi Frame – where art, design, sound, TV, and technology merge CANVAS HiFi and Samsung proudly present The HiFi Frame – a new icon that unites CANVAS HiFi’s award-winning sound technology, Samsungs market-leading TV design, and a unique artistic collaboration.

The HiFi Frame is designed to fit seamlessly with all of Samsungs flagship TVs. The result is a perfect integration, where sound and picture appear as one complete work of art in the home.

"The HiFi Frame is a combination of the industry’s best sound and best picture in a single design that complements our most exclusive TV series. It is aimed at consumers who demand both experience and aesthetics at the absolute highest level," says PM and PR Samsung, Knut Eirik Rornes.

A Special Partnership with Carsten Beck

The new concept also frames a creative collaboration with Danish artist Carsten Beck, known for his geometric and tactile works. In the meeting between CANVAS HiFi front cover and Samsung’s premium TVs with Art Mode, a dialogue emerges between the analog and the digital:

Beck’s physical works on the HiFi Frame are mirrored in their digital counterparts in Art Mode – merging art, sound, and technology into a curated expression.

"This is not just a soundbar and a TV – it is a new way of thinking about home entertainment. The HiFi Frame is an invitation to a universe of design, simplicity, and cultural relevance," says CANVAS CEO, Laust Nielsen.

A New Standard for Home Entertainment

With The HiFi Frame, CANVAS HiFi and Samsung set a new standard: a product where design, technology, and art enhance each other – transforming the home into a gallery of sound, image, and aesthetics.











Canvas HiFi Unveils Another Industry First✅️

CANVAS is proud to introduce a world premiere, of what we believe is a world-first in soundbar innovation, at Munich High-End: A completely new crossover and tuning system, developed by their Chief Technology Officer, Benno Baun Meldgaard. Renowned for his award-winning loudspeaker designs with Gamut, Raidho, Scansonic-HD, and Gryphon, Benno brings true high-end audio expertise to the CANVAS soundbar.

At the core of this breakthrough is Benno’s proprietary “stepped slope” crossover technology. This design ensures seamless integration between drivers, followed by a steeper acoustic slope that significantly reduces out-of-band distortion. The result is exceptional phase and impulse alignment, delivering precise sound staging and timing—performance typically reserved for reference-grade loudspeakers.

The new Organic Master Tuning follows Benno’s signature psychoacoustic approach, fine-tuned not in a lab, but in a real living room. This method focuses on how sound is actually perceived, rather than 
just how it measures. 

The outcome is a natural, open, and highly detailed listening experience—
unprecedented in a soundbar. This added clarity and openness also means the system is more revealing, especially with recordings of lesser quality. To accommodate different preferences, we’re not replacing our current, more 
forgiving Neutral Master Tuning. Instead, both tunings will be available, with an upcoming app allowing users to switch between them at any time. (Neutral or Organic Master Tuning.This level of flexibility is made possible by the exceptionally powerful DSP processor built into every Canvas soundbar.

For existing Canvas owners, there’s no need to take action: The new Master Tuning will be delivered automatically via our Over-The-Air (OTA) update system, at no additional cost.

Canvas continues to push the limits of soundbar technology by delivering uncompromising audio performance and high-end design to every home.


Saturday, 31 May 2025

Jumpan Passive Pre Amp - Solid, Transparent and Unique




This must be the longest wait before I can fully complete a hifi review :( . And for this, I need to apologize to this pre amp designer Lau Wai Pan for the delay. Expressing ideas and experiences to words has been a bit of a struggle.  Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this local masterpiece which has injected a certain level of musicality to my SPL Audio pre and power amp.

The Specification and Built

The Jumpan pre amp is equipped with:
  1. 1 x XLR in
  2. 1 x XLR out
  3. 2 x RAC in
  4. 1 x RCA out
Hence,  you have a choice to use either one depending on what is available on you power amp.

On the front fascia, it is quite basic and straight forward. A selector switch between RCA and XLR input and a volume/attenuator knob with a volume level indicator.

Lo and behold - it also comes with a pal size remote control which works really well.

I tried a few connection variation but in the end, I feel that using all XLR connections sounds best.

The unit is sturdily built and slim in size (24 x 34 x 6 cm - D x W x H). Easily placed o any standard size hifi rack. As it was built sturdily, using heavier interconnects should not pose any problems for the unit to stay grounded to the rack. I particularly dislike too light of a unit that will not allow heavier interconnects or cabling to be used without the unit being unstable.

The Set Up

1. Power amp - SPL Audio Performance S800
2. McIntosh MCD350 SACD player
3. Sony HAP Z1ES Hi Res streamer
4. Borressen X3 speakers

The Listening Session




Playing Zee Avi's The Book of Morris Johnson, the Jumpan added a wider presentation to what I use to hear from my previous SPL pre and power set up. While the bass remains authentic to SPL, this pre amp definitely added some life to the set up as the SPL Pre and power sounded clinical  and can be monotonous at times.

Zee Avi vocal came out strong and dominant sounding compared to the overall music presentation. To me this is one unique attribute of this Jumpan pre amp, it amplifies the vocal of the song. It really did justice to Zee's vocal. 

Playing a piece from the legendary Kombo RTM truly shows the musicality of the pre amp. Given a live recording like this, I was expecting to sound thin and a bit one the bright side. Not with the Jumpan. It provides a lively, airy and at the same time, a meaty musicality. It gives out a very engaging experience, bringing back memories of tunes from the past. 

The wind instrument sounded super clear with no ear--pinching experience. Sweet and luscious. The percussion was hard hitting and authentic to the sound of 60s/70s. Compared to me SPL pre amp, this Jumpan pre amp injected more liveliness to the overall musicality.


The Conclusion

A well thought design!

It a solidly built with transparency as its unique character. The SPL Audio power amp might not be the best match for the Jumpan as I was informed that it works better with power amp which has 50K to 100K impedance. Nevertheless, I could still experience great difference compared to my SPL Audio Director Mk2 pre amp.

The overall performance of this passive preamp leans towards clarity and lively musicality. It somehow is able to inject some lusciousness to a clinical SPL Audio pre and power combo. If one is looking for a straightforward, minimalize pre amp, give this Jumpan a go. For further enquiries, please contact Lau Wai Pan on Facebook.


 

Saturday, 15 February 2025

ASCENDO Infrasonic Multi Sub in AV Designs

 






I have been using ASCENDO subwoofer, surround and ATMOS speakers for a few years now. It blends well into my PMC LCR speakers and ARCAM AV. receiver. However, my 5.1.2 HT set up is not ideal to fully experience ASCENDO capabilities.

On 15th Feb, I spent a few hours with James Tan in AV Designs to explore the ASCENDO set up and really experience what it can do. The main HT room is equipped with a 24" infrasonic sub alongside the other ASCENDO speakers. Mind you, the AVR was a JBL but still the set up was amazing. James and his team have been tweaking the set up and it was a vast improvement compared to my previous visit many months ago.

Playing movies like A Quite Place and 13 Hours brought out the grunt and hard hiting bass from this set up without loosing any clarity from the LCR speakers. It provided a very engaging and enveloping, non-directional experience of bass extension. Can really experience how a bullet shot sounds like.

What really impresses me was when it was put on a 2 channel demo. In this drum video, the amount bass that comes out of this set up can make any drummers start to tap their feet. Deep, cohesive and fast sounding to keep up with the drummer playing pattern.



To have a room like AV Designs show room would be a dream. I may just settle with adding more subs to my set up 😬😬

Do visit Audio Visual Designs to experience what I experienced here. Ask for a demo today!