This year’s High End Munich was an overwhelming success. With the release of three, new and exciting products in the QSINE, QWAVE, and QBASE Mark III, as well as a sneak peek at a groundbreaking new power solution, the QBASE Reference, there was a lot to see and hear in the Nordost room. It was great to experience the undeniable enthusiasm from attendees for the projects we have been working so hard on developing.
Nordost was a ubiquitous presence at High End this year. Our cables were featured in over a dozen rooms, including some of the best-sounding rooms of the show, like… CH Precision, VTL, Raidho, MOON, Grandinote, and dCS, as well as being extremely well-represented by our German distributor, Audio Reference. These highly respected companies have their pick of cable brands to highlight their products, and it is always an honor to be chosen by them.
We know that not everyone was able to make the trip to Munich this year, so we took a nice sampling of pictures from the many Nordost-wired systems throughout the show for you to enjoy here!
Nordost’s room featured our Valhalla 2 cables and QRT products, alongside products from Wilson, dCS, and Dan D’Agostino:
Audio Reference’s room used Nordost cables in several systems featuring Wilson, Krell, Dan D’Agostino and more:
The dCS room featured Nordost Valhalla 2 cables:
VTL’s room featured our Odin 2 Supreme Reference cables
The Grandinote room was wired with our Reference series Valhalla 2 cables:
CH Precision’s system was wired with Odin 2:
Raidho Acoustics’ room was wired with Valhalla 2:
The Scansonic system used Nordost Frey 2:
The MOON by SIMAUDIO room used our Heimdall 2 Ethernet Cable alongside Tyr 2 cables.
Nordost products are designed to allow you to enjoy your favorite performances as they were intended to be heard. All of us here are passionate about great music, and want to share our passion with you. Each one of us has our own style… We listen to a wide variety of artists and genres but, in a way, we appreciate them all. We thought that we would share a few of the songs on our own personal playlists with you each month. Some may be classics, some may be brand new, some may not even be to your tastes, but we hope that there is something here for everyone.
Here are some of the songs that we will have on rotation this June.
You can now listen to our monthly playlist here: TIDAL | SPOTIFY | QOBUZ
Cherie Vico — Peter One — Come Back To Me
Acoustic — Billy Raffoul — 1975
Makeba — Jain — Zanaka (Deluxe)
Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro — Giacomo Puccini, Renée Fleming, London Philharmonic Orchestra — Rennée Fleming
Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me — Mississippi John Hurt — “Last Sessions”
When We Swam — Thao, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down — Know Better Learn Faster
Darling Be Home Soon — The Lovin’ Spoonful — You’re A Big Boy Now
Sweet — Lana Del Rey — Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
The Curse of the Blackened Eye — Orville Peck — Bronco
Nordost’s line of QRT Enhancers and Harmonizers, which originated with the QKOIL and QVIBE, is now expanding to include two fresh designs in the QSINE and QWAVE. Each plug-in provides a unique solution that helps to improve upon the poor quality AC that negatively affects the audio/video performance of two-channel and home entertainment systems.
The QSINE AC Enhancer and QWAVE AC Line Harmonizer are designed to be used alongside the QKOIL AC Enhancer and QVIBE AC Line Harmonizer. While each of these plug-ins has a unique focus, they all complement each other as a modular set of AC products. As with the QKOIL and QVIBE, both the QSINE and QWAVE can be used as “stand-alone” products, but their benefits are cumulative and are best enjoyed when integrated into a full suite of QRT products. To implement the QSINE and QWAVE, simply plug each device into any spare socket that connects to the AC line of your sound system.
Learn more about these two exciting new products:
QSINE – AC ENHANCER
The QSINE enhances the AC signal in a sound system by introducing a specific frequency field onto the circuit path. This frequency field indirectly reshapes the sine wave, which, in turn, lowers the effects of EMI noise embedded into the AC power, positively impacting the listener’s perception of the musical signal. Introducing the QSINE into your sound system brings about several distinct benefits
A lowered perceived noise
An increase in the clarity, detail, and pacing of musical reproduction
A reduction of EMI on the AC line
Greater musicality and improved tonal balance
QWAVE – AC LINE HARMONIZER
The QWAVE manipulates the sine wave by introducing a precise range of pulsed frequencies onto the AC line, clocked from the original 50 or 60 Hz waveform. Through this manipulation, the QWAVE is able to better control the harmonics and overtones attributed to many improvements, not least of which is the enhanced realism of both the musical and visual aspects of performance. As a result of integrating the QWAVE into your sound system, you can expect several noticeable results
A lowered noise floor
Increased imagery and dimensionality
An enhanced presence of the sound stage
A deeper, more dimensional, and vibrant picture in AV systems
Like the QKOIL and QVIBE, the QSINE and QWAVE are housed in a mechanically tuned, carbon-fiber body and equipped with either a US (NEMA), EU (Schuko), or AUS connector. (EU to UK adapters are available as needed)
Nordost products are designed to allow you to enjoy your favorite performances as they were intended to be heard. All of us here are passionate about great music, and want to share our passion with you. Each one of us has our own style… We listen to a wide variety of artists and genres but, in a way, we appreciate them all. We thought that we would share a few of the songs on our own personal playlists with you each month. Some may be classics, some may be brand new, some may not even be to your tastes, but we hope that there is something here for everyone.
Here are some of the songs that we will have on rotation this May.
You can now listen to our monthly playlist here: TIDAL | SPOTIFY | QOBUZ
Le Mal de Vivre–Cécile McLorin Salvant–For One to Love
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467: II. Andante–Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Yeol Eum Son, Sir Neville Marriner–Yeol Eum Son: Mozart Academy of Sr Martin in the Fields Sir Neville Marriner
True Love Ways–Buddy Holly–The Definitive Collection
This Town–Patricia Barber–Clique
Imagine–Charl du Plessis Trio–Imagine
Diggin’ On James Brown–Tower Of Power–Souled Out
Orgone (Live)–Miles Davis–Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux
Repeat Until Death–Novo Amor–Birthplace
Georgia On My Mind–Willie Nelson–Stardust
Pink + White – Live at Electric Lady–Remi Wolf–Live at Electric Lady
Nordost is thrilled to be exhibiting again at the High End 2023 Show in Munich, held at the MOC May 18-21. We have some exciting new products we will be introducing this year, and can’t wait to share them with our partners, friends in the press, and show attendees! Throughout the show, product trainers and specialists Bjorn Bengtsson, Alex Brady, and Dennis Bonotto will be performing live demonstrations and answering questions in (Halle 4) Atrium 4, Room E112. High End 2023 should be a fantastic show, and we hope to see you all there!
Nordost’s goal for Axpona 2023 was to put together a world-class, reference system with some of the best components known to hifi. We are happy to say that we achieved just that! And lest we be accused of being biased, we have the reviews to back it up!
The Nordost room in Schaumburg F, supported by our partners, VTL and Stenheim, and joined by our friends, dCS and VPI, has secured three coveted distinctions of “Best in Show” from Stereophile’s Jason Victor Serinus, The Absolute Sound’s Andre Jennings (as well as an additional “contender” for Best in Show by TAS’ Jonathan Valin), and Jay’s Audio Lab. As Jason put it in his show report, we “scored a bullseye” with our room with a system that “sounded like heaven”. When describing the impact of our system he wrote, “First, my attention was drawn to the natural and real sound of bass. On…Patricia Barber’s “This Town” from Clique, I heard the largest, most timbrally correct, believable, and luscious presentation of a double bass I may have ever heard from a sound system.”
While the most highly decorated, Schaumburg F wasn’t the only room where attendees could experience how Nordost cables impact a system. In the Nordost demo room with Holm Audio we wowed listeners with our live demonstrations and cable comparisons, and we were thrilled to be represented by several amazing companies who chose to showcase their products alongside our cables.
Here are some snapshots of Nordost at AXPONA!
Nordost’s main room featured our Odin 2 cables and QBASE Mark III, alongside products from Stenheim, VTL, dCS, VPI, and Lyra:
In Nordost’s demo room with Holm Audio, Michael Taylor and Amy Hansen impressed listeners with our cable comparisons!
Sonner and Holm Audio’s room featured our Norse 2 cables:
The Dali and NAD Holm Audio room featured our Heimdall 2 cables among others in the Norse 2 family:
The Grandinote room was wired with our Reference series Valhalla 2 cables:
Woo Audio’s headphone rigs were wired with up with Nordost cables too!
Harry’s Hi-Fi, longstanding audiophile retailer, closed March 31. Now, we say farewell to a true Canadian Hi-Fi Institution!
By Bruno de Lorimier
We were all saddened by the loss of Harry about a year ago, and no person more than wife and co-owner Pat Sotropa. A little over a year after this tragic and totally unexpected incident, Pat came to the heart-wrenching decision to close the store at the end of the month. Pat isn’t exiting the business for financial reasons but after 40 years, she has earned a rest and is calling it a day.
Harry and Pat Sotropa are owners of Harry’s Hi-Fi. PHOTO BY TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
I have personally known Pat and Harry for over 25 years and
consider them friends. In Regina,
Saskatchewan, Harry’s Hi-Fi was one of the first Canadian dealers to come on
board with Nordost. Like everyone, I was extremely shocked and saddened by Harry’s
passing which came so suddenly as he simply didn’t wake up on the morning of April
8th, 2022. One may find comfort in that he passed away peacefully in
his sleep, but that doesn’t diminish how much we’ll miss him. Everyone who knew Harry will tell you that he
was a truly unique and remarkable individual with a vibrant passion for life
and for music (and gardening). Even today, we continue to love Harry!
Now, with the permanent closure of Harry’s Hi-Fi, the audio industry
will also be losing a truly special and extremely supportive dealer that was devoted
to providing the most comprehensive, attentive, and caring sales advice, quality
products, and support to all its patrons.
Harry’s hi-fi obsession was rooted in his love of music “What’s
better in life than music?”
The first thing you should now about Harry is that, although
everyone referred to him as Harry (including himself and his wife Pat), his
real name was Vern Sotropa! Here’s the
story behind the name…
Custom Stereo is the name of the store where Harry got his start
in hi-fi equipment sales in 1976. He was
26 and working the summer as a staff clerk for the Department of Labor and
spending a lot of his student loan money — meant for University of Regina
sociology studies — at Custom Stereo. He
was in there often enough that the owners, Tom Clelland and Richard Grassie,
offered him a job which he happily took.
Fast forward six months or so: the three are sitting in the bar of
the Royal International Inn — formerly the King’s Hotel, demolished along with
the store in 1978 to make way for the Cornwall Centre. As Harry told it, “Tom
goes, ‘Custom Stereo is a lame f—–g name.’ He goes, ‘We should change the name
of that place,’”.
Pat interjects: “You know this is all going to become public
knowledge.”
“I don’t care,” Harry answers. He goes on: “We should name it Tom,
Dick and Harry’s.” So they had a Tom, they had a Dick, and from the time we
crossed the street from the Royal International to the stereo shop, the name
stuck like s–t to a Hudson Bay blanket. And that was it.” Harry was born!
Through three Custom Stereo locations, to the founding of his own
shop in 1983…Through sales of turntables, the players of those “unlistenable”
early CDs, car stereos, home theatre, and the popular resurgence of record
players — he’s been known as Harry. Not Harry Sotropa. “It’s like Prince or
Madonna,” he says laughing. “It’s just Harry.”
Harry (wearing shorts) and Pat stand in one of their listening rooms. PHOTO BY TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
Harry and I also a had funny
ritual. Quite often, almost exclusively
on Fridays, he would call me after 5:00 pm my time (3:00 pm for him) as sort of
a joke. He would say “Am I too early to disturb you yet? I can call you later if it further disrupts
your weekend”. We would then proceed to tell each other jokes for the first few
minutes (sometimes more) before moving on to more serious business. I miss those calls.
It’s Pat who has the real Harry tales to tell. She told me: “I bought a stereo from Harry and I was married to someone else at the time. From that moment Harry and I were together for 44 years. We both listened to all different kinds of music, it was a passion for both of us that did not diminish.” Since childhood, Pat and Harry have been in love with music and it was no secret that both were huge fans of Nordost. They recommended Nordost cables to every customer who walked-in the door, and they practiced what they preached, since their entire home system was wired with Valhalla.
As a 50th
birthday present to his wife, Harry had earrings, a bracelet and pendant made
from a piece of Valhalla speaker cable!
Harry was inspired by
one of Pat’s stories about Valhalla Interconnect that she had been regaling a
customer about the merits of Nordost cables in a system. At the end of the
conversation Pat mentioned that it sounded incredible, but that it was also so
beautiful and that one could wear it as a necklace. That clearly didn’t fall on deaf ears. When Harry
asked our North American V.P., Michael Taylor, for a foot of Valhalla and Michael
passed it on to Nordost’s owner, Joe. At first, Joe was suspicious of Harry’s
intentions. He had never heard someone make such an unusual request. However, Joe
finally did agree, and Harry worked with a local custom jeweler to get it made.
Pat wore the set regularly, especially when attending Hi-Fi shows. Harry always
pointed out that Pat was wearing audio jewelry!
Harry’s Hi-Fi was known for creating a welcoming and inviting
environment. Walking into Harry’s Hi-Fi on Rose Street, their location since
they moved from 1239 Albert St. in 2000, was like walking into a music lover’s
home: Brick walls, wooden floors, music-themed artwork on vibrantly coloured
walls. There’s a listening room to the
right, a pseudo-living room. Comfortable leather armchairs face a window that’s
flanked by awesome-sounding and expensive Bowers & Wilkins stereos wired
with Nordost cables.
Adjacent to that space, there’s another similar setup.
Both rooms have stacks and stacks of vinyl records on shelves —
you can’t very well test the analog players without records to play. (It’s not
the 5,000-strong collection they have at home — which, according to Harry, is
“not that crazy” a number.)
From Elvis Presley talking his way through a Sun Studio recording,
to a British pressing (i.e. higher quality recording) of Patsy Cline, to Dave
Brubeck’s smashing piano — there’s a decent array. On rotation lately, they’ve had The Franklin
Electric, The Avett Brothers, The Barr Brothers, Case Lang Veirs, The
Lumineers, GoGo Penguin … The list goes on.
The point of their work was to give people a music experience as
close to live as possible. According to Harry, you can’t actually have a live
band in front of you…as he was known to say, “Nothing beats live music,”.
The music at Harry’s would switch from The Killers to The Band,
Tracy Chapman, to Classical and Jazz as they demonstrated the equipment’s sonic
diversity.
A song at a time: “It’s not the usual way someone would listen to
a record. Usually you’d clean the record, clean the needle, sit down and listen
until the arm lift signals Side A’s end, flip the record over, clean the
record, clean the needle, sit down and listen …” Harry said.
Harry and Pat were big on vinyl.
They witnessed vinyl’s comeback in their store, and even in their own
house, although they had never completely abandoned it. They had a very strong opinion about the
importance of a properly set-up, good-quality turntable, which didn’t have to
cost a fortune. At Harry’s Hi-Fi, prices
ranged into the tens of thousands, but a decent turntable could be bought for only
$400.
“When people say, ‘You know records are back, right?’ I’m like,
‘Man, records didn’t go anywhere.’” But for a lot of people, they did. The
rebound has been strong, maybe detrimentally so. “It’s just silly right now. Everybody has to
have a turntable just cause…,” says Harry. “It’s trendy.”
Having a record player has “become a cool thing, and that doesn’t
mean that it’s good,” says Pat. One of
the problems with this trend is cheap turntables. “That’s one of the reasons why we try and
tell people, ‘Don’t play your records on your great-aunt Dorothy’s console,’ ”
says Pat. “You might think it’s a cool piece of furniture, but it’s not good
for your records.” Quality counts, and
here’s why: Turntables need to be aligned to properly play a record. Even an expensive turntable can ruin a record
if it’s not set up right. “We’re talking
about a diamond here, and a piece of vinyl,” says Harry. The groove of the record is engraved
soundwaves, tinier than you can see. That diamond is the needle (a.k.a.
stylus), which traces the groove and vibrates, making the sound when amplified. “The information that’s in the groove of a
record is smaller than the pit of a CD. It’s microscopic inside,” says Pat. “We’re
still amazed that a technology that’s 130 years-plus is still the best sound
quality we have.” At least, when they’re
set up for quality, which Harry estimates 99 percent aren’t.
A market full of “groove grinders,” as Harry calls them — a bad
needle, improper geometry and weight — are literally chipping away at records
as they play. That’s how records get a hissing and scratching sound. Like
tires on a car, they’ll eventually wear out — but they wear out faster if you
don’t take care of them. When they are
taken care of, they sound fantastic. Before
any turntable leaves the store, Harry makes sure it’s set up correctly: The
stylus is correctly angled, right down to the micron. He uses a microscope in
the process.
“Part of it has to do with a point of pride, that when every
table, every cartridge walks out of here, it’s the best it could possibly be,”
says Pat.
“We try really f—–g hard,” Harry says “and we will for as long
as the store is open” … and they did
Harry works on properly aligning a record player before selling it. PHOTO BY TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
In his teenage years, Harry’s parents never had a turntable;
they’d borrow a neighbour’s for a few weeks at a time.
Pat and Harry bonded over their love of music more than 40
years ago. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, it’s how they met.
“It was a pair of Klipsch Heresy’s with Luxman L30 amplifier,” Pat
says, remembering her first Custom Stereo purchase from Harry. She was working
downtown too, a block away, managing T-Shirt City. After seven years working for someone else,
in 1983 Harry became an entrepreneur. They
remortgaged their house at an obscene 19-per-cent interest rate to make it
happen. “The economy was in the toilet
and we’re opening up a new store,” says Harry.
“Not sure if we were stupid, (or) young,” says Pat. “I know it’s just
what I wanted to do,” says Harry.
“I was kind of along for the ride at the beginning,” says Pat. “I
didn’t sell anything, I just sat back and listened to him, and that’s the best
way to learn how to sell is being mentored by somebody who’s really good at
their job.”
When their son Dylan was old enough for daycare, and daughter
Alicia was in Grade 3, Pat quit her jobs at Bi-Rite Drugs and the Pasqua
Hospital to work alongside Harry. “We
work together extremely well,” says Pat.
Their love of music united them for 44 years.
Pat is thankful for the customers who helped put mac and cheese on
the table of her Normanview bungalow for the last 40 years. She could have
tried to sell the business, but as Harry once said “anybody who has the
knowledge to do it has got a better paying job right now, though some of the
gear is pricey, there’s little profit in hi-fi sales.”
“Selling the business to someone else isn’t an easy alternative”, Pat
said. “High fidelity equipment requires a level of expertise, knowing how to
put systems together, figuring out what works with what; the devil is in the
details.”
That part of the job is where Pat and Harry found joy: educating
customers about the products and talking about music. Through those
conversations, a connection with the customers was formed. “You have to give people a reason to buy
better quality goods. Just because it’s expensive, doesn’t necessarily make it
better,” said Pat.
Harry always described the business as a three-person operation
run by two people. With Harry’s death, it became a one-person show and Pat is
just tired.
“In addition to helping customers who walk through the doors of
the Rose Street location, I was handling the books, ordering, shipping,
receiving, providing technical support for customers, setting up turntables —
everything.”
Throughout decades of selling sound, Pat has witnessed
technological advancements in audio and entertainment, as well as changes in
perception of women working in the field.
“It’s been an interesting ride. For me, as a woman, there’s very few
women in our industry that are in my kind of position — way more now than when
I first started,” she recalled. “I
remember when I first started on the floor selling, guys would always refer to
Harry and Harry would say, ‘I don’t know. Ask her,’” Pat said with a laugh.
Looking back, she remembers feeling frustrated at points and
wondering why no one would talk to her. Nowadays, she says the men who walk in
do not question her knowledge or ability.
The people she did speak with over the years have made lasting memories,
as customers of all ages have purchased audio equipment from Harry’s, including
the children and grandchildren of customers of years past.
Although Pat recognizes that Harry’s Hi-Fi still has a lot of
loyal customers — including ones from out of province, who make a shopping trip
every few years, Pat says. “It’s too much. I’m going to be 68-years-old. It’s
time to wind it down,” “I’m really emotional. It’s hard because I will miss the
people. I won’t miss the business end of it, you know the paying of bills…”
Pat Sotropa, owner of Harry’s Hi-Fi, inside the store on Thursday, January 19, 2023 in Regina. She is retiring after the March 31 closure and has been running the business herself since her husband, Harry, passed on in 2022. PHOTO BY TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
Pat has no plans to jump into another venture any time soon. After
four decades of working, she is going to do some thinking instead.
“I need to sort of figure out who I am as a human being, without
my life partner, without my business partner and without my business”. “It’s going to be an adjustment for me, but
we made such good friends. Our best friends have been customers and they still
continue to be.” “It’s still for me a great joy, it gives me a real giggle,
when I can do a good demo for somebody and they go, ‘wow, I’ve never heard that
before”.
It’s time to enter a new era for Pat and for each one of
us. It will be quite different without
Pat and Harry, of that I’m certain. Thank you for your generous contribution
to the Hi-Fi world, your friendship, and
for all the fond memories!
(Thank you to the Regina
Leader-Post for some of the material included in this homage)
Harry Sotropa, left, and his wife Pat are pictured in 2016. PHOTO BY TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
Nordost products are designed to allow you to enjoy your favorite performances as they were intended to be heard. All of us here are passionate about great music, and want to share our passion with you. Each one of us has our own style… We listen to a wide variety of artists and genres but, in a way, we appreciate them all. We thought that we would share a few of the songs on our own personal playlists with you each month. Some may be classics, some may be brand new, some may not even be to your tastes, but we hope that there is something here for everyone.
Here are some of the songs that we will have on rotation this April.
You can now listen to our monthly playlist here: TIDAL | SPOTIFY | QOBUZ
We are excited to introduce the new QBASE Mark III. Since first being introduced to the market in 2009, the QBASE has been a sophisticated, yet straightforward AC Distribution Unit which provides the solid foundation audio components require, in order to improve upon any high-performing, two-channel system. Now, we are further amplifying the benefits that the QBASE brings to a system’s performance with the launch of the QBASE Mark III.
At its core, the QBASE will remain true to its historically praised design and concept with its mechanically tuned, extruded aluminum body, durable contact points, and internal MonoFilament wiring. Much like its predecessors, the QBASE Mark III addresses the noise-inducing, conflicting flows of signal and ground paths within a hifi system by using a unique method called “star-earth topology”. Star-earth topology connects all outlets from one central point (or outlet) to the input. In the QBASE, we do this while additionally lifting the impedance level on every outlet, except for the one deemed “Primary Earth”. Elevating the ground in this passive manner achieves three indispensable effects: it creates an uninterrupted, straightline AC distribution path from the wall to each individual component, isolates each component by deterring the ground flow between them, and eliminates conflicting flow between signal and ground paths all without any form of inline filtering or active circuitry.
Nordost’s QBASE Mark III is a significant upgrade compared to its previous iteration. Improvements include:
Newly designed, dual PC-board configuration
Increased separation of all ground connections from the line and neutral traces
Further minimized interference/ crosstalk between live/neutral and ground currents
Enhanced trace sizes to maximize current flow
Revised resistance “sink” to add protection and effectively damp eddy currents
Nordost’s QBASE Distribution Unit has been an essential component in hifi systems ranging from modest to reference-level for well over a decade. Now, with the crucial developments implemented in the design of the new QBASE Mark III, the benefit it brings to system performance has only been amplified. The QBASE Mark III impacts every component connected to it, improving each component in unique ways. The cumulative effect it has on a system is all encompassing— enhancing the 3D imaging on the soundstage, pulling out tonal richness and sustained decay time in the music, and imparting a clear increase of power while maintaining a neutral and effortless delivery of the performance.
We are headed back to AXPONA! Come see (and hear) Nordost, April 14-16, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, Chicago in the Schaumburg F room. We are bringing together some of the leading brands in the industry to give Axpona attendees a truly world-class listening experience. With top-of-the-line equipment from Stenheim, VTL, dCS, VPI, and of course, Nordost, you don’t want to miss this impressive reference system!
In addition to our show-stopping system in Schaumburg F, featuring a full loom of our Odin 2 cables, Nordost will also be performing our renowned live demonstrations and product comparisons in the Nordost Demo Room: 716.
Want more Nordost? Make sure to stop by these amazing rooms which will be featuring looms of Nordost cables, ranging from Leif to Reference!