Audio Magic Factory Tour
by Jeff Fritz and Marc Mickelson

SoundStage! and Audio Magic go way back, to the days when we were pretty much it for Internet-savvy audiophiles and Audio Magic was producing its novel Tubed Interconnect. Since those early days, both SoundStage! and Audio Magic have grown and matured -- from fledgling entities into established companies. We have multiple sites, and Audio Magic offers products in multiple categories -- audio and home-theater cables, power conditioners and electronics. And when you take into account the Grand Illusion PA-1 speaker system, you realize that little seems to impede the creativity of Audio Magic and its founder Jerry Ramsey.

Then…

Jerry Ramsey began Audio Magic began in 1994 as an outlet for his cable designs. A proponent of silver conductors, Ramsey began producing interconnects and speaker cables whose performance was always noteworthy but whose prices were often below those of the competition. The Excalibur, Sorcerer and Illusion lines have been around since the beginning, and all three are still built around the use of silver conductors. The newer Xstream and Clairvoyant 4D lines also use silver, but in very different forms: more conventional Teflon-coated solid-core silver conductors for Xstream, and ultra-pure-silver ribbon conductors in widths up to 3" for Clairvoyant 4D. From the beginning, most of Audio Magic's cables were handmade by Jerry Ramsey in his shop, which is located in his house in suburban Denver. As we pulled up, we speculated that the neighbors have probably wondered more than a few times why there is always music coming from the Ramsey house.

In 2001, Ramsey began to branch out into power products. His original Stealth Power Purifier was very well received, creating a buzz among audiophiles. The Stealth line has grown considerably -- it seems to go on forever nowadays. There are the Stealth Basic ($449), Stealth Mini Basic ($499), Stealth Mini Digital ($799), Stealth Mini Matrix ($1300), Stealth Triple X ($1999) and Stealth Eclipse ($3800). Some of these units are appropriate for full-system power conditioning, while others are for special applications, such as use with digital components.

Shortly after launching his Stealth power products, Ramsey enlisted the help of his friend Henry Lamb, who created the Stealth Kukama DAC, and he's now looking at expanding even further by introducing digital amplifiers and perhaps speakers. Throughout all of this time, Ramsey has remained focused on cables, but what few people know is that he has also developed the concept for a custom-installed powered speaker system, the first one of which he has installed in the basement of his home.

…and now

We spent the bulk of our time while visiting Audio Magic investigating and hearing the Grand Illusion PA-1, a fully powered, built-in system of amplifiers, crossovers, cables and drivers. The inventory of parts for the six-way PA-1 is daunting. There are 11 separate power amps alone! Four PSE Studio 5s are used from 200Hz on down, two KR Enterprise Antares 12Wpc monoblocks reproduce 200Hz to 1000Hz, a single Audion integrated amp is used from 1000Hz to 7500Hz , and one Velvet Touch 316A stereo amp covers 7500Hz and up. Two Marchand crossovers control the frequency ranges. Built in to the wall of Ramsey's 17' x 15' listening room are two 24" Hartley woofers, two 18" Hartley woofers, four 10" Hartley woofers, four Eton woofers, four Eminent Technology ribbon midrange drivers, four Raven ribbon tweeters, two Eminent Technology ribbon tweeters, and eight JBL ultra tweeters. The amplifiers are situated behind the wall of drivers, keeping the cabling as short as possible and creating less clutter -- where else would you put 11 amplifiers?

In terms of ancillary equipment, a CEC TL-1X transport, Audio Magic Stealth Kukama DAC, and GW Labs 24/96 upsampler handle CDs, while a Mitchell Cotter turntable and phono stage, Musical Fidelity tonearm and Koetsu Rosewood cartridge take care of vinyl playback. An Audio Magic Stealth Eclipse power conditioner and Audio Magic Clairvoyant cables round out the system. All of this resides in the main room, across from the wall of drivers and amidst neat racks of CDs and piles of vinyl.

The work area. Your Audio Magic cables were probably born here.	Supplies all very neatly categorized and labeled.
One channel of the PA-1.	Ancillary equipment used with the Grand Illusion PA-1.
Jerry Ramsey's CD collection sits next to a Mitchell Cotter turntable ($10,000 in its day). A pair of Lava Lamps adds "atmosphere."	A Velvet Touch amplifer drove the Grand Illusion PA-1 from 7500Hz on up.

How does the PA-1 perform? As you sit there waiting for the music to begin, preconceived notions about how it will sound flood your mind. We both expected the same thing: a broad, flat soundstage with little depth and imaging prowess. We certainly thought the system would play loud, but not with much finesse. It's difficult not to think such things with all of those drivers pointing your way.

However, what we thought we'd hear was very different from the music the Grand Illusion PA-1 made. First, the center image was solid and palpable. Play a recording of a solo instrument or something in mono and you got a correctly size image of the musician directly in the center of the soundstage. Next, the overall sound of the PA-1 was a touch dark but as smooth as it gets and loaded with finesse. It produced no wall of sound, instead imaging very well and always sounding rich and tactile. The bass, with all those woofers, was deep but never overwhelming. There was no bloat or overhang, just weighty and deep low frequencies that sounded at home with the rest of the sonic spectrum. We sat and listened to many cuts, all of which were fully realized on the PA-1.

For those wondering, Ramsey can re-create the Grand Illusion PA-1 in your home. Parts include all of the drivers, amplifiers, cables and acoustic treatments. Installation includes construction in an existing space, all electrical work, and room finishing. The cost is a cool $250,000, and installation takes two weeks.

Although neither of us was ready to dedicate a room to listening in the way that Jerry Ramsey has, we both greatly enjoyed hearing his system -- the only Grand Illusion PA-1 in the world. If you attend the upcoming Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, track down Jerry Ramsey and beg for a demo. It might be the highlight of the show for you.

Our visit ended as so many others do -- with food, in this case at a local Mexican restaurant. As we ate and talked, we reflected on Jerry Ramsey's unique audio vision. Audio Magic is one of the few high-end-audio companies that hasn't forgotten its DIY roots.

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To find out more about Audio Magic, visit www.audio-magic.com.