GOLDMUND - Swiss Made High-End Audio Equipment

M.Levinson and M.Reverchon in severe discussion ? Are they fighting or giving each other a hand ?

This picture is an homage to a long friendship.

Look at the hi-end market position today. Any decent marketing expert would tell you that the two best images in the high-end world are Cello and Goldmund.

The history of this absolute top audio thinking is 20 years old.

Mark Levinson (the man) has made this very market happen.

In the very early days, he was already building the best solid-state electronics. Goldmund made the best record players. Goldmund was using Levinson stuff, Michel Reverchon was selling them in France and Mark was using a Goldmund T3 at home…

A third company (Madrigal), even if now more mass-marketing oriented, keeps using the man’s name on its products to sell them…

Did you know that our two companies shared so much ? Did you know that the first metalwork of Cello products came from Switzerland ? Did you notice that both companies gave a lot of thought about close cooperation with the Swiss professional audio manufacturers as Nagra and Stellavox (who said too close…)?

It will be available as soon as this September.

With its three switchable inputs, each having separate XLR and Coaxial input (with Toslink option available for free), with its phase inverter, and a price virtually unchanged, the Mimesis 12 new version would already have been a winner.

But the sonic improvement we have been to provide to this already celebrated unit makes the offer a fabulous deal.

The main provider of the sonic improvement is the Mimesis 10+ technology. The new Dif12 Digital Interface Module, another brainchild of Christof Heidelberger, provides the same Jitter-free signal than the Dif10+. And the transparency, fluidity and dynamics of the sound proves easily the Goldmund technological advance.

Please hurry to get your first samples, we already advertise it everywhere, and the Dif12 modules will be rare in the beginning.

For the numerous today’s users of the Mimesis 12A and 12B, the new Dif12 interface module can be acquired separately for a very reasonable price, upgrading the old Mimesis 12 to the sonic level (but not the three inputs) of the Mimesis 12+. It is one more proof of the care Goldmund takes of its best customers and how we protect their investment.

The current attraction expressed by audiophiles for their old analogue records, and the fact that the current Goldmund low price preamplifier and integrated amplifier did not provide a phono input option, decided Goldmund to develop a reasonably-priced high-performance independent Phono Stage, the Mimesis PH7.

The Goldmund Mimesis PH7 is presented in its own chassis, with built-in power supply, and uses the phono circuitry previously used by Goldmund in the Mimesis 2PH, with some further refinements.

With its unique characteristics of low distortion, self-adaptation to the MC cartridge impedance, and ultra-low noise, the new Mimesis PH7 can satisfy the most regarding analogue aficionados.

The unit provides the standard Goldmund MC input circuitry, with loading adjustment of 50 or 600 Ohms separately for each channel in addition to the standard “Open” input, well established as one of the most dynamic and revealing circuit ever produced for an MC cartridge.

A second pair of input is provided for the MM cartridges.

Finished in black as the Mimesis SR, the unit matches the look and aesthetics of the low-cost new range of Goldmund products, but can match in performance the most exotic today phono preamplifiers.

For nearly 10 years, the Goldmund Mimesis 2 preamplifier has been the reference preamplifier of the Goldmund line. With only very small production changes the unit remained the favorite preamplifiers of hundreds of demanding audiophiles.

The recent introduction of the Goldmund A2 amplification module has allowed the most dedicated among the Mimesis 2 owners to push their preamplifier to new unexpected quality levels, both in dynamics and transparency.

Today, Goldmund is proud to announce the Mimesis 2+, an upgraded version of its initial preamplifier, with built-in A2 modules, and few other circuit refinements, making it once again, and for years to come, a reference unit.

The Goldmund Mimesis 8.2 has always been considered in the Goldmund line of power amplifier as an example of the “Perfect Blend” between speed, dynamics, transparency and sweetness that only Goldmund could achieve.

Recently, the most dedicated among the Mimesis 8.2 owners have been able to even improve their amplifier, using the new Goldmund A2 amplification module, with its unique characteristics of ultra-low distortion, improved dynamics and transparency.

Today, Goldmund is proud to announce the Mimesis 8.4, a combination of the Mimesis 8.2 qualities, the new A2 module and some other circuitry refinements.

The redefined power supply, improving once more the speed and impact in low frequencies of the amplifier, combined with the sweetness provided by the new A2 module and a few special resistors and capacitors selected by Goldmund provide the Mimesis 8.4 with the most accurate sound possible in the current state of technology.

For the numerous Mimesis 8.2 owners, in order for them to protect their initial investment, the Mimesis 8.4 Upgrade kit allows them to benefit of the new amp characteristics without changing their amplifier. Local Goldmund distributors can make the upgrade for a very reasonable cost.

The soon-to-be-released Mimesis 20 and Mimesis 22 (see our previous newsletter) will probably be announced finally as limited series subscription units.

Their unbelievable sophistication, necessity to be adjusted by hand and extremely high price will justify a very limited production. These Reference units will probably be produced only in a series of 100 pieces of each. We hope to be able to tell you more in our next issue.

A smaller version of the Mimesis 39, with built-in D/A converter circuitry is currently under development. This new machine should fit the need of the Entry-Line customers, to match the SR. Expect an early 1996 announcement.

The need of top speaker users today is progressively shifting from sophisticated music systems to combined audio-video installations.

Designing speakers for such an application changes the rules. An absolute Reference speaker today has to be as refined and ample as an Apologue, but needs also (without modification) to play the launching of a rocket at the full level of dynamics exhibited by the best movies sound tracks today…

The challenge is immense, both of these need being considered so far as quite contradictory by the speaker best manufacturers.

The only news we can publish today is that Goldmund is working on such a system.

To make it more affordable, it would certainly have to be modular, covering the needs of the smallest top audio system to the largest Home-Theater systems. It would have to be able to be run with passive or active analogue crossovers, but also with new DSP xovers. It would have to be driven by separate amplifiers or by built-in amps.

You easily imagine the quantity of technology involved. So, please be patient..

After the recent test in The Absolute Sound of our Mimesis 36, in which it is emphasized that the CD table is a major contributor to its sonic supremacy, we have received several requests from our distributors to offer a more complete line of Hifi components supports, providing a perfect “Mechanical Grounding” connection to each of them, but allowing the customer to fit all his equipmenmt in such a support, whatever type and number of components he uses.

The solution was already designed when we decided to make the Goldmund CD table, one year ago. It is a Modular Table, using the parts and research made for the CD Table, but allowing different space between shelves to be arranged and stacked as needed. This will provide the capability to build lower or higher tables, and multiple elements to be attached together to build a real professional Hifi System support. We are currently receiving subcontractors offers for the various parts of the new table project and should be able in a very close future to give you a better view on the multiple possible combinations, as well as prices.

Here are our latest ads in Stereophile and TAS.

Glorious hours of our turntable and tonearm tests in The Absolute Sound seem to be back. The recently published review of our Mimesis 36 and CD table in TAS (issue 102) brings us back to the summit. In a very straightforward manner as usual, Harry Pearson has celebrated again one of the major Goldmund products. His test is not only honest, as usual, but very revealing of the sonic Mimesis 36 advantages over the whole competition. A reprint of this test is available upon request for those who do not read the magazine. We strongly encourage everybody to read it carefully and use it to better our explain our technology and its advantages in sound.

Firstec SA, one of Goldmund Geneva’s subcontractor has recently won this remarkable tribute to quality workmanship. In order to pursue in this direction, we have decided to apply globally for all Goldmund to this label. This is the reason why you will see from us progress on all the subjects recommended to acquire this qualification : spare parts delivery delays, customer satisfaction inquiries, etc… We thank in advance all our distributors for their support. Because getting the ISO 9001 qualification requests a lot of effort in documentation, you will see us publish more detailed service information and documentation. We will also require from all the necessary feedback to improve our quality. “Field Problems registration” documents will have to be filed each time a dealer or distributor has encountered a difficulty with one of our products. These reports will then be compiled and used by our R&D people to work on improving the products. Since this is a long process, we do not expect to qualify before the end of 1996. But you should see the effort before that and we hope you will appreciate the money and time we spend doing it, in order to provide everybody with a better support.

In a beautiful village on the Geneva Lake lies a very small and discrete company, producing the most unusual speaker we have seen for years.

From the demonstration we received, the thing is able to play a full symphony orchestra out of ONE (yes, ONE, not two speakers are needed) shoebox size speaker, and in real stereo, with very natural timbers and imaging.

This beauty cost nearly nothing and is said to produce the most natural Home Theater sound in small rooms. We bought one, will experiment, and let you know.

Among other strange Swiss company (in fact nobody has been able so far to trace the company for us, but there is a “Swiss Made” written on the product), there is one piece of equipment which is making people talk a lot, especially in the Professional field. It is called “Job”. Small as half a Goldmund Goldcube (!), it seems to be a full stereo amplifier, finished in a satin gray luxury packaging and delivered in a silk packaging like an expensive watch. This already legendary amplifier is said (if the legend is true) to cost less than 1000$ and to be able of tremendous performance (So say the ones who heard it, at least). Goldmund competition ?

We have not been able to put a hand on a “Job” long enough to test it, and they seem to be extremely rare. We heard about them by a common subcontractor who shown us one of the beast. Everybody in the Swiss Audio field seems to be raving about the sonic quality… We will let you know when we hear more.

Every month, the number of pages we publish increases our offer for information.

We already receive through E-Mail a lot of good feedback from around the world. Please keep in mind that by 1996, half the direct promotion made by Goldmund will be through that support. Our friends have to stay informed !

This month, a few new pages can be found to describe briefly our new products, Mimesis 12+, Mimesis PH7, Mimesis 2+ and Mimesis 8.4.

Here are few pictures of these wonderful days we spent together in Monaco. We think they speak by themselves and should tempt those among our distributors who did not participate.

The Monaco Grand-Prix

The Lesson in F3

Let’s start racing !

And finally the F1, the real thing