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My Journey into Sound:
Part One
Living with Behold’s BPA768 amplifiers and APU768 preamplifier
Page 2
 The
APU768 contains a plethora of menu screens
that open up to sub-menus. All of which are
accessible from a hand-held PC using Blue
Tooth technology. Intimidating at first, but
once you get the hang of it you realize it's
nothing more than a smartly written navigation
screen for each input. From the menu screen I
was actually able to set each channel's
internal volume as well as output gain. I
could modify the volume going to either of the
ribbons or the mid/bass section. The overall
effect over a period of time was very welcome,
considering how long it took for both the
loudspeakers and the Behold electronics to
burn in.
 The APU768 takes full control of the
BPA768 amplifier’s on and off switching, as
well as idle current and output configuration.
Say, for example, you want the amplifiers to
run in a pure mono bi-wire setup, the APU768
handles that right from its Bluetooth remote.
In my case, I just wanted to operate it in
what may be considered vertically bi-amp mode.
I kept each amplifier in stereo mode except I
programmed them to run separate left channel
from one amplifier and right channel from the
other. In this configuration, each amplifier
drove the Megaline's ribbon and mid/bass
section independently. There's tons more
information that exists here than I can write
about in this review. Going to the Behold
website will give you quite a bit of
information about what technical features
these products offer.
 Some serious
brain cramping went into action attempting to
get the Behold system into my upstairs
reference rig. I had to somehow figure
(mentally first) how to fit the Behold APU
in-between the Tact 2.2X Room Correction
preamplifier (used solely as a room correction
device) and DALI's external crossover and
finally back to its partnering BPA768
amplifier which is mandatory since the cabling
used to link the two are of a proprietary
50-Ohm connection.
 Driving
the DALI's with four-channels of amplification
is mandatory. This means the analogue outputs
coming from the 2.2X would have to go directly
into the DALI crossover which then comes out
four channels (left-high, left-low and
right-high right-low) corresponding to each
ribbon and mid/bass section. This required me
to cheat the Behold APU768 into believing it
was doing home theater duties by selecting its
multi-channel ADC192 input mode (photo left).
Very carefully, I placed the right high/low,
left high/low outputs into the APU's front
left/right, rear left/right inputs. This
relegated both the Clearaudio ‘table and
Behold CD player to desk duty because
selecting either on the APU would bypass the
DALI crossover which occupied the HT input
select.
May I now discuss the sonic benefits?
Before I attempt to tell you what these
products did for my sonic appetite and the
absolute pleasure they provided, let me first
say this: The quality that exists in the
Behold line of equipment is far more
gratifying than I or anyone else I know could
have expected driving the DALI Megalines. The
enjoyment and real-life factor I get here is
even greater than when I first heard them.
This may be considered nothing more than
typical hyperbole, just another
self-ordained expert who
happens to love the way his
or her systems sounds,
based on an inflated ego and a component's
price. Not in my case, NEVER! To truly have
standout sound, you must in my opinion
convince other audiophiles of this too; those
audiophiles whom you trust to have the same
goals and standards, and who’ve also earned
your respect with outstanding systems of their
own. Coming from these very
respected astute listeners/reviewers I wouldn't consider
this an easy endeavor.
Nevertheless, I've decided to add their
comments to this
first segment. My plan is to visit the Ballman
electronica GmbH factory in Marloffstein,
Germany from 3/20 through 3/22. I shall return hopefully,
with
a greater understanding of what these folks
are doing at the Behold plant. I then plan to
return with the 2nd part of this review, adding
my sonic impressions along
with some great photos of Germany.
Clement Perry
___________
Greg
Petan: S'Times Managing
Editor
 A
reviewer's system is much like a living
breathing eco system. Elements and
technologies change, evolve and die off in a
flow that would make Darwin tingle all over.
No system I know of represents such a dynamic
as dramatically as Clement's. In true survival
of the fittest fashion, Clement's keen ear and
open mind has accumulated a collection of
components which have formed a sort of utopia,
a harmonious co-existence which has settled
into a natural musical equilibrium to an
extent I have never experienced.
Over the last six years, I have been fortunate
to have first hand experience with this
process. There have been very few miss-steps
along the way. With each visit, I would get
the growing sense that something special was
in play. Sadly, I had not been able to make it
over there in the past few months so when the
Sunny Cable system, the Behold amplifiers and
the Dali Megalines arrived, they had plenty of
time to settle in and fine tune their way into
the mix.
How can I even begin to describe what I heard?
On recordings I am intimate with, or at least
I thought I was, an entirely new picture
emerged. I guess the first thing I noticed was
the rendition of instrumental textures. This
was always the knock against digital, and I
have to say, that argument, in my mind at
least has been forever laid to rest. All
around these textures exist a space. A live,
musically charged space with images that live
and breathe entirely independently of one
another. Each musician's instrument has a
natural dynamic that sounds completely free to
expand and relax regardless of what the other
may be doing on the very same stage. I got a
measure of this with the Focus Master II
speaker I just reviewed, but Clements system
allows for this to such a great degree. What
is missing is any hint of haze, glare,
thickening bloating, blunting or hyping of any
kind. I honestly think I would have to live
with this kind of sound for an extended period
before my vocabulary and critical faculties
can catch what may not be
so sonically right
about it. I certainly couldn't find any in
my first three hours
of intense listening.
_______________
Lewis
Lanese: S'Times contributor
 Over
the last twelve or 15 years that I've been
listening to one or another new system at
Clement Perry's, I've been really excited and
impressed only twice; about ten or so years
ago when the Von Schweikert VR6 speakers were
paired with the KR Audio monoblocks, and
earlier last year when I heard the largest
iteration of the Ascendo System (M)agic
Loudspeakers. That is not to say the sound has
not always been good. Clement has always been
able to read my "body language" long before I
made any comment about the sound - I usually
listen carefully and long before saying
anything. That was not the case a couple of
months ago when I was treated to his latest
system - the Dali MegaLine loudspeaker system,
Behold amplifiers and Sunny Cables.
In the first minute of listening, I
practically went "bananas.” I'm not sure if it
was a combination of all the components that I
was reacting to, or the speakers in
particular. What I heard was a completely
effortless reproduction of music - an ease and
relaxed sound without any fatiguing artifacts.
Although Clement's listening room is long and
very narrow, and the speakers are located on
the long wall, the width and depth of the
sound were impressive.
After more than five hours of listening, I was
still responding the same way. We listened to
all kinds of music: jazz combos; voice;
chamber music; full orchestra; and opera. I
was quite familiar with many of the CDs. In
conclusion, the purity of the sound was
without peer in my experience - never a moment
of distortion or listening fatigue.
_______________
Arnie
Balgavis:
Sr. Editor, The
Audiophile Voice
 In
all my years of visiting Perry and
experiencing the evolution of his system, the
addition of the Behold electronics stands out
as the most memorable. Of all the changes that
I have observed in his listening room, the
addition of the Behold equipment has had the
most positive impact. This change made an
already great system into a stunning one.
The Behold equipment took the system’s
performance into the realm of realism where
the degree of refinement can be associated
with the human touch. In a refined system, it
is relatively easy to get better highs, add
more bass, or gain a degree of transparency.
But to be able to immerse one’s self into the
music and get the feeling that living and
breathing people are involved in the
performance, borders on the miraculous. But
that is exactly what has taken place in
Perry’s system ever since I first heard the
Behold amplifiers there.
The effortless immediacy that presents itself
now, draws the listener into the performance
with a new, far more genuine, sense of
involvement. The speed, dynamics, nuances,
harmonic integrity, and crisp articulation of
detail are seemingly guided into place to
create a subtle and soothing musical mosaic.
The space, the air, and the music are combined
in such a credible manner that the total
presentation is not subject to second
guessing. The presentation overwhelms with its
very high degree of credibility and reveals
the human element. Once the distraction of
evaluating a system’s performance has been
eliminated, the stage has been set for musical
enjoyment. The Behold equipment has played an
unmistakably gratifying role in taking Perry’s
system significantly closer to this elusive
goal.
_______________
A
note from Ben Gosvig: DALI's National Sales
Director (US)
Dated 3/ 10 06.
Clement, thanks
again for the sublime listening experience we
enjoyed at your home with the Megalines. Over
the past 3 1/2 years I've become intimately
familiar with the Megalines, using them at
almost every show DALI has staged, and hearing
them many times in dealer showrooms and
consumer homes.
In the 50 or so extended listening sessions
I've had with the Megalines, I cannot recall
them sounding as compelling, intimate and
evocative as we heard in your listening room.
The system, powered by the Behold amplifiers,
was indeed something to behold. The music was
marked by uncanny grace and ease. Swelling
passages floated lightly, like a butterfly,
with no trace of strain. This musical
effortlessness enhanced the majesty and impact
of the score. Intimacy was almost
overwhelming. Bill Henderson's recording of
Send In The Clowns was so "live," I felt I
was eavesdropping. Each inflection of
Henderson's voice brimmed with nuance and
emotion. Low-level detail was captured in
completeness. The colorations were vivid and
endearing. I can't recall having been so
personally immersed in a listening experience.
Note to Audiophiles: If you're in the Jersey
City area, and either know Clement or someone
who can pull few strings for you, find a way
to experience this system. In my many years of
professional involvement in high-end audio,
nothing has touched me so.
Email:
beg@dali.dk
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