睽違25載 華麗轉身 HALCRO 再闖 Hi-End 音響殿堂

文｜大草

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_n8DlIVB_A

Halcro Equinox & Eclipse 影片介紹

當你看見HALCRO這個音響品牌的名字而覺得有點印象的話，顯示你的音響資歷起碼超過20年了罷？時光機回帶轉到2001年，當年「音響技術」5月號的封面主角便是HALCRO dm68單聲道後級。想當日這一款後級的面世在全球的Hi-End音響圈引起極大的哄動，因為它有很多「估佢唔到」的話題……

最高評價

首先，HALCRO在當年CES期間派發的產品說明書，標榜他們的後級為「世上唯一超傳真放大器」（The World’s Only Super-Fidelity Amplifiers），而HALCRO的原產地竟然是來自澳洲南部的阿德雷德（Adelaide），為熟悉音響的發燒友來講，袋鼠國從來都不是設計和生產發燒級音響器材的國度，這個宣傳口號未免令人覺得是泡沫成份居多…… 不過當HALCRO的兩款創業作單聲道後級dm58和更高級的dm68相繼推出之後，市場的反應仿似平地一聲雷，在短時間內竟然爆紅起來。美國音響天書TAS率先頒發年度金耳朵大獎給dm58，另一本天書Stereophile在試聽完dm58之後，更大字標題譽為「史上最佳放大器」（The Best Amplifier Ever），兩本美國音響天書同時為dm58給予極為罕見的最高評價，令到HALCRO這個澳洲品牌頓時變得炙手可熱，聲價十倍！HALCRO的總設計師Bruce Candy是電子、數學與物理學的專家，他的正職是營運自己一手創立的Minelab Electronics，這是一家專門研發用來搜尋埋藏在地下金屬物體的金屬探測器公司，在澳洲饒有名氣。由於他開發了嶄新的放大器線路設計和電源供應設計，能夠把放大器的總諧波失真革命性地降低至幾乎不能量度的新境界，於是Bruce Candy在Minelab Electronics旗下設立了一間子公司HALCRO，用來生產他以全新概念設計的超低失真後級。dm58的總諧波失真是少於10億份之400（1kHz），即<0.00004%，少於10億份之2000（19Hz-20kHz），即<0.0002%。dm68更厲害，兩項失真率規格更是<0.00002%和<0.0001%這兩個驚人數字。最難得的是這兩款單聲道後級除了失真率是破記錄地近乎低不可測的新境界之外，Bruce全新開發的放大線路和“電源因數修正”電源供應系統，各自獨立屏蔽的雙子塔式雙層機箱設計，全機選用最高規格的音響級元件與及近乎無懈可擊的製作工藝，都令到dm58和dm68成為規格標青，音效出色的新一代超級放大器。當我在本刊試音室實試完dm68之後，也被它那難以挑剔的超卓音效深深打動，結果要咬緊牙關把它買下來收編入草廬的音響大軍，為我提供了好一段日子的美樂享受。

機緣巧合

不過好景不常，澳洲大型軍事通訊企業Codan在2008年收購了Minelab，由於Codan希望Bruce Candy專注於開發金屬探測器的老本行，所以決定擱置HALCRO的一切業務運作。本來Codan打算與南非的Vivid Audio洽商出售HALCRO這個品牌和旗下的所有資產，不過一場金融風暴便把這個商機吹得煙消雲散，而HALCRO的全部庫存亦被閒置於阿德雷德的一個貨倉裡。當HALCRO這個傳奇音響品牌在市場上沉寂了幾年之後，在一個機緣巧合的偶遇和經過深入探討，一位物理學家Dr. Peter Foster，一位音響代理商Michael Kirkham，與及有份和Bruce Candy共同開發HALCRO器材的音響工程師Lance Hewitt，決定合組一間新公司Longwood Audio，不但成功收購HALCRO所有庫存，還買下HALCRO這個品牌，旗下的專利設計和所有生產機器，並且開始埋首設計新世代的HALCRO器材，結果在2019年宣佈正式推出全新的Eclipse後級放大器，並且設有Stereo和Mono單聲道兩個版本。

多重改良

Lance Hewitt以dm系列後級為設計藍本，再在重要的關節加以改良來進一步提升音效，所以新款Eclipse的外型設計和舊款的dm系列看似沒有什麼分別，但輸入級是全新設計的線路，進一步減低非線性效應和再降低失真。電源供應改良了多重獨立供電路徑，加強了電源供應部分，輸入放大部分，輸出放大部分和輸出濾波線路部分四個獨立間格的屏蔽效能，並且增加了輸出功率（300W((8Ω))，550W((4Ω))），同時也保持着那近乎低不可測的超低失真率的驕人規格。此外，Eclipse那座雙子塔式的機箱採用實芯鋁合金胚以CNC銑牀車製而成進一步消除諧振，而且外型在橫身的兩件機箱的邊位加上少量內弧度，令到Eclipse後級在外觀上增加了一點時尚感。我和同文鍾啟源曾經在本刊2021年8月號479期評論過在「揚帆音響」試音室試聽的Eclipse Mono，當時已經覺得這對後級的音效明顯比dm68更具吸引力…… 而「聲望音響」也在2022年開始成為HALCRO的中國（包括港、澳地區）總代理。

脫胎換骨

經過4年時間設計和製作技術的沉澱，HALCRO在2025年宣佈成功開發與Eclipse後級配對的Equinox旗艦前級放大器，同時也加推這台前級和Eclipse後級在機箱的外殼噴上多層昂貴而又具有阻尼效用銀灰色特製漆油的Signature版本。「聲望音響」訂回來的全部都是Signature版本，他們並且把一套煲煉好的Equinox Signature前級和一對Eclipse Signature Mono後級給我們試聽，同時也作為本刊這一期的封面主角。其實在舊HALCRO的年代廠方也推出過dm8前級（dm10是帶唱放線路的版本），不過我在實試過後卻覺得聲音有點過於清寡，音樂感染力不足，沒有帶給我遇上dm68的時候那種驚艷和讚嘆的感覺。想不到士別廿載，當我收到HALCRO全新設計的Equinox Signature前級配上我幾年前已經聽過的Eclipse Mono後級，音效竟然像脫胎換骨般超凡脫俗，聲音清麗細緻之餘更是力水充沛，氣派萬千，音樂感染力強到不得了，連帶Eclipse Mono後級原來留給我的好印象再提升一截。

忠實還原

正如我剛才所講，Equinox Signature前級是全新的分體電源兩機箱設計，HALCRO專利的雙開關式電源供應和負責控制的邏輯電路，全部放置在面板設有輕觸式顯示屏幕和控制旋鈕的獨立機箱，左、右聲道獨立的音響線路板則放置在另外一台尺寸相同，面板沒有任何裝置的獨立機箱，兩台機箱都是採用實芯鋁合金胚以CNC銑牀車製成10mm厚的板塊組構而成，整個機箱的結構堅固扎實，並且把可能產生噪音干擾的部件和線路與音響線路徹底隔開。兩個機箱是設計成可以打疊擺放，並且設有特別設計的金屬隔震機腳和金屬腳墊，美觀與實用兼備。

Equinox的主動增益級是源自開發Eclipse功率放大器的輸入級之時，成功研發出來的全新放大器拓撲，主動式元件的配置方式會確保它們在I-V轉換的時候會在最理想的工作點運作，出來的結果便是低不可聞的失真率（少於10億份之250），高迴轉率，極速瞬變與及超級線性的響應。這種新的增益級拓撲可以提供非一般的瞬態反應，重播超微細音樂訊息的時候特別順暢自然，同時具有非常高的動態對比，可以從容地表達音樂內容的情緒波動和細微的差別。Equinox可以完美地維持音樂訊號的相位完整，這樣不但令音符與音符之間的音調、速度和拍子保持準確，而且可以忠實地還原整個音場的3D感，每一件演奏的樂器都能夠在正確的位置和以適當的比例重現。

陣容龐大

當你看見Equinox的背板，相信都會被龐大的輸入/輸出端子陣容嚇一跳。它一共有3組單端RCA和4組平衡XLR輸入端子，輸出端子則是XLR和RCA各4組，另外還特別設有2組罕見的電流輸出RCA端子。廠方表示Equinox設有這麼多輸出端子，是因為它可以直接驅動橋接後級而不需要使用特別改動的訊號線（左聲道的輸出端子下方設有相位顯示燈），此外，如果放大器系統出現因為地迴路或者RF干擾而產生的電流「哼」聲和漣波，用電流輸出端子來接駁後級便會大派用場，前提當然是後級也要設有電流輸入端子。背板的右下角設有一個小撥桿，用來控制機殼是否連接音響線路的「地」。此外，值得一提的是那隻全金屬製造，重400克的船形遙控器，可以對應前級的所有基本操作，如此大型的遙控器相信會免除遺失的煩惱。

過之而無不及

配搭HALCRO這套Signature前、後級我們當然是精銳盡出：數碼訊源是CH Precision D10 SACD/CD轉盤 + C10解碼器 + T1主時鐘，推動Dynaudio鉑金證據揚聲器，音響線材以Nordost Odin 2為主。雖然Equinox特別加設電流輸出端子，而Eclipse更設有單端、平衡、最短路徑（Minimum Path）和電流輸入4種選擇，不過經過多番來回實試，由於本刊試音室擁有高水平的電源處理，也沒有任何地迴路或者電流「哼」聲出現，所以採用傳統的平衡XLR訊號線接駁便有最佳的音效表現。

回到熟悉的主場欣賞HALCRO全新開發的Equinox Signature前級配上Eclipse Signature Mono後級，不但廿多年前初遇dm68那種震撼感再次湧上心頭，開心、激情和驚艷的感覺更是有過之而無不及！聽這套組合，你不會覺得它們是石機，因為聲音非常鬆化醇和，音樂感令人極速投入。不過你也不會覺得它是膽機，因為聲音的動態對比強勁，瞬變速度非凡，聲音的密度極高，反應乾淨利落，而且力水充沛，能量源源不絕！

聽出耳油

聽久違了的Nat King Cole，一曲〈When I Fall In Love〉絕對聽出耳油！King爺那把清晰、通透、厚潤、有力而且充滿感情的招牌唱腔能夠直透靈魂深處，令人深受感動。他的標準咬字發音，喉底聲帶的震動，呼吸換氣的細節，以至樂隊伴奏的悠揚樂韻和演奏樂器的獨特音色，這套前、後級都播得活靈活現，King爺的人聲結像玲瓏浮凸，栩栩如生，音樂的氛圍非常濃厚，令人陶醉不已！

聽「Heartbreak」內的〈愛的敬禮〉，Elissa Lee Koljonen以超凡的技巧拉奏Lorenzo Storioni 1787年製作的古董名琴，音色嬌豔亮麗，琴音裊裊，Equinox + Eclipse不但把Elissa拉弓揉弦的演奏細節，琴弓的摩擦跳動，琴弦的發聲和泛音，與及琴腔的共鳴，Robert Koenig鋼琴伴奏的鏗鏘感和流暢度，與及適度控制琴音的強弱起伏，都播得清晰細緻，任何微細動靜都無一遺漏，小提琴與鋼琴合奏繪劃出來的音樂畫面更是刻劃入微，音樂的感染力實在超級強勁！

重播「The All Star Percussion Ensemble」那首貝遼士的〈操向斷頭台〉，十位世界級敲擊名家在紐約市Vanguard錄音棚裡忙碌地演奏幾十件各式各樣的敲擊樂器 —— 木琴、鋼片琴、馬林巴琴、大鑔小鑔、吊鑼、大鑼、雲鑼、小軍鼓、定音鼓、低音大鼓和邦高鼓等等，每一件樂器都擁有自己獨特而又為我們熟悉的聲音，這套前、後級把這麼多件不同的敲擊樂器演奏出來的聲音細節，泛音，衝擊的力量，鼓皮激發出來的能量，樂器的不同位置感，錄音棚的堂音等等細節，都播得有條不紊，沒有半點混亂，你甚至可以「看」得見，「聽」得出是那一件樂器在那裡發聲，現場感的還原度極高，純敲擊樂器組織出來的音樂感更會令你嘆為「聽」止！

後記

聆聽HALCRO Equinox Signature前級和Eclipse Signature Mono後級，絕對是一次令我感到非常滿足的超凡聽覺享受，近乎量度不到的超低失真率再一次證明能夠令到放大器展現不一樣的實力，絕對不是紙上談兵。Made in Australia的High End器材？Who cares！

Equinox Signature 前級規格：

■頻應：3.3Hz – 352kHz（-3dB） 7Hz – 181kHz（-1dB）■失真率：<10 億份之 250（132dB）■噪音：-150dB ■輸入阻抗：20kΩ ■輸出阻抗：170Ω 30kΩ 電流模式■尺寸：450 闊 x 300 深 x 156 高（mm）■重量：15kg（兩份機箱相同）■零售價：HK$454,999

Eclipse Signature Mono 後級規格：

■輸出功率：550W（4Ω）, 300W（8Ω）■失真率：<10 億份之 200（134dB）@1kHz <10 億份之 300（120dB）up to 20kHz ■頻應：3Hz – 215kHz（-3dB） 7Hz – 90kHz（-1dB）■最大迴轉率：100V/µs ■尺寸：400 闊 x 400 深 x 790 高（mm）■重量：62kg ■零售價：HK$734,999（一對）

■總代理：聲望音響．電話：(852) 2156 0789, (852) 2130 1928

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A splendid transformation after 25 years.

HALCRO

Re-entering the Hi-End Audio Hall

Text by｜Lincoln Cheng

When you see the name of the audio brand HALCRO and feel a little impressed, does it show that your audio qualifications are at least more than 20 years old? A time machine rewinds us back to 2001 to the front cover of the May issue of Audiotecnique with the HALCRO dm68 monos. I think the launch of this next generation amplifier caused a great stir in Hi-End audio circles around the world, because it had many “unexpected” aspects...

Highest rating

Firstly, HALCRO’s product brochures distributed during CES that year touted their power amplifiers as “The World’s Only Super-Fidelity Amplifiers.” HALCRO’s place of origin was Adelaide in South Australia. For audiophiles familiar with audio equipment, Australia has never been a country known for designing and producing high-end audio equipment, making this claim seem rather exaggerated… However, when HALCRO launched its two debut products, the monaural power amplifier dm58 and the more advanced dm68, the market reaction was like a bolt from the blue, and they became wildly popular in a short period of time. The American audio bible, The Audio Society (TAS), awarded the dm58 its annual Golden Ear Award. Another bible, Stereophile, after auditioning the DM58, went even further, proclaiming it “The Best Amplifier Ever!” These two American audio bibles simultaneously bestowing extremely high praise upon the dm58, instantly making the Australian brand HALCRO incredibly sought after, its value increasing tenfold! HALCRO’s chief designer, Bruce Candy, is an expert in electronics, mathematics, and physics. His main job was running his own company, Minelab Electronics, a renowned Australian company specializing in developing metal detectors for searching for buried metal objects. Because of his revolutionary amplifier circuit and power supply designs, which reduced total harmonic distortion (THD) to an almost imperceptible level, Bruce Candy established HALCRO, a subsidiary of Minelab Electronics, to produce his ultra-low distortion power amplifiers designed with this entirely new concept. The dm58’s total harmonic distortion (THD) is less than 400 parts per billion (1kHz), or <0.00004%, and less than 2000 parts per billion (19Hz-20kHz), or <0.0002%. The dm68 is even more impressive, with both distortion rates reaching astonishing figures of <0.00002% and <0.0001%. Most remarkably, besides achieving record-breaking, almost imperceptibly low distortion rates, these two monaural power amplifiers boasted Bruce’s newly developed amplification circuitry and “power factor correction” power supply system, independently shielded twin-tower double-layer chassis design, the use of top-grade audio components throughout, and near-perfect manufacturing processes, all of which make the dm58 and dm68 benchmarks in specifications and deliver outstanding sound quality—a new generation of super amplifiers. After I tested the dm68 in our listening room, I was deeply impressed by its impeccable sound quality. As a result, I gritted my teeth and bought it to add to my audio equipment collection, which provided me with a wonderful musical experience for quite some time.

By chance

However, this period of prosperity was short-lived. In 2008, Codan, a large Australian military communications company, acquired Minelab. Because Codan wanted Bruce Candy to focus on his core business of developing metal detectors, it decided to suspend all HALCRO operations. Codan had originally planned to negotiate the sale of the HALCRO brand and all its assets with South Africa’s Vivid Audio, but a financial crisis wiped out this opportunity, and all of HALCRO’s inventory was left idle in a warehouse in Adelaide. After the legendary HALCRO audio brand had been dormant in the market for several years, a chance encounter and in-depth discussions led to a new company, Longwood Audio. A physicist, Dr. Peter Foster, an audio distributor, Michael Kirkham, and Lance Hewitt, an audio engineer who had worked with Bruce Candy to develop HALCRO equipment, to join forces. They not only successfully acquired all of HALCRO’s inventory but also the HALCRO brand, its patented designs, and all its production equipment. They then began to focus on designing a new generation of HALCRO equipment, culminating in the official launch of the new Eclipse power amplifier in 2019, available in Stereo and Mono versions.

Multiple improvements

Lance Hewitt used the original dm series amplifier as a design blueprint, and then improved upon important aspects to further enhance the sound. The power supply improves multiple independent power supply paths, strengthens the shielding performance of four independent compartments of the power supply section, input amplification section, output amplification section and output filter line section, and increased output power (300W (8Ω), 550W (4Ω)), while also maintaining the impressive specifications of near-unmeasurable ultra-low distortion. In addition, the Eclipse’s twin-tower chassis was made from solid aluminum alloy billets shaped through CNC milling to further eliminate harmonics, and the appearance of the two-piece chassis adds a small concave curvature, so that the new Eclipse design becomes a bit more fashionable in appearance. My colleague Chung Kai-yuan and I reviewed the Eclipse Mono in the audition room of “Voyage Audio Ltd.” in the August 2021 issue of this magazine.

Complete transformation

After four years of design and manufacturing expertise, HALCRO announced in 2025 the successful development of the Equinox flagship preamplifier paired with the Eclipse power amplifier. They also released a Signature version of both the preamplifier and the Eclipse power amplifier, featuring a multi-layered, expensive, and damping-effect silver-gray custom paint on the chassis. “Avantgarde Hong Kong” ordered only the Signature version, and they provided us with a fully burned-in Equinox Signature preamplifier and a pair of Eclipse Signature Mono power amplifiers for audition, which were also featured on the cover of this issue. Actually, HALCRO did release the dm8 preamplifier back in the old days (the dm10 was a version with a phono preamp), but after testing it, I felt the sound was a bit too bland, lacking musical impact, and didn’t give me the same wow factor and awe I felt when I encountered the dm68. Unexpectedly, after 20 years, when I received HALCRO’s newly designed Equinox Signature preamp and paired it with the Eclipse Mono power amplifier that I had listened to a few years ago, the sound effect was like a complete transformation, extraordinary and refined. The sound was not only clear and delicate, but also powerful and magnificent, with an incredibly strong musical appeal. It even enhanced my good impression of the Eclipse Mono power amplifier.

Faithful restoration

As I just mentioned, the Equinox Signature preamplifier features a completely new two-chassis design with a separate power supply. HALCRO’s patented dual-switching power supply and the logic circuitry responsible for control are all housed in a separate chassis with a touch-sensitive display and control knobs on the front panel. The independent speaker circuit boards for the left and right channels are housed in another separate chassis of the same size, without any front panel devices. Both chassis are constructed from solid aluminum alloy billets, machined into 10mm thick panels using CNC milling. The entire chassis structure is robust and solid with this design fully isolating components and circuits that may generate noise from the audio circuitry. The two chassis are designed to be stackable and feature specially designed metal vibration-damping feet and metal pads, combining aesthetics and practicality.

The Equinox’s active gain stage originates from a new amplifier topology successfully developed during the development of the Eclipse power amplifier’s input stage. The active component configuration ensures they operate at their optimal operating points during I-V conversion, resulting in imperceptible distortion (less than 250 parts per billion), high slew rate, extremely fast transients, and super-linear response. This new gain stage topology provides exceptional transient response, reproducing extremely subtle musical information with exceptional smoothness and naturalness, while also possessing very high dynamic contrast, effortlessly expressing the emotional fluctuations and nuances of musical content. The Equinox perfectly maintains the phase integrity of the musical signal, ensuring accurate pitch, tempo, and rhythm between notes, and faithfully reproducing the 3D feel of the entire soundstage, allowing each instrument to be reproduced in the correct position and at the appropriate scale.

A large lineup

When you see the Equinox’s rear panel, you’ll likely be surprised by the massive array of input/output terminals. It has three sets of single-ended RCA inputs and four sets of balanced XLR inputs, along with four sets each of XLR and RCA outputs, plus two unusual sets of current output RCA terminals. The manufacturer states that the Equinox includes so many output terminals because it can directly drive bridged power amplifiers without requiring specially modified signal cables (a phase indicator is located below the left channel output terminal). Furthermore, if the amplifier system exhibits current “humming” or ripples due to ground loops or RF interference, connecting the power amplifier with the current output terminals will be very useful, provided the power amplifier also has current input terminals. A small lever in the lower right corner of the rear panel controls whether the chassis is connected to the speaker’s ground circuitry. Also noteworthy is the all-metal, 400-gram boat-shaped remote control, which supports all basic preamplifier operations; such a large remote should eliminate the worry of losing it.

Exceeding or falling short

For this HALCRO Signature preamp and power amplifier system, we naturally used our best equipment: the digital source was a CH Precision D10 SACD/CD transport + C10 decoder + T1 master clock, driving Dynaudio Platinum Evidence speakers, and the audio cables were mainly Nordost Odin 2. Although the Equinox specially added a current output terminal, and the Eclipse has four options: single-ended, balanced, minimum path, and current input, after many rounds of testing, due to the high level of power supply processing in our listening room, there were no ground loops or current “humming” sounds. Therefore, using traditional balanced XLR signal cables provided the best sound performance.

Returning to my familiar turf to enjoy HALCRO’s newly developed Equinox Signature preamp paired with the Eclipse Signature Mono power amplifier brought back the same overwhelming feeling I had when I first encountered the dm68 over two decades ago. The joy, passion, and amazement were even greater! Listening to this combination, you wouldn’t think they were solid-state amplifiers, because the sound is incredibly smooth and mellow, drawing you in instantly with its musicality. However, you also wouldn’t think they were tube amplifiers, because the dynamic contrast is powerful, the transient response is exceptional, the sound density is extremely high, the response is clean and crisp, and the power is abundant and inexhaustible!

Heavenly sounds

Listening to Nat King Cole again after so long, his rendition of “When I Fall In Love” is absolutely captivating! King’s signature clear, resonant, rich, powerful, and emotionally resonant vocals penetrate to the very depths of the soul, deeply moving the listener. His perfect enunciation, the vibration of his vocal cords, the subtle details of his breathing, and even the melodious accompaniment of the band and the unique timbre of the instruments—all are vividly reproduced by this preamp and power amplifier. King’s vocals are exquisitely detailed and lifelike, creating a rich and immersive musical atmosphere that is truly captivating!

Listening to “Salute of Love” from “Heartbreak,” Elissa Lee Koljonen’s exceptional skill in playing the antique violin made by Lorenzo Storioni in 1787 is breathtaking. The tone is vibrant and bright, the sound ethereal and beautiful. The Equinox + Eclipse not only reproduces the details of Elissa’s bowing and vibrato, the friction and vibration of the bow, the sound production and harmonics of the strings, and the resonance of the violin, but also the powerful and smooth piano accompaniment by Robert Koenig, as well as the appropriate control of the dynamics of the sound. Every subtle movement is captured, and the musical imagery painted by the violin and piano duet is depicted with exquisite detail. The music’s emotional impact is truly powerful!

Playing Berlioz’s “To the Guillotine” from “The All Star Percussion Ensemble,” the video features ten world-class percussionists busily playing dozens of different percussion instruments in Vanguard Studios in New York City—xylophone, glockenspiel, marimba, cymbals, gongs, slugs, snare drums, timpani, bass drums, and bongos, among others. Each instrument possesses its own unique yet familiar sound. This preamp and power amplifier system reproduces the sonic details, overtones, impact power, energy generated by the drumheads, the different instrument placements, and the reverberation of the recording studio with remarkable clarity and without any confusion. You can even “see” and “hear” which instrument is producing the sound, achieving an extremely high level of realism. The musicality created by the pure percussion instruments will leave you in awe!

Postscript

Listening to the HALCRO Equinox Signature preamp and Eclipse Signature Mono power amplifier was an absolutely satisfying and extraordinary auditory experience. The near-measurable ultra-low distortion rate once again proves that amplifiers can demonstrate extraordinary capabilities, and this is definitely not just theoretical. High-end equipment made in Australia? Who cares!

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絕對中性的終極奧義

Halcro Equinox Signature 前級

文｜祖兒

前級設計最難之處往往不是增益，而是要在訊號放大後仍不改變聲音的原貌。所謂失真，未必一定是粗糙、刺耳的聽感，更多時候它只是悄悄地侵蝕音色、空間感、瞬態和細節，令你以為器材很有個性，其實只是離原始訊號更遠罷了。要跨越這道物理屏障，澳洲 Halcro 以超凡的電路佈局與物理隔離，將失真壓制到連頂級實驗室儀器都幾乎無法測量的境界。當年 Halcro 首款後級 dm68 的失真率宣稱低於 200 ppb (十億分之二百，即 <0.00002%)，這種極端數據在當年震驚了整個音響界，也奠定了 Halcro「地表最低失真」的神話級地位。

沉寂了一段日子的 Halcro 於 2020 年重整旗鼓，先以 Eclipse Mono 和 Eclipse Stereo 後級宣示其強勢回歸，而如今推出的 Equinox Signature 前級正是完善新世代 Halcro 超級音響系統的關鍵拼圖。

這次試聽我們為 Equinox Signature 搭配同廠頂級的 Eclipse Signature Mono 單聲道後級，驅動 Dynaudio 鉑金證據。訊源是一套五件的 CH Precision 數碼系統，包括旗艦 D10 轉盤、C10 解碼 + T1 主時鐘。先聽黛青塔娜與 HAYA 樂團的《寂靜的天空》專輯，一曲〈黑暗中的舞者〉，Equinox Signature 與 Eclipse Signature Mono 這套超級組合的優勢幾乎一開聲便表露無遺。黛青塔娜的歌聲在一片極漆黑的背景上凝聚成像，口形細小起伏、喉底氣息與尾音收結聽來既靈動又有肉地。當伴奏中的鼓擊與低頻節奏逐步鋪開時，Equinox Signature 那種近乎不留痕跡的透明感，令聲音層次自然地向後伸展，不同樂器之間始終保持明確距離，沒有絲毫黏聚感。

在 Eclipse Signature Mono 強大驅動力之下，這首作品裡低頻的彈跳、鼓皮震動的質感，以及人聲與空間殘響之間的層次分隔，都維持得非常完整。最吸引的是 Equinox Signature 沒有試圖美化黛青塔娜的聲線，只是如實呈現那份原始空靈的氣質，原來早已刻錄在 CD 錄音之中，只等一部聲音夠中性的器材把它還原出來。

再播由塔布拉鼓大師 Zakir Hussain 的打擊樂天碟《The Rhythm Experience》，在〈Nines over Easy〉與〈Rhythm Sonata in E Major〉等曲目中，交織著大量徒手敲擊的微小細節與極速的鼓點。在一般系統上，連串密集的敲擊聲極易混成一團，但 Equinox Signature 卻能清晰還原每一記指尖接觸鼓皮的力度變化與鼓腔的共鳴餘韻，配合 Eclipse Signature Mono 後級的高擺率與龐大驅動力，展現出電光火石般的瞬態反應，鼓聲起動極快、收結乾脆利落，尾音絕無半點含糊，將複雜的節奏與音符拆解得絲絲入扣。

最後換上《Gran Galà 2026 Audiophile Sampler》SACD，當中收錄了兩位意大利結他大師：已故的 Fausto Mesolella 與 Michele Ascolese 在《Chitarre Vagabonde》演奏會中一首靚聲錄音〈Garota de Ipanema〉。Equinox Signature 輕鬆地讓兩把結他站穩位置，同時又保留指尖觸弦的立體質感與速度，以及弱音收結時那份近乎無聲的空氣感。Equinox Signature 最可貴的是它不會把兩支結他琢磨成一片漂亮音色，而是把每一下撥弦的力度、擦弦時的質感變化，以及兩位演奏者之間一來一往的呼吸感都細膩呈現，亦因著它極度中性的表現，使音色既逼真又天然，並且相當耐聽。

總結：

對於已擁有 Halcro Eclipse Signature 後級的用家而言，Equinox Signature 絕對是唯一合理的搭配，兩者結合可以發揮百分百「零失真」的真正威力。而對於任何追求極致前級的發燒友，無論搭配何種系統，Equinox Signature 所代表的設計哲學與聲音境界，都足以重新定義「絕對中性」的最高標準。它徹底褪去所有華而不實的修飾與渲染，只留下最直白、純粹的錄音本色，絕對值得閣下親耳見證這份難能可貴的真實。

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The ultimate mystery of absolute neutrality

Halcro

Equinox Signature Preamp

Text by｜Joey

The most challenging aspect of preamplifier design is often not gain, but rather maintaining the original sound quality after signal amplification. Distortion isn’t always a harsh or grating sound; more often, it subtly erodes timbre, spatiality, transients, and detail, making you think the equipment has a unique character when it’s simply further removed from the original signal. To overcome this physical barrier, Australian company Halcro, through exceptional circuit layout and physical isolation, suppressed distortion to a level that is almost unmeasurable even by top-tier laboratory instruments. Halcro’s first power amplifier, the dm68, claimed a distortion rate of less than 200 ppb (two hundred millionths, or <0.00002%), an extreme figure that shocked the entire audio industry at the time and established Halcro’s legendary status as the “lowest distortion on earth.”

After a period of silence, Halcro regrouped in 2020, first announcing its strong comeback with the Eclipse Mono and Eclipse Stereo power amplifiers, and now the Equinox Signature preamplifier is a key piece in completing the next generation of Halcro’s super sound systems.

For this audition, we paired the Equinox Signature with the brand’s top-of-the-line Eclipse Signature Mono monaural power amplifier, driving a Dynaudio Evidence Platinum system. The source was a five-piece CH Precision digital system, including the flagship D10 transport, C10 decoder, and T1 master clock. We started with Daiqing Tana and the band HAYA’s album “Silent Sky,” specifically the song “Dancer in the Dark.” The superior combination of the Equinox Signature and Eclipse Signature Mono was immediately apparent. Daiqing Tana’s vocals were projected against a pitch-black background, with subtle lip movements, breath control, and the final notes sounding both lively and substantial. As the drumbeats and low-frequency rhythms in the accompaniment gradually unfolded, the Equinox Signature’s almost seamless transparency allowed the sound layers to extend naturally, maintaining a clear distance between different instruments without any sense of incohesion.

Driven by the powerful Eclipse Signature Mono, the low-frequency bounce, the texture of the drumhead vibration, and the separation between vocals and spatial reverberation in this piece are all preserved very well. What’s most appealing is that the Equinox Signature doesn’t try to beautify Daiqing Tana’s voice; it simply presents that original, ethereal quality as it is, which was already recorded on the CD, just waiting for a neutral-sounding device to reproduce it.

Playing Zakir Hussain’s percussion masterpiece, The Rhythm Experience,the tracks “Nines over Easy” and “Rhythm Sonata in E Major” intertwine numerous subtle details of bare-handed percussion with incredibly fast drumbeats. On a typical system, a series of dense percussion sounds would easily become a jumbled mess, but the Equinox Signature clearly reproduces the subtle changes in force of each fingertip hitting the drumhead and the resonant aftertaste of the drum shell. Combined with the high slew rate and immense driving force of the Eclipse Signature Mono power amplifier, it exhibits a lightning-fast transient response. The drum sounds start extremely quickly, end crisply and cleanly, with absolutely no ambiguity in the final notes, breaking down complex rhythms and notes with meticulous precision.

Finally, I switched to the SACD “Gran Galà 2026 Audiophile Sampler,” which includes a beautiful recording of “Garota de Ipanema” from the Chitarre Vagabonde concert by two Italian guitar masters: the late Fausto Mesolella and Michele Ascolese. The Equinox Signature effortlessly held both guitars in place while preserving the three-dimensional texture and speed of the fingertips touching the strings, as well as the almost silent airiness at the soft end. The most valuable thing about the Equinox Signature is that it doesn’t try to mold both guitars into a single beautiful tone, but rather delicately presents the force of each strum, the texture changes when bowing, and the breathy back-and-forth between the two players. Because of its extremely neutral performance, the tone is both realistic and natural, and quite listenable.

Summary:

For users who already own the Halcro Eclipse Signature power amplifier, the Equinox Signature is absolutely the only reasonable pairing, as the combination of the two can unleash the true power of 100% “zero distortion.” For any audiophile seeking the ultimate preamplifier, regardless of the system it’s paired with, the design philosophy and sonic realm represented by the Equinox Signature are enough to redefine the highest standard of “absolute neutrality.” It completely strips away all flashy embellishments and colorings, leaving only the most straightforward and pure recording essence, absolutely worth witnessing this rare authenticity firsthand.

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音色通透，平衡度出色，具權威性

Halcro Equinox Signature 前級

文｜梁錦暉

近日一套以超級低失真技術獨步天下的Halcro前後級放大器（Equinox Signature前級放大器及Eclipse Signature單聲道功率放大器）在「音響技術」試音室接受測試，令我們一眾寫手眼前一亮，如果單看照片，我相信你未必能夠感受到它高貴的氣派，一絲不苟的造工及滑不留手的表面打磨，然而當我摸上手時，前方的觸碰式屏幕真的十分易用，字體大小又恰到好處。

當我用這套前後級放大器聽過各類型的音樂，包括人聲、鋼琴及小提琴獨奏、古典室樂、爵士樂、合唱歌曲、大型交響曲及協奏曲，發現Halcro最超凡脫俗的強項，是其高音細節特別清晰豐富，投射出來的音樂畫面富陽光感，對於不同類型音樂沒有強烈的偏好，換句話說，它的表現很平均，絕不會討好某種類型音樂而犧牲另一些類型音樂，它的音色平衡度非常出眾，聽得出設計師想透過忠實的音色細節重現去討人歡喜，而非透過校聲去把某些類型音樂調得特別討好，例如播「原音精選2010」第一首歌由蔡琴唱出的《祝我幸福》，女聲嘴型線條明確清晰，細節滿分，具有一種權威性，不像某些器材把琴姐的聲線變得嬌嗲，只會理直氣壯地有碗話碗，有碟話碟，不作無謂的修飾。

播鋼琴的時候，Halcro前後級並沒有硬橋硬馬、斬釘截鐵的機械聲，但它的鋼琴仍然是非常真實和有質感，頗有「鋼味」及撞擊力，聽很多和聲複雜的鋼琴音樂時特別過癮！

播小提琴的時候，感覺另有一番風味，聽韓裔美國小提琴家Esther Yoo最新名為「Love Symposium」的新專輯，Halcro播那首小提琴協奏版的《愛的敬禮》，主角及樂團各聲部層次分明，弦樂音色優美和富空氣感，加上Esther Yoo精彩的演繹，感情投入，細緻入微，令我聽得份外陶醉！

這套組合由於還是開箱不久，在我兩次不同日子的試聽體驗中，都有可聞音效差異，第一次我還擔心它的聲場不夠壯闊，包圍感不足，但過了一個星期再試聽卻又有另一番景象，播「黑教堂」SACD，那種強烈的包圍感及宏大的音場，使我有如身處教堂之中，那座管風琴是極之有氣勢，低音下潛力令人印象深刻，這一對Eclipse Signature單聲道功放當然功不可沒，而Equinox Signature前級放大器對音場的塑造無擬是頂班水平，不但展現教堂空間的「闊度」和「深度」，你還可以感受到管風琴的「高度」！

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The tone is clear and transparent, with excellent balance and authoritative quality.

Halcro

Equinox Signature Preamp

Text by｜Paul Leung

Recently, a set of Halcro preamplifiers and power amplifiers (Equinox Signature preamplifier and Eclipse Signature monaural power amplifier) ​​that are unparalleled in the world for their super low distortion technology were tested in the “Audiotechnique” listening room, which impressed us writers. If you only look at the photos, I believe you may not be able to feel its noble style, meticulous workmanship and smooth surface polishing. However, when I touched it, the touch screen in front was really easy to use, and the font size was just right.

When I listened to various types of music with this preamp and power amplifier set, including vocals, piano and violin solos, classical chamber music, jazz, choral songs, large-scale symphonies and concertos, I found that Halcro’s most outstanding strength is its exceptionally clear and rich high-frequency details. The projected musical picture is full of sunshine. It does not have a strong preference for different types of music. In other words, its performance is very balanced. It will never please one type of music at the expense of others. Its tonal balance is outstanding. You can hear that the designer wanted to please people by faithfully reproducing tonal details, rather than tuning certain types of music to be particularly pleasing. For example, when playing the first song of “Original Sound Selection 2010” sung by Tsai Chin, “Wish Me Happiness”, the female vocals have clear and distinct lip lines, full of details, and have an authoritative quality. Unlike some equipment that makes Tsai Chin’s voice sound coquettish, it just speaks its mind clearly and without unnecessary embellishment.

When playing piano music, the Halcro preamp and power amplifiers don’t produce a harsh, rigid mechanical sound, but the piano sounds are still very realistic and textured, with a “steely” quality and impact. It’s especially enjoyable to listen to piano music with complex harmonies!

Playing violin pieces has a unique charm. Listening to Korean-American violinist Esther Yoo’s latest album, “Love Symposium,” Halcro played the violin concerto version of “Salute to Love.” The distinct layers of the lead and orchestral parts, the beautiful and airy tone of the strings, combined with Esther Yoo’s brilliant, emotionally charged, and meticulous performance, made me feel completely captivated!

Since this system was only recently unboxed, there were audible differences in sound quality during my two separate listening sessions. The first time, I was worried that its soundstage wouldn’t be expansive enough and lacked immersion. However, after a week, the experience was completely different. Playing the “Cantate Domino” SACD, the strong sense of immersion and the grand soundstage made me feel as if I were inside a church. The pipe organ was incredibly imposing, and the bass extension was impressive. The Eclipse Signature monaural amplifiers certainly deserve much credit for this, and the Equinox Signature preamplifier’s soundstage shaping was top-notch. It not only showcased the “breadth” and “depth” of the church space, but you could also feel the “height” of the pipe organ!

※ 本文輯錄自【音響技術】2026年5月號第536期 ※

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