ReMusic interviews Beyond Frontiers Audio

17.01.2019

We really appreciate the BFA approach to audio amplification. We tested their BFA Tulip wDac integrated amp here and recently their full system here - Italian only. Let's go deeper talking with our friend Bosko Pjescic, BFA CEO, about their kind of audio circuitry.

 

Bosko Pjescic


Question: There are several standard and well-established circuitry topologies, what you haven’t found in them, and why you decided to go for hybrid topology?

Bosko Pjescic: For years back and until now, the usual and ubiquitous audio designs are Tube and Solid State. The new one is Class D. There is a lesser used audio design also, hybrid, which we make. The hardest way, and hence the best way in our opinion, utilizing the best of both Worlds: Solid State and Tube topology. But is not so easy to make High Quality sounding hybrid design.

 

The BFA hybrid design poses the beauty of tubes and the power of Solid State in one unit, able to drive any loudspeaker, connected in a specific way – proprietary in house design. What about the present hybrid designs of other manufacturers? They all use capacitors or audio transformers, some use FET’s, in a signal path to eliminate DC component. But BFA go further, steps ahead, establishing the new and unique hybrid design, eliminating the necessity for capacitors and audio transformers, FET’s also. I am not going to evaluate more technical details of our proprietary design. Simply, to have it in mind what you listen and what we have, the unique and the latest audio technology overall, developed by BFA audio designer Andria Sabolcki.

 

Using capacitors and audio transformers is “not quite well” for the sound, but is the need vis maior in design, affecting the sound with phase shift and frequency roll-off, lack of dynamics and fluidity and so on. The result is the “near natural” sound. But many fine and tiny nuances of male/female voices, air pressure/aura of instruments, speed, transparency, are lost in caps and audio transformers. The 3D stage and room atmosphere where the music is played/recorded is flat and not layered. This sound attributes/qualities belongs from the very low level of signal voltage which is lost in capacitors and audio transformers – it’s a matter of physics laws – low level of energy which cannot be transmitted further. So, literally we listen the sound of/from “caps and audio transformers” as a dominant quality of sound. That’s why audiophiles are always interested for the brand name of capacitors and transformers used in electronics. Moreover the usual discussion concerning which capacitors brand sound the best can be omitted in our case: the best sound is achieved without any capacitors and audio transformers at all!

 

First time ever, we developed technology, dream of all audio designers, being able to hear the sound directly from tubes at electron level, preserving all harmonics, full range of frequencies, natural dynamics, natural colour of voices and instruments, coherency… Simply, now you hear the sound from tubes for the first time ever, unchanged as recorded.

 

The BFA electronics have other design features. Output stage is current driver without any feedback at all, that's why speaker drivers reactive energy does not affect an output stage behaviour and sound. The result is amazing micro and macro dynamics which is extremely difficult to achieve. The volume is controlled with self-latch relays in house design and so on.

The BFA amplification can easily drive any loudspeaker starting from 82 dB and below 2 ohms and up, as output stage do not see the load.

That is why the BFA electronics are different and technologically advanced VS others.

 

Question: In other terms, why you created your SRPP topology and what’s the Big Idea behind it?

Pjescic: The SRPP technology exists for many years ago in tube design, for example Audio Note Ongaku integrated amplifier.

With SRPP single end in BFA design we simply eliminate the resistor as a negative pole with two additional tubes, achieving two goals. The first is to get the maximum power from single end design. The second is the sound quality, as the audio signal do not pass through any discrete part, preserving all audio values unchanged. The sound is more relaxed, airy, with better contrast, transparency, speed, 3D stage and so on.

The SRPP technology is implemented only in power amplification, integrated amp and monoblock amps.

 

Bosko Pjescic and Zoran Mihajlovic from Supreme-Analog

 

Question: What about the BFA audio design principles?

Pjescic: All BFA developments and circuits are unique and 100% developed in-house. We do not modify, we do not simplify and we do not copy any existing audio design. The development time for BFA product is not time limited. Adding the part is easy, but is extremely difficult and time consuming to eliminate one part from audio design. You must have in mind that “less is more”. The BFA audio designer Andria Sabolcki works until the sound meet rigorous BFA audio standards criteria. When music becomes lifelike and bring feelings of a live performance, then we have achieved our goal. The final checkout is reaction of audience.

 

From the beginning 2009, the BFA products are handcrafted in Novi Sad, Serbia. What we cannot do in-house is sourced globally from the best brands. The BFA products meet highest standards in electronics as well as mechanics. Since 2017 we move production in EU, Slovenia. R&D remains in Serbia. Each unit is handcrafted and unique, according to order and wishes of customer. Before delivery, all of our equipment is tested based on specifications and functionality. Each device must measure precisely according to specifications and all settings must adhere to our strictest final inspection. A final audio test complements this level of manufacturing control.

 

Service and support are important elements to our success also. For all BFA products we offer service – even decades after end of production. The BFA customer serial number database preserves all the important info about unit made.

We believe in parts quality also. All the used components are from respectable manufacturers, perfectly matching the BFA requirements of each design. High quality and long-term stability are the most important criteria.

Signal paths in each BFA product are kept extremely short. The signal stays as pure and untouched as possible with no distortion and noise, which is essential for the perfect sound.

The dual-mono design line of BFA products provides optimal channel separation. In combination with a perfect signal to noise ratio and lowest distortion we gain also the tiniest musical signal which results in a beautiful three dimensional and tangible sound with perfect tonal balance and an incredible dynamic range.

Excellent linearity is achieved with extreme bandwidth extension on both sides of the frequency spectrum, as we have the unique audio technology. Dynamics aren’t compressed in any way and no matter the listening level, no audible compression level is heard – the BFA is well known for the sound flow – and leaving you to hear every possible detail. Simply, play it up to the limit, maximum volume level, and all will be clear – no other way to check it out what we say.

 

As with all BFA circuits, a very advanced and properly positioned power supply is required to maintain stable power for our innovative circuits. Tremendous energy reserves and the decoupling and stabilization of all important supply voltages ensure perfect control over the whole dynamic range, as we developed in house design of SMPS.

 

Lifelike music playback and the authentic, sophisticated reproduction of music is what drives BFA’s team. Each BFA component has the same goal: taking a live music performance from a concert hall or recording studio and delivering it without any loss of performance in your living room. You are able to experience performance in its proper acoustic size; you can hear a riff up and down the entire frequency spectrum in its proper time and frequency domain and hear vocals and instruments in their proper tone without any form of coloration. The BFA components do all this seemingly without any stress and with grace and elegance alike. Treble and highs are light and airy, bass is tight, taut and black. Nothing is projected smaller or larger, and each of the musicians plays in the exactly their spot on stage – as it should be.

And thus we come to full circle: the BFA exists precisely, because there are people who value those experiences.

 

The sound of BFA - Beyond Frontiers Audio electronics is really “beyond frontiers”, in our humble opinion.

Without tears of joy in your eyes, our job is not finished and the BFA work is still in progress. So, keep your handkerchiefs near you.

 

 

For further info: to Beyond Frontiers Audio website

di Giuseppe
Castelli
Leggi altri suoi articoli

Torna su

Pubblicità

Vermöuth Audio banner
DiDiT banner
Omega Audio Concepts banner
KingSound banner

Is this article available only in such a language?

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more articles in your language!

 

Questo articolo esiste solo in questa lingua?

Iscriviti alla newsletter per ricevere gli articoli nella tua lingua!

 

Iscriviti ora!

Pubblicità