˻ PREMIERE ˼

⌈ The KASOTO brand was established in 2020. Its owner, Mr. TOMASZ KASZUBA, is a carpenter by passion. The company offers various kinds of organizers, presenters, cable stands, racks and even one model of horn speakers, but it also has a range of passive RFI filters, prepared jointly with Cu-Audio. And it is these filters that we are looking at this time. ⌋

BASED IN SIEDLCE, the KASOTO company is a manufacturer focused on so-called accessories. I’m not a fan of the term, because for a long time they have been attributed to products that, in my opinion, are a fully-fledged part of any audio system, such as: power supply, vibration damping and cabling. The same is true in the case of products for EMI and RFI noise reduction, such as the tested KaNa – Cu-Audio Inside.

Each of their names consists of two parts. The first one is the name of the product type. And it is a component that attenuates electromagnetic radiation from audio equipment, including amplifiers, file and CD players, DACs, power supplies and speakers. The second part describes the technology used in the device. And then there is also the designation of the specific model, such as SP, DAC, AC and SE. There are currently, if I'm not mistaken, four different products on offer, each in the Standard or Extended version. They can be purchased separately or in sets.

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| A few simple words with…

TOMASZ KASZUBA
owner

I MAINLY DEAL WITH PRODUCTS made of wood and dedicated to lovers of great sound. Like any audiophile developing their hobby, at some point I reached the acceptable financial "threshold" and, to avoid depleting the household budget, I materialized my other passion – wood. That's how KOSOTO audio equipment came to existence.

KASOTO audio equipment (as a product name) has existed since 2020. My idea behind its establishment was handcrafting products from natural materials – the product was to be individual, unique and, as much as possible, handmade. I use CNC numerical machining or other specialized tools only to the necessary extent.

Our product range includes so-called presenters for records, cable stands, LP boxes/stands, turntable stands, platforms, as well as all other audio-related and custom-made items. The flagship product is the EPISODE IV rack, entirely made of solid wood, incorporating my own ideas regarding vibration-damping elements.

It has been possible to see and listen to my products twice during the Audio Video Show in Warsaw twice – in both cases it was Analog Suite 202 at the Sobieski hotel. First this was done together with the TRAudio manufactory, while last year we participated independently and had the opportunity to present the OnWaTi speaker system in Analog Suite 202. Any visible wooden or wood-based components on display had been handmade by me.

The products in the test are the result of collaboration between Kasoto and Cu-Audio led by the music lover, musician and electronic engineer, who also appreciates high quality sound. Mr Wojtek Mazurkiewicz is, among other things, a graduate of the Faculty of Materials Engineering at Warsaw University of Technology. He worked as an assistant at the Faculty of Technical Physics and Applied Mathematics at the same university. He also participated in classes at the UMFC Department of Sound Engineering. He has also gained professional experience in recording and dealt with sound systems in student clubs.

In addition, he is a long-time active stage musician – he plays the tabla. He is one of the few performers of classical North Indian music in Poland, as well as a lover of classical and jazz music. He is an analyst and IT systems architect by profession. For many years he has been experimenting with all sorts of his own designs to improve the sound of audio systems.

The "Kasoto KaNa – Cu-Audio inside" stands are the result of the cooperation. The stands on offer include four "standard" and "ex" series products: the SP/SP ex, SE/SE ex, DAC/DAC ex and AC/AC ex. The “ex” version is characterized by more filling and rounding of instruments compared to the “standard” version .As a result, we can dedicate the “ex” version to brightly playing sets and the “standard” version to systems with a darker sonic signature.

The sets are selected individually by the client after evaluating their suitability in his or her own system. As part of the purchase, the client first receives a kit containing all the components: 2 x SP (350 PLN/unit), 2 x SP ex (400 PLN/unit), SE (450 PLN/unit), SE ex (500 PLN/unit), DAC (600 PLN/unit), DAC ex (650 PLN/unit), AC (600 PLN/unit) and AC ex (650 PLN/unit). A set compiled as a result of client decisions practically always consists of five smaller components (SP/SP ex, SE/SE ex) and one AC/AC ex + DAC/DAC ex element. The cost of such a set is 2250 PLN. TK

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▌ KaNa – Cu Audio Inside

THE PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION of Kasoto products is quite simple. It is about high-frequency noise damping. That's why I refer to them as “passive RFI filters”. Such noise is generated by all electronic products, but especially by ubiquitous Wi-Fi and cell phone networks, not to mention cheap switching power supplies. KaNa come in the form of low, flat wooden elements that we place UNDER or ON our devices. Since each audio component generates interference of different frequency, amplitude and composition, we get “targeted” stands.

KANA • According to the manufacturer, the suggested placement of the components is as follows:

• SP/SP ex – speaker sets, power amplifiers
• SE/SE ex – sources
• DAC/DAC ex – preamplifiers, integrated amplifiers
• AC/AC ex – power supply, power strips, conditioners

The ones designed for power supply and DACs (digital devices) have the form of elongated Padouk wood tiles, oiled with natural oil for exotic wood. Similar, though slightly thinner ones are designed for power supply. The rest are smaller, half the size, and have a square outline. This is already their second version, created because of users' comments and suggestions. The changes mainly concern their external appearance - the stands are lower and made entirely of wood. As you can see, in addition to the basic versions, there are also those with the annotation ex. As the manufacturer says, “the ex version is an addition to the range and was created for users who have a brighter, livelier presentation” and want to add weight to it.

The inconspicuous appearance of the tested filters and the technology, rarely seen in audio, predestine them to be conceived as a “quirk” or “voodoo”. But this is how almost all “deviations” in audio were once thought of, such as specialized USB and LAN cables and filters for them, anti-vibration elements, artificial ground, etc. Until recently, it was virtually impossible to explain the rationale behind noise generators like the Nordost's QPoint; test → HERE. b>Today we know more and understand things better. Therefore, understanding why, at least in theory, KaNa filters work at all is not complicated.

CU AUDIO • In fact, the use of coils of this type is a fairly common method of canceling both RF and EM noise. Recall that Tesla coils are used in Aavik products – not only in amplifiers such as the I-880 (test → HERE), but also in cables, stands and wherever they can be placed. In addition, they are multiplied, and several, or even several dozen are used in a given application.

As Mr. Tomasz mentioned, he is involved in carpentry, and more generally in woodworking, while Mr. Wojciech Mazurkiewicz, the owner of Cu-Audio, is responsible for the technology, and the manufacture of elements that absorb electromagnetic radiation (hence “Cu-Audio Inside” in the name). We can read in company materials that:

Cu-Audio Inside is the name for a series of components in the form of flat spiral right-hand coil made of 99.999% pure copper (Editor's note). These components were inspired by Nikola Tesla's designs. Thanks to the use of special forming and thermal processing, the process of recrystallization of copper takes place in the solid phase. The processing parameters are the result of months of testing and constitute the manufacturer's secret. As a result, the obtained element has a structure containing large copper monocrystals with very low intrinsic resistance.

⸜ Cu-Audio, → KASOTO.pl, accessed: 26.06.2024.

Placing a Tesla coil in an alternating electromagnetic field induces, according to Faraday's principle of induction, an electromotive force, including eddy currents in the coil material. As Mr. Wojtek says, this leads to the creation of an electromagnetic field that cancels out external RF interference affecting the performance of electroacoustic track components:

This phenomenon, depending on the design and location of the audio system, can significantly affect the quality of the resulting sound. All manufactured components are subjected to verification and listening tests.

⸜ Ibid.

▌ SOUND

THE WAY WE LISTENED • The KaNo – Cu-Audio Inside filters were tested in the HIGH FIDELITY reference system. The test had the form of a comparative listening session, with the system playing with and without the filters in an AA/BB/A sequence.

Kasoto offers several different versions of the filter, differing in internal design and appearance, designed for various types of audio equipment and products. However, Mr. Tomasz Kaszuba also writes: “A very important note – the above descriptions of application are only a suggestion – IT IS VITAL that the location of individual components be verified experimentally for each system.” Since I did not have that much time, I tested the filters according to the manufacturer's suggestions as follows:

• DAC ex → the SACD Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition player
• SE → the Lumin T3 file player
• SP ex (x 2) → the Ayon Audio Spheris III preamp
• AC → the Ayon Audio Spheris III preamp power supply
• SP ex (x 3) → the Soulution 710 power amplifier

It was a cumulative test, that is, I listened to the growing impact of the products on the sound by adding them one by one and leaving them under the products I was listening to.

» RECORDINGS USED FOR THE TEST ⸜ a selection

⸜ GARRY MULLIGAN SEXTET, Night Lights, Philips/Mercury Music Entertainment PHCE-3064, „2496 Spectrum Rainbow CD”, CD (1963/1996).
⸜ GEORGE MICHAEL, Patience, Aegean | Sony Music UK 515402 2, CD (2004).
⸜ ASTRUD GILBERTO, The Shadow Of Your Smile, Verve Records 557 184-2, CD (1965/2002).
⸜ ROBERT KANAAN, Teardrops, NorthStar Music, Master CD-R (2021).
⸜ PET SHOP BOYS, I’ve got plans (involving you) w: tegoż, A new bohema, x2 Recording Limited/Tidal, SP, FLAC 24/44,1 (2024).
⸜ ZARA McFARLANE, If You Could See Me Now, Eternal Source Of Light/Tidal, FLAC 24/96, SP (2024).

You can find the tracks used in the test on the TIDAL playlist → HERE

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I WAS WARY OF LISTENING TO KASOTO PRODUCTS. I would even say that I had been procrastinating on their test a little. It was as if I was subconsciously afraid that I would not hear anything and that I would have to return them, politely refusing the test. I was wrong. Although these are not products that would transform the sound of a system, as they do not have some overpowering effect on it, they do influence it. And if we don't expect miracles or sound "repair" from them, they will turn out to be a nice addition to and support for what we already have.

I started the test from the top, i.e. from the SACD player, though the power supply is higher up in the hierarchy. However, my power strip has too low feet for me to be able to place the KaNa AC underneath. Since I'm already using a Nordost QPoint generator under it, I slid the plate from the front, narrow edge deep. And the player responded to the KaNa DAC ex positively. I didn't have to listen to the details at all, because the impression I got, which is, after all, what music is all about, was unambiguously positive.

The change that I managed to notice is related to deepening the sound and opening it up a little. Without the KaNa filters the sound absolutely satisfies me, but with them it was as if less compressed internally, as if more freed up. The dynamics gently improved, and the highs were now more sonorous. As I say, these are not big changes, one could even say they are small. But we quickly get used to them. That's why they were more noticeable after longer listening than in a quick A/B comparison.

I had a slightly different perception of the KaNa SE performance under the Lumin T3 file player. The sound opened up, like with the SACD player, but also withdrew the instruments on stage a little. ZARA McFARLANE's vocals were less “here-and-now” with them, and more “there”. The overall musical message was more distanced, but the stage also had a bit more depth. In this case, it was all about a longer reverb on the vocals and deeper resonance of the double bass, as these two elements are on the listening axis.

Interesting, but the impact of the filter could also be heard with the highly compressed, almost monophonic material from the recording I’ve got plans (involving you) by PET SHOP BOYS. With it, I heard something like a “damper” applied to the upper midrange. The change was seemingly small, but in music where this range is usually slightly “rolled off”, it was noticeable. At the same time, the sound attack was more strongly and clearly shown, and yet everything seemed softer – I hadn’t expected that.

The KaNa SP ex used under the preamp led to yet other sound modifications. The whole thing slightly moved towards me and had a stronger attack. The dynamics also increased, and the sound opened up as it did with the DAC ex under the player. The difference was the biggest of the three attempts so far, although still – I repeat – not a very big one. But KaNs had already been placed under the players, so – the way I see it – their effect could have been cumulative. However, if I were to start with something to show the effect of the stands on sound, I would begin with the preamp.

As I have already written, my AC power strip has feet too low for me to put the KaNa AC under it. But there was no such problem with the DC power supply of the Ayon Audio preamplifier. This change was smaller than with the preamp itself, similar to what was obtained with the file player. However, this is how I hear it, it deepened what the SP ex had done before, simultaneously calming down the musical message a bit.

The smallest changes I heard with the Kasoto filters involved the use of three SP ex under the Soulution power amplifier. Or maybe I have simply got used to them already? As I say, I did a cumulative test, that is, I was adding more components to the system, and the amplifier was at the end, maybe that's why. When I listened more closely, I found something there, either in better resolution or greater color depth. But these were subtle accent shifts, much less audible than with the sources and preamp.

▌ Conclusion

MY ACTIVITY IS A GOOD example for those who discredit audiophiles for so-called “voodoo” and for believing in nonsense. I am, in short, a good target, because I deal with such products. It is indeed the case that there are audio crooks, lunatics and nuts. However, we will meet them in any part of the world where a perfectionist attitude towards the topic is applied. Without them, not much would work. And that's because audio at this level requires experience, an open head, reason, but most of all – tools. And this is something the critics we are talking about usually don’t have.

In this case, it's mostly about the tool - the audio system. If there is something wrong with it, the impact of the KaNo stands may be so small that we won't notice it. Also, if we expect a “breakthrough”, we may not notice what they do, focused not on the “lining” of the sound, but on the imponderables, to quote a classic. This is because these are not elements with a “breakthrough” effect on music. They rather shift accents than change anything, they serve more to sort of “polish” the system than to “sculpt” it. But their influence can be heard, and it is really interesting.

This is mostly about deepening the sound. What I got with them was a larger color palette with more dynamics and differentiation. The sound opened up a bit, but only its aura, as the highs were not emphasized. I would even say that they were silkier, even with heavily compressed recordings. Therefore, the sound seemed open, yet it was more pastel, a little better differentiated.

Additionally, I would recommend listening to Kasoto KaNa – Cu Audio Inside products to those who do not hurry. Quick transitions of the insertion-removal type and vice versa can bring disappointment. Only longer listening shows what it's all about. And even then it won't be a “powerful” change. We'll hear the impact of the filters best after pulling a full set out from under all the products. Then the extra depth, velvet and sonority we get with them will seem worth the money spent. ●

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THIS TEST HAS BEEN DESIGNED ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES adopted by the Association of International Audiophile Publications, an international audio press association concerned with ethical and professional standards in our industry, of which HIGH FIDELITY is a founding member. More about the association and its constituent titles → HERE.

→ www.AIAP-online.org